Post by moonwick on Oct 1, 2006 21:37:36 GMT -5
Jade’s skin was chilled and she reached for a blanket. Instead, her fingertips brushed icy concrete and she jumped, startled. Her eyes flew open as she realized where she was. The September morning sun was just peeking over the horizon, spilling liquid, rosy light over the sidewalk and onto Jade’s dew-covered legs. How had she ended up here?
The dull, throbbing pain in the back of her head refreshed her memory. Grimacing, she touched the bump that had formed, checking for blood. A thousand images flashed through Jade’s mind: the nightmare, Lantlas, the letter, fresh ink on a journal page….She had been out for a walk the previous night in an effort to clear her mind, and had vowed to explain her goodbye letter to Lantlas when she returned. But while Jade was out, something…or someone…had bashed her in the head from behind. Holding her shaking fingers in front of her, she stared in horror at the sticky blood that had leaked from her injury.
The young woman’s eyes glanced around suspiciously for evidence, but the only moving objects in view were the sprinklers on the lawns and the squirrels stealing seeds from the birdfeeders before the neighbors could wake up and chase them away. Slowly, Jade sat up, her vision blurred and spinning. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying not to vomit. Within a few minutes, the nausea passed and Jade was able to stand. Her feet were unsteady and the ground seemed to be moving. She looked at the sidewalk hesitantly, hoping it wasn’t the flexible ribbon of gray rubber Jade’s brain was telling her it was. What she saw surprised her even more. On the sidewalk next to a small pool of the young woman’s blood was a warning written in pink chalk: I’ll be back for you, Emily DuPrae. Jade’s eyes flashed open again and she stumbled backwards in fear, tripping over a child’s skateboard and fainting in the grass.
When Jade opened her eyes again, she was lying in a hospital bed. An older lady with lots of red lipstick on was hovering over her in concern.
“Where am I? And who are you?” Jade tried to be polite, but she was just too confused.
“You’re in the hospital, dear; Harry and I found you passed out on our lawn.” She gestured across the room, where an old man was snoring loudly in his chair. The woman turned back to Jade. “My name’s Madgie Baxter.” She extended her hand, and Jade took it in her own, still confused. “I do hope you’re all right, dear. There was blood all over the sidewalk, but the doctor says it’s nothing serious, just a little bump and some small gashes. How’s your head?”
Jade remembered the pain she had felt earlier. “The pain is…gone…” she said slowly, feeling rather dazed.
“Oh, that’s right. They gave you pills for the pain, dear. Isn’t that right, Harry? Didn’t they say they were going to give her pills?” The man snored more loudly, his mustache twitching. “Your driver's license says that your name is Emily.”
“Yes,” Jade said, embarrassed that she had forgotten to mention her name. She got up out of bed and searched for her clothes. They were folded on a chair in the corner.
“Where are you going, dear? Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m fine,” Jade assured her, grabbing the pile of clothing and heading out the door. She stopped and turned around, walking back toward the woman and shaking her hand again. “Thank you for all you’ve done. Really. I appreciate it.”
“You’ll come and visit us sometime, won’t you?” the woman asked, scrawling her address and phone number on a post-it note. “Harry and I just love visitors. Isn’t that right, Harry?” She swatted her husband. The sleeping man snapped to attention and smiled at Jade, nodding.
“Of course I’ll come visit, if you like. But right now there’s something I really need to do.”
“I hope you feel better, dear,” said Madgie, handing Jade the post-it note.
“Thank you,” the young woman replied, sneaking to the nearest bathroom before one of the nurses could spot her and asked what she was doing. Successful, Jade changed from the hospital gown back into her clothes, called a cab, and went home to find Lantlas.
The dull, throbbing pain in the back of her head refreshed her memory. Grimacing, she touched the bump that had formed, checking for blood. A thousand images flashed through Jade’s mind: the nightmare, Lantlas, the letter, fresh ink on a journal page….She had been out for a walk the previous night in an effort to clear her mind, and had vowed to explain her goodbye letter to Lantlas when she returned. But while Jade was out, something…or someone…had bashed her in the head from behind. Holding her shaking fingers in front of her, she stared in horror at the sticky blood that had leaked from her injury.
The young woman’s eyes glanced around suspiciously for evidence, but the only moving objects in view were the sprinklers on the lawns and the squirrels stealing seeds from the birdfeeders before the neighbors could wake up and chase them away. Slowly, Jade sat up, her vision blurred and spinning. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying not to vomit. Within a few minutes, the nausea passed and Jade was able to stand. Her feet were unsteady and the ground seemed to be moving. She looked at the sidewalk hesitantly, hoping it wasn’t the flexible ribbon of gray rubber Jade’s brain was telling her it was. What she saw surprised her even more. On the sidewalk next to a small pool of the young woman’s blood was a warning written in pink chalk: I’ll be back for you, Emily DuPrae. Jade’s eyes flashed open again and she stumbled backwards in fear, tripping over a child’s skateboard and fainting in the grass.
***
When Jade opened her eyes again, she was lying in a hospital bed. An older lady with lots of red lipstick on was hovering over her in concern.
“Where am I? And who are you?” Jade tried to be polite, but she was just too confused.
“You’re in the hospital, dear; Harry and I found you passed out on our lawn.” She gestured across the room, where an old man was snoring loudly in his chair. The woman turned back to Jade. “My name’s Madgie Baxter.” She extended her hand, and Jade took it in her own, still confused. “I do hope you’re all right, dear. There was blood all over the sidewalk, but the doctor says it’s nothing serious, just a little bump and some small gashes. How’s your head?”
Jade remembered the pain she had felt earlier. “The pain is…gone…” she said slowly, feeling rather dazed.
“Oh, that’s right. They gave you pills for the pain, dear. Isn’t that right, Harry? Didn’t they say they were going to give her pills?” The man snored more loudly, his mustache twitching. “Your driver's license says that your name is Emily.”
“Yes,” Jade said, embarrassed that she had forgotten to mention her name. She got up out of bed and searched for her clothes. They were folded on a chair in the corner.
“Where are you going, dear? Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m fine,” Jade assured her, grabbing the pile of clothing and heading out the door. She stopped and turned around, walking back toward the woman and shaking her hand again. “Thank you for all you’ve done. Really. I appreciate it.”
“You’ll come and visit us sometime, won’t you?” the woman asked, scrawling her address and phone number on a post-it note. “Harry and I just love visitors. Isn’t that right, Harry?” She swatted her husband. The sleeping man snapped to attention and smiled at Jade, nodding.
“Of course I’ll come visit, if you like. But right now there’s something I really need to do.”
“I hope you feel better, dear,” said Madgie, handing Jade the post-it note.
“Thank you,” the young woman replied, sneaking to the nearest bathroom before one of the nurses could spot her and asked what she was doing. Successful, Jade changed from the hospital gown back into her clothes, called a cab, and went home to find Lantlas.