I buried my face in the downy softness of the plush pillow. Little edges of feathers poked through embedding themselves in my cheek. I wiped the tiny amount of saliva from my mouth. It took me a minute to remember where I was and what had happened. When it did all sink in, I was startled. Last I recalled, I had been lying on the floor in a puddle of my own vomit, bleeding, and in immeasurable pain. I slid my hand under the cover and reached down to feel the inside of my leg. It had been sutured. Slowly, I opened my eyes to look around me. The room was still spinning and everything was a blur, but I could tell I was clean, wearing clothes, and I was covered with the cushiony, down comforter that went with the pillow on which my head was gently resting. I could see the floor where I’d trudged a bloody trail from one end of the cabin to the other. It had been cleaned. The shadow of the flames from the fireplace licked the wall beside me. I was lying on the sofa in the living room, cleane
…Had I dozed again? The room was still vaguely alight with the fiery shadows cast by the dim glow of the fireplace. Someone had added more wood to feed the flames. No lamps had been turned on, and the stereo continued to softly play Imogen Heap. I heard dishes clanking in the kitchen. He was still there. How long had it been since I injured myself? I thought, just wait till I tell the women Amy and Carrie how peaceful my calming mini-vacation went. They will definitely get a kick out of it although living it was not funny at all. I mused at how wrong this weekend had gone. To think…I could’ve died. “You awake again?” He smiled down on me as he came back into the room wiping his hands with the rooster dish towel. Perfect teeth. And he was a doctor. Shame on you. I looked at his ring finger. Nothing there. “You up for a ride?” he questioned. Seriously, I’m almost comatose and he wanted a ride? It took me a minute to realize he was talking about riding in his car - not riding him. Sa
The nearest hospital was in the neighboring county. Although it was about an hour away from the cabin, the drive there didn’t seem very long. I had slept most of the ride and had felt rude for it. I was sure since he was a doctor that he understood. It wasn’t that I hadn’t wanted to carry on a conversation with him. He’d tried talking to me, but I was only able to churn out the occasional yes, uh huh, or hmm. I just couldn’t seem to stay awake long enough to muster up the strength to talk. I only caught fragments of what he’d been saying to me. He was from Atlanta. He’d never been married. He’d asked if I was married? And not to be personal, but why was I up here in the mountains all alone? Now, that was a loaded question thatI definitely did not have the mental energy required to answer. To that, I just shook my head.They were waiting with a stretcher when we arrived. I hazily recalled him calling to let them know we’d be arriving, giving “doctor details” of my condition. No, he’d
I had awakened several times during those wee hours of the morning with my IV neatly pulled from my flesh. The nurse scolded me as if I’d done it on purpose. Yeah, sure, as if I enjoyed the excruciating pain of having it reinserted time and time again. When I woke for the final time, I had worked up the nerve to call into work. In fact, it took all the energy left in my reserve to muster up the courage in me to make that call. Of course, no one would be at the school on the weekend, so, I had to call Mr. Thomas, the principal, at his home to inform him that I had been injured on my trip to the mountains and would be unable to be at work Tuesday. I don't know. I may be ready to go back before Tuesday, but any excuse to stay out of work at this point in my life I was going to take it. He was displeased to say the least. Geez, as though I’d done it on purpose. Mr. Thomas was probably in his late fifties, though he could’ve been younger. I wasn’t sure. He was tall and large. Not fat but j
It just hung there as though it were suspended on an invisible thread, peering at me in its reflection, either blind to my reaction or indifferent to it. I don’t know how long I lay there, watching it. It did not move. It didn’t appear to breathe. It wasn’t the same thing I saw that night on the deck, but it was similar, same cloudy appearance, winged with piercing red eyes. And though its eyes were the same color, something in its eyes was different. I just knew I wasn’t looking at the same monster that had tried to attack me the night before. I wanted to face it but was frightened of what would happen this time. There was no barrier separating this being from me like there had been last night. I couldn’t be sure if it would attempt to pounce at me like whatever I’d seen the previous night did. I took a teeny bit of comfort in the fact that it had made no indication that it would leap out at me so far. It just hung there, examining me from its distance. I was terrified to turn and lo
I called Carrie from the car. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t called her the whole time I’d been in the hospital. She’d had called several times, but I knew of her tendency to overreact, so I hadn't answered to keep from alarming her. This seemed counterproductive, I knew at once when she answered her phone in a complete frenzy. “Oh my God, Sadie. How could you vanish off up into the mountains without so much as a call all weekend to let me know you at least arrived there okay? Amy has been burning up my phone, too!” But I had called Amy, but only twice. I’d been so exhausted, I hadn’t bothered calling anyone much except Peter, to tell him what happened – leaving out certain details, of course – and to talk to Evie. Not surprisingly, he never answered his phone, so I wound up calling and telling his voicemail to relay to Evie that I loved her. I realized at this point I had completely tuned Carrie out. She was now shouting through the phone, and I held it away from my head to k
Peter looked momentarily frightened as he dropped the rake and backed away. “No. Peter is my ex-husband.” I stated. His expression softened as I got out of the car. No sooner had my foot hit the ground, I heard the beautiful high-pitched squeal of my sweet girl. She came peeling out the front door letting it carelessly slam behind her. “Mama!” she screamed as she came running to me and crushed her body into mine. I yanked her up and held her tight. It had seemed like an eternity since I'd last seen her. I wanted to just hold her forever. To take her, hop in the car, and yell to Ben, “Drive!” But I knew I couldn't do that. I could feel her tiny tears rolling down my neck. She missed me too. “Where have you been? You haven’t called me.” She was hurt. And I was mad. Mad as hell at Peter. “I did call, Honey.” I cooed, gently pushing a loose strand of hair behind her tiny ear. “Daddy just forgot to tell you.” Fucking douche bag. Evie stared at the car that pulled in behind us. My car.
