by Dani Corlee
“Shall we go?” Mark asked, picking up the cooler and the umbrella. He then picked Maryann up into his arms and said, “Andrew, collect all your toys and give Mom a hand. Quick, there are only a few steps to get to the car.”
Kim collected her things and looked around. “Have we picked up everything? Where's Mrs. Daisy, Maryann?”
“Who's Mrs. Daisy, Mom?”
Kim froze. “I... I don't...”
“Before getting into the car, don't forget to shake down the sand as much as possible,” Mark shouted.
A few minutes later, while maneuvering the car out of the park, he stated, “You are quiet today.”
“I'm sorry, I've told you. I feel so and so... Strange.” She turned and looked at him, realizing he had frowned. She decided to change the subject.
“What would you like for dinner?”
Without looking away from the road, he replied wearily. “We are going out this evening, don't you remember? The Chef will suggest to us his best daily dish, as usual.”
Kim rubbed her hand through her hair and felt the salt and sand grains. She rushed an “Oh yes, sure,” pulled down the vanity mirror, and looked at herself. She sighed, relieved. In a universe where she felt everything was at times foreign and unknown, at least her face was still her own.
CHAPTER 18
Her house was bigger and more beautiful than how she remembered it. She enjoyed noticing so many things as if it was the first time she was seeing them!
Her bedroom was just perfect, looking like one of those depicted in magazines. She looked around. Everything was familiar. Nevertheless, she was feeling something strange, which she couldn't totally grasp. It was something which was just on the tip of her tongue, yet it felt distant.
She turned, looking at Mark. He took off his sandals and said, “We should invite the Rogers for dinner one of the next evenings. Can you alert the servants? Maybe next Thursday?”
“The Rogers? Yes, sure.” Kim had to concentrate before remembering whom the Rogers were. She still felt disconnected.
She went to the huge walk-in closet to take her home outfit. How many dresses! Why on earth had she bought so many things? She took some time to touch the smooth silk of a shirt and stared at the many high-heeled shoes.
“Do you know when you are leaving for a holiday and you feel you are forgetting something, but you don't know what?” she told Mark, talking aloud because she was still in the closet. “That sensation like there's something important you should remember but, regardless how you try, you cannot recall? I feel that way now.” She tried to sound careless, while looking at her dresses, pretending not to give great importance to what she was saying. But she needed help and she didn't know how to get it.
She exited the closet and Mark turned, tightening his flinty eyes, clenching his jaws, and looking at her with scorn. When he spoke, his voice was cold.
“Again?” he hissed. “Again with this story? I thought we had stopped thinking about foolish things. How long shall we talk about it?”
He stood up, walked rapidly to the bathroom, and slammed the door behind him.
Kim looked at him, humiliated. He was right, she was making a deal out of nothing instead of enjoying that beautiful day they spent together. He worked very hard, barely having a day off, and it was difficult for the four of them to spend a day together. She should have felt blessed for such a family. Instead, she had spent the day complaining and feeling strange. Mark had every reason to be upset with her.
“So, how are things?” Brittany asked and sipped her mojito. “You made me worry when you called me yesterday.”
Brittany had been her best friend since college and was the only person she could always rely on. She was loyal and fair and, most of all, sincere. If there was one person who could help her, it was Brittany. Luckily she had called Kim for a drink and they had decided to meet at the usual bar. She had felt strange, leaving the kids to their nanny, but, after all, what did she pay the woman for? The nanny was there to stay with her children, and she had the right to go out.
Her friend arranged her gorgeous flame-red hair and looked at her perfectly painted long nails.
“I feel so strange, Britty. I don't know how to explain it.”
“Try!”
Kim tasted her Negroni sparklers and made a face. So strong! Why the hell had she ordered it? Brittany had suggested it because she didn't know what to order, saying it was her favorite drink, but she wasn't so sure.
“A few days ago something happened. I don't know what, but I've been feeling very strange since then.”
“What do you mean?” the friend asked and picked some peanuts from the table in front of them.
“It is as if...” Kim raised her gaze and looked at the sky as if to find the words there. “As if I don't remember things.”
“What kind of things? The keys? The alarm code? To prepare dinner for your family?” She laughed loud, throwing her head back. “Who cares, Kim? You are so lucky to have a husband who pays lots of people to do everything for you! Forget it.” She gestured with her hand.
