Ordadus- Chapter Three

DANIEL CRAWFORD WAS slumped at his desk in the dim light of sunset. Textbooks, notebooks, letters, pens, and a laptop were spread before him, untouched. His steel blue eyes were encircled with red and his cheeks were moist as he gazed at the framed photograph gripped in his hand.

Andrew J. Crawford, US Army soldier from Oregon…

In the photograph, two grinning twenty-year old men were standing next to each other. They were identical in every way- their sapphire eyes, light hair, narrow noses, and straight eyebrows were the same. They were also clad in matching gray and khaki camouflage uniforms. A cinnamon-colored horse was nuzzling one of the young men’s shoulders.

…has been serving the United States of America dutifully in Afghanistan since October of this year…

The young man on the left was Daniel. His twin brother, Andrew, was next to the horse. They had just returned home from a basic combat training camp. Daniel remembered having very sore muscles and joints from the weeks of instructions and drills. He never understood why the arduous ten week camp had been labeled as “basic.” After only a few days of relaxation at home, the twins had planned to leave home again and attend advanced individual training to obtain specific skills.

…It is with extreme sadness that I notify you, Andrew’s family, and his friends…

Daniel had strapped on his motorcycle helmet and sped down the road to his girlfriend’s house right after the picture had been taken. As he raced down the undulating road, he had daydreamed about Beth, the girl in the little green house. After a few minutes had passed, he caught a glimpse of the apple-green house and increased his already excessive velocity. That was when the red truck had rolled out onto the road.

…of the agonizing truth that as of Friday, December 12th …

He didn’t recall much after seeing that green house. There was the colossal carmine truck, looming directly before him, then nothing. He didn’t even remember any pain. When he woke up the next day, the doctors had told him he was lucky. A motorcycle accident like that should have killed him. But he didn’t feel fortunate, especially when they told him he was going to have his right leg amputated below the knee.

He remembered seeing Andrew standing in the doorway of the hospital room, still wearing his camouflage uniform. At that moment, Daniel had realized that Andrew, his brother and friend for life, would be leaving for war without him. Andrew approached the bed to confirm the fact. When Daniel awoke again a couple days later, his leg was gone. So was his brother.

…Andrew has been filed as missing in action after a severe landmine accident…

The agonizing truth. It was as if he had collided with the red truck for a second time, only this time it was twenty times worse. The letter was clear enough. Andrew was dead.

Daniel set the photograph back on his desk as fresh tears welled up in his eyes. Seven months had slipped away since the photo had been taken. It had been seven months of agony without a leg and without his brother at his side. And now his twin brother had been permanently ripped from the earth. He would never see him again. He felt a desperate sadness surface within his heart. Half of him was gone, and he didn't feel that the remaining half was worth struggling for.

His iPhone buzzed. It was Beth. Daniel didn't answer.

The night wore on and Daniel remained rooted at his desk, staring out the window into a dismal void. There was hardly anything to observe but the vague silhouettes of birch and oak trees against the deep, violet sky. Once in a while the impatient filly from the nearest stable would whinny. Daniel had long ago grown used to the horses, the sounds they made, and the care they required. They had become an ordinary part of his life that did not require any special attention. To many visitors, the tremendous animals were remarkable to observe and ride, but to him they were just horses. He liked them, but it had been Andrew who loved them. Andrew, who would never be able to caress or mount his beloved horses again.

Finally, after over an hour of somber contemplation, Daniel's exhausted body compelled him to collapse into bed. Prior to settling in, he slipped his prosthetic leg off; again, he was reminded of his misfortunes. If he had to have lost a leg, why couldn't he have lost it in the war, with Andrew?

The black weight of sleep gradually began to settle over him. But someone, or something, aroused him. Another presence had entered his room. Daniel sat up and turned his head. He saw a man standing against the far wall of his bedroom. Daniel was startled. “Who-who are you?” he asked, gazing at the man with trepidation.

The man smiled, a calm expression in his eyes. A luminous, golden hue radiated from his white robes, enabling Daniel to observe the man in the darkness. He had short brown curls and a fresh, young face. His nose was narrow and his hazel eyes sparkled. When he proceeded to speak, his white teeth shone brilliantly under his curved lips. “Hello, Daniel.”

“Who are you?” Daniel inquired again.

The man patiently replied, “I’m Matthew. I’ve been sent from God to notify you of your brother’s misfortune.”

“I know,” Daniel blurted, “he’s dead.”

“No,” Matthew said, grinning. “He is alive.”

Daniel froze. “He… he didn’t die in the explosion?”

“Incredibly, no.”

“Is- is he okay?’ Daniel flung the bedsheets off and watched Matthew intently. His desperate yearning for his brother overcame the doubts he held for this strange man who had appeared in his room.

“That is what I have been sent here to tell you,” Matthew explained, now grim. “He isn’t going to have much of a chance unless you are there to help him.”

“Unless I am... where? Afghanistan?”

“No, not there. Sam knows. He will help you find your brother.”

“Sam?”

Matthew smiled again. He glanced down at Daniel’s desk. Reaching down, he picked up Daniel's phone and held it in his palm. He traced his thumb over its smooth surface, grinning. “How can humans become so addicted to these little things?” He shrugged and tossed the phone to Daniel. “Check the message.”

Daniel looked down and saw that he had, indeed, a new message. It was from Beth. “Um…” He lifted his head again, about to ask another question.

But the man was gone. The room was black without the friendly light that Matthew had supplied.

Daniel rubbed his temples and stared across the room, absorbing what had just occurred.

He noticed the framed photograph of his brother and him, illuminated by a small shaft of moonlight seeping through the window. If what Matthew had said was true, his brother was alive, after all. He breathed deeply, looked back down, and listened to the message on his phone.

“Daniel!” Beth exclaimed, her excited voice bursting from the phone. “Oh, Daniel! You aren’t going to believe it! There was this advertisement on the radio a few days ago and they were giving out two free plane tickets to Canada. You can probably already guess what happened, but, to make a long story short, I entered the code online and they just called me, telling me we’d won! We won, Daniel! We won two free plane tickets to Canada! I know you’ve already been but this is supposed to be an incredibly beautiful part of the country, and oh, guess what? We’ll be staying in this adorable little cabin in the foothills, too. We’re getting free tours by this man named Sam who’s lived there forever and owns the cabin. It’s going to be so much fun! We can go any time we’d like, so I’m thinking about going in the spring so it can warm up a little. Easter break, maybe? I know that that won’t be for a while, but that will give us plenty of time to plan. I’m so excited! Call me back soon, Daniel! We’re going to Canada!”

“Canada,” Daniel whispered. He glanced at the photograph again, a slight smile spreading on his face.