Evie had fallen asleep in the backseat, so, Ben rolled down all the windows, and we decided to leave her there to sleep. It was a mild, early fall day, and Carrie’s front porch was less than ten feet away from his vehicle, so I felt she was safe. I got out of the car and waved at Carrie, and she came storming off of the porch towards me. I saw her jaw drop when she saw my injuries. “What the hell, Sadie?” she said looking at my foot and staring at the strangers who accompanied me. “You gotta lot of explaining to do.” She said as she eyed the two darkly handsome but unfamiliar men and turned to walk with me back to the porch of her house. It was chilly but sunny. Not so cold that one would need a coat. Leaves were all about the yard. Barney, her dog, came yapping around the corner of the house as Ben and Richard walked up to the porch behind us. I had already explained some of what had happened, at least enough to clarify the presence of Ben and Richard and the injuries on my leg.
I had to grip my goblet. I felt as though I might drop it. That was the last thing I needed to do. Injure myself again. I sat the glass down firmly on the table and glared at Ben. “Why? Why would you say that? Why would you put that off on me? Stevie and Paulo were with Carrie way before...” “For about four months before you were sent to Yarber Heights.” Richard interjected. I whipped my head around to look at him. “About the time your parents had started to consider sending you there. Honey, we can project into the future within reason. However, sometimes humans can change their mind and throw the projection off course but not in this case. Your friend Carrie did have problems. She was a manic depressive and mildly schizophrenic. She had contemplated suicide. So, her parents had her placed there because they were afraid she would follow through with it. But it wasn’t until George and Sue decided to send you there that Stevie and Paulo attached themselves to Carrie.” I didn’t unders
“So, you have lived many times before? Do you remember any of those lives? Isn’t that kinda the same as reincarnation? But humans can be reincarnated too, can they not?” I knew I had just bombarded him with a host of questions, but there were a multitude of them coursing through my mind. I had just started with the simple ones. “Yes, I have lived many, many times before. I don’t know exactly how many. But we all live and die and are reborn. And we all have a way of finding each other. It’s like we’re linked somehow. This link does have its drawbacks. The Corrupt can find us just as easily as we can find each other and believe me, we don’t want to be found by them. Since the beginning of all of this and the separation of the Fallen angels, into the Virtuous and the Corrupt...” “We align ourselves with the Virtuous, by the way.” Richard interjected. Ben nodded and repeated. “We were divided into the Virtuous and the Corrupt. The Corrupt have determined to seek out the Virtuous and kil
Ben began. “Long ago, before man was ever created...” I squirmed a little. He had managed a sentence, and I was already uncomfortable with how this was starting.He sensed my discomfort. “Please, just hear me out. It is important that you hear this. I really shouldn’t be the one explaining this to you now...and at your age.” I backed away, slightly offended and wholly confused. “I’m only twenty-five!” I barked. “And what does any of this have do with me? What is happening to me?” He tightened his grip on my arm where his hand had rested. “I wasn’t saying you’re old.” He suppressed a laugh. “I will clarify. I am not the one who was supposed to be teaching you, um, explaining these things to you.” He looked over at Richard who was now looking at us but still smoking his pipe. “We all had this explained to us at a very early age. And unfortunately for you, I am not a very good teacher, but I will do my best to explain it to you as it was described to me.” I sighed. I didn’t understand.
