Much more impatient, Linda cried out, “Louise! You’re alive! We assumed that you were dead! Mike saw you hanging in the gazebo!”
“I’d been so sure that I
was going to die. I remember thinking that I was too young to die.
Instead I woke up on the sand below End House. But I remember hanging in
the gazebo with creatures dancing around me, chanting in a weird language.”
Todd began throwing questions at her, fast and furiously: “Did you happen to see their faces? Do you remember anything else? Why—”
“I remember recognizing one of the faces,” Louise said. “But I just can’t seem to recall his or her face.”
“Don’t worry; it will all
come back to you. We’re so happy that you are alive and well. Mike,
David, and Shana will want to hear that you’re back.” Linda tucked the
colorful knitted blanket, which had been lying across the back of the
couch, around Louise’s shivering body. She was surprised to find
Louise’s hands cold, like ice. She placed her hand on Louise’s forehead
and also found it cold to her touch.
Todd appeared eager to
grill Louise with more questions, so she pushed him away from Louise;
suggesting that he should notify everyone of her surprise return from
the dead.
Once Todd left the room, Louise rose up from the couch to
announce that she was hungry. Linda led her to the kitchen. Louise
walked zombielike with her head down—without her usual chatter and happy
bounce to her step. She seemed much different than before. It had to be
because of the traumatic experience that she’d survived
last night. But then she remembered that Louise had been moody and
unhappy this whole past week. She would just have to accept the fact
that they had all changed in some way since that awful party.
Linda almost emptied out her whole refrigerator in her eagerness
to feed Louise. But Louise sat before the huge display of food, only
nibbling on a breadstick. As Linda watched her, she realized that Louise
didn’t have enough strength to eat anything. Just as she was about to
lead her back to the couch, Shana rushed into the apartment. She
enveloped Louise in a big bear hug…all the while sobbing about her
supposed death. Louise appeared uncomfortable as she tried to pull away.
Linda heard loud voices in
the living room, and then the door burst open with David and Mike
running in. Mike stood back while David hugged Louise. Louise closed her
eyes and Linda could have sworn that she was smiling contentedly back
at David.
No comments:
Post a Comment