Date: Fri, 18 Oct 1996 18:45:20 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: The Impossible Dream- Chapter 12 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Chapter 12 The plan had worked perfectly. *A little too perfectly*, Sam though. With Sam's forged orders, the miners quite easily were able to rescue Tawchy and Pete. Yet, despite their success, there was a knot in Sam's stomach. All the miners were now celebrating, all of them thanking Sam for his help. Sam smiled. "It wasn't all me," he insisted. "It was Stawpah's idea." He waved to Stawpah in appreciation. Stawpah raised his Coke in a manner very familiar to Sam. In an instant, Sam came to a realization. *He reminds me of Al! He even looks a little like Al!* But before Sam could take a step towards Stawpah to ask some questions, Stawpah disappeared in a flash of blue light. Sam gazed in amazement at the seat Stawpah had been. "Where did he go?" he wondered aloud. "Where did who go?" Ziggy the miner asked with a smile. "Stawpah," Sam told him. "Some one named Steve?" another asked. "No, not Steve," Sam insisted. "Stawpah." "Stawpah is Steve in Russian," Ziggy told him. "Yeah, but didn't you see him?" Sam questioned. All became quiet, some shaking their heads. "He was sitting right there," Sam insisted. "And he was surrounded by a blue light and electricity passed all through him and then he disappeared." There was a moment of quiet before the man Sam had known as Jake Dorleac spoke up. "I'm having what Sam's having!" There was laughter and a rush to the bar. "He leaped," Sam realized. "That's what it must look to leap. Stawpah was a Leaper!" he exclaimed loudly. "Stawpah was Ukranian," Gushie the miner told as he entered the bar. The bar became quiet. "I came over on boat with Stawpah and his family." "Then you know Stawpah," Sam said as a confirmation. Gushie went to the bar and got a drink from Al. Downing the drink, he continued. "Stawpah and I worked in Marianna mine together. He was best damn loader I ever seen." "Yeah," Sam said. "He told me he could load twenty-four tons a day." "No one came load twenty-four ton," Gushie frowned. "But he come damned close." He looked at Sam. "Then Marianna mine blow up. Stawpah was only one to come out of pit alive. Since then, people look at him funny. It was the coal on his back." Sam nodded. "Yes. He was all hunched over but not because of the coal. It was rheumatory arthritis." "You know Stawpah," Gushie wondered. "Yes, he was right here." "Stawpah?" Gushie shook his head. "Stawpah went back to Russia with his niece two years ago. Swore he never return to any mine. And Stawpah never breaks his promises." Gushie hesitated. "Unless it were to see his great nephew but he live in New York. Stawpah wouldn't go out of his way to come here. Especially to a mine." Sam slowly walked to that bar. Al gave him a smile and a beer while the others, figuring out that the story was over, continued with their celebration. "There's something about this bar," Sam told Al firmly. "Yeah, there is something special, isn't there?" Al smiled. "Mysterious people save other people and then disappear in a flash of blue light? Yeah, I'd say there was something special about this place." Al shrugged. "These things happen." "Then Stawpah was here!" Sam exclaimed. Al nodded. "I remember him." "Then why don't they?" "That's the way it is," Al told him. Sam frowned. "Sam, sometimes 'that's the way it is' is the best possible explanation." "Not for me, it isn't," Sam insisted. Al stepped sideways with a slight grin. In the mirror over the bar, Sam could see his own reflection and the reflection of the man beside him. *Wait!* Sam thought. *Something's wrong.* He looked at the man beside him. It was a different face! The reflection didn't match the man. But it wasn't just that one miner. All of the miners had contradicting reflections. Al walked back to him. "Are you willing to accept that what you see is real?" he asked with a tilt in his head. "Which reality do I accept?" Sam questioned. "This one or that one?" He motioned to the mirror to indicate his meaning. Al looked at him carefully. "Haven't you accepted both after all those faces you've leaped into?" *Aha!* Sam thought. He leaned forward. "You ARE the one who's leaping me around," he said with conviction. Al squinted as if Sam's statement was a bit painful to him. "I wouldn't say that," he told Sam. "Then, what would you say?" Sam asked. Al pointed to the mirror. "That HE'S been leaping you around." Sam stared at the mirro, at his own reflection, shaking his head. "No," he said firmly. "I'm not the one doing it." Al shook his head in sympathy. "sam, take a lot around you. Every face is one which is familiar to you. Correct?" Sam nodded. "Why is that?" "I don't know," Sam told him. Al smiled. "No. You know. You just don't want to admit it to yourself." "Sam," a voice said firmly. Sam looked at Al the bartender upon hearing his name. Al nodded towards the center of the bar. Sam followed the nod and smiled with great delight. "Al!" *************************** "We're getting a lock!" Gushie's voice interrupted Al's thoughts. Al stood up quickly and started to hurry to the elevator. "How strong is it?" "Very strong, Admiral," Gushie told him. "I think he may be coming out of his coma." Al smiled with thanks. "Where's Dr. Beeks?" "She's in the Waiting Room with Mr. Selantono. He's been calling out Susan Paprocki's name." Al's smile widened. It was a good sign. "Have the Imaging Chamber ready," he ordered. "I'm going straight in," he finished as he entered the elevator and pressed the button for the tenth level. "Yes, sir," Gushie replied emphatically. Finally, the wait was over. **************************************** Hey! Don't think it ends so easily! There's still another 6 chapters to this thing! Kat