I was shocked. Stevie. How did he know about Stevie? He could've read her mind. Although it was crazy, but not any crazier than anything I’d experienced this weekend. Deep down I knew he could read minds, and that was an insane thought. This whole situation, my life, had just became one insane thing after another. But I also remembered Stevie. I remembered how dark and scary Stevie was. Did I want to leave Carrie here alone, knowing that Stevie could do this to her? Knowing that there was a very real possibility that Stevie was actually real. “She will be fine. I promise.” Ben said as he forcefully lifted Carrie's head and lifted me from the swing at the same time. He carefully laid her on the swing and covered her up with the afghan. He then yanked my arm and started dragging me from the porch me to the car, walking in wide strides. I was staggering in pain, punching his arm all the way. Richard sat his coffee down and coolly strolled to the Jeep. I started crying. I couldn’t kee
Evie had fallen asleep in the backseat, so, Ben rolled down all the windows, and we decided to leave her there to sleep. It was a mild, early fall day, and Carrie’s front porch was less than ten feet away from his vehicle, so I felt she was safe. I got out of the car and waved at Carrie, and she came storming off of the porch towards me. I saw her jaw drop when she saw my injuries. “What the hell, Sadie?” she said looking at my foot and staring at the strangers who accompanied me. “You gotta lot of explaining to do.” She said as she eyed the two darkly handsome but unfamiliar men and turned to walk with me back to the porch of her house. It was chilly but sunny. Not so cold that one would need a coat. Leaves were all about the yard. Barney, her dog, came yapping around the corner of the house as Ben and Richard walked up to the porch behind us. I had already explained some of what had happened, at least enough to clarify the presence of Ben and Richard and the injuries on my leg.
Peter looked momentarily frightened as he dropped the rake and backed away. “No. Peter is my ex-husband.” I stated. His expression softened as I got out of the car. No sooner had my foot hit the ground, I heard the beautiful high-pitched squeal of my sweet girl. She came peeling out the front door letting it carelessly slam behind her. “Mama!” she screamed as she came running to me and crushed her body into mine. I yanked her up and held her tight. It had seemed like an eternity since I'd last seen her. I wanted to just hold her forever. To take her, hop in the car, and yell to Ben, “Drive!” But I knew I couldn't do that. I could feel her tiny tears rolling down my neck. She missed me too. “Where have you been? You haven’t called me.” She was hurt. And I was mad. Mad as hell at Peter. “I did call, Honey.” I cooed, gently pushing a loose strand of hair behind her tiny ear. “Daddy just forgot to tell you.” Fucking douche bag. Evie stared at the car that pulled in behind us. My car.
I called Carrie from the car. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t called her the whole time I’d been in the hospital. She’d had called several times, but I knew of her tendency to overreact, so I hadn't answered to keep from alarming her. This seemed counterproductive, I knew at once when she answered her phone in a complete frenzy. “Oh my God, Sadie. How could you vanish off up into the mountains without so much as a call all weekend to let me know you at least arrived there okay? Amy has been burning up my phone, too!” But I had called Amy, but only twice. I’d been so exhausted, I hadn’t bothered calling anyone much except Peter, to tell him what happened – leaving out certain details, of course – and to talk to Evie. Not surprisingly, he never answered his phone, so I wound up calling and telling his voicemail to relay to Evie that I loved her. I realized at this point I had completely tuned Carrie out. She was now shouting through the phone, and I held it away from my head to k
It just hung there as though it were suspended on an invisible thread, peering at me in its reflection, either blind to my reaction or indifferent to it. I don’t know how long I lay there, watching it. It did not move. It didn’t appear to breathe. It wasn’t the same thing I saw that night on the deck, but it was similar, same cloudy appearance, winged with piercing red eyes. And though its eyes were the same color, something in its eyes was different. I just knew I wasn’t looking at the same monster that had tried to attack me the night before. I wanted to face it but was frightened of what would happen this time. There was no barrier separating this being from me like there had been last night. I couldn’t be sure if it would attempt to pounce at me like whatever I’d seen the previous night did. I took a teeny bit of comfort in the fact that it had made no indication that it would leap out at me so far. It just hung there, examining me from its distance. I was terrified to turn and lo
I had awakened several times during those wee hours of the morning with my IV neatly pulled from my flesh. The nurse scolded me as if I’d done it on purpose. Yeah, sure, as if I enjoyed the excruciating pain of having it reinserted time and time again. When I woke for the final time, I had worked up the nerve to call into work. In fact, it took all the energy left in my reserve to muster up the courage in me to make that call. Of course, no one would be at the school on the weekend, so, I had to call Mr. Thomas, the principal, at his home to inform him that I had been injured on my trip to the mountains and would be unable to be at work Tuesday. I don't know. I may be ready to go back before Tuesday, but any excuse to stay out of work at this point in my life I was going to take it. He was displeased to say the least. Geez, as though I’d done it on purpose. Mr. Thomas was probably in his late fifties, though he could’ve been younger. I wasn’t sure. He was tall and large. Not fat but j