“No, you don't understand!” Kim replied, exasperated. “I need to talk about it, I feel I might go mad.” She nervously bit her lip.
“OK.” Her friend hit the table with her open palm and continued. “I didn't want to talk about it because you made me promise I wouldn't. But now it's the time to bring it back.”
Kim looked at her, surprised, but also relieved she might finally discover why she was feeling that way.
“Do you remember the last year at college when that hit-and-run driver crashed into you and you had to stay in the hospital for weeks?”
Kim gasped and after a while shook her head. Had she really stayed in a hospital for weeks because of a car accident? She couldn't remember it.
“When they released you the doctors told you that you had totally recovered, but warned you that from time to time your mind could have a sort of blackout and that you might feel strange and not remember things. That's what they said and that's what probably is happening now. But you didn't want to talk about it after that, and nobody knows. I'm sure you didn't tell anything to Mark, and he might get upset because you wanted to hide an important episode of your past from him. He might wonder why. You'd better not talk to him about it now.”
Kim swallowed and nodded. But why did what Brittany had just told her reminded her so much of something learned by heart? Why was nobody willing to hear about what she was feeling?
“Especially now,” Brittany added, pointing to her belly with a smirk.
Kim didn't want to stay there anymore. Her head was more dizzy than ever. Must have been the Negroni sparklers! Was she pregnant? Mark, too, had mentioned her belly. Had she really had a Negroni sparklers while pregnant? She turned, hearing childish laughter. A woman was walking along the street, holding hands with a little girl, slightly older than Maryann. The girl had long, straight hair and light-blue eyes and was talking and laughing incessantly. Long, straight hair and light blue eyes.
Long straight hair and light-blue eyes.
Long straight hair and light-blue eyes...
Kim felt an unexpected sinking feeling in her stomach, a sense of loss and a strong pain in the back of her throat. Suddenly time seemed to slow down. She could still hear the voices, but they seemed far away, in another world. She tried to stand up, but her movements were slow. As slow as everything around her. She kept on looking at the girl. She took a deep, pained breath and tried to close her eyes, but instead she continued to look at the girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She felt her friend pulling her dress, telling her words she couldn't understand. Words distorted, which turned slower and slower, while the voice went deeper and deeper till it turned into an evil sound. The girl, the blonde girl. She missed her so much! The blonde girl!
“Noooooooo!” she shouted and her voice was as slow and deep as her friend's voice but she kept on shouting and shaking her head, and her voice quickened and went higher a
nd higher and freed her.
“Aurora!” She sank into her dream, or away from her dream. After that, all was black.
CHAPTER 19
He got out of his low, sporty car and adjusted the collar of his white polo shirt, moving to the other side. Then she opened the passenger door, helping his grand-grandmother out. The old lady looked at him, gave him her hand, and got out of the car with effort. They walked at a slow pace to the Club’s sliding door, the old woman stepping in with pride.
"Granny, may I leave you here? Call me when you want to go back; I'll send you the chauffeur with your car. It is much more comfortable for you."
The old woman gripped her grandson's arm. "Not yet, stay with me," she said in a tone that didn't stand for objections.
He laughed loud and shook his head. The receptionist saw the couple entering and coming toward her desk at a slow, cautious pace, and, paralyzed, looked motionless at the gorgeous man in contemplation.
“I know what you are up to!” he said and laughed again. “You brought me here to make me meet one of your...” he lowered his voice and leaning down towards his granny's head he continued, “one of your witches. I know I loved those stories so much you told me when I was a kid. Those legends about our family are great. And I was the only one in the family who went along with your fantasies. But guess what? I'm not a kid anymore.”
The woman turned to him. “Insolent!” she exclaimed, pretending to be annoyed and hit her stick on the marble floor. Her half smile, though, showed how much she liked to spend her time with her grandson and even to be teased by him. He was the only person who could talk to her that way.
“And you know what?” he continued, still walking step by step by her side, holding her by the arm. “I never had problems getting any woman I want. I don't need a sweet old lady like you to help me.” He patted on her arm, grinning.
“You still need me. You can have any woman you want for your enjoyment. But now it's time to get someone for life.”
“For life?” He rolled his eyes. “Never!” They stopped, the woman resting for few seconds.
“You'll have wonderful kids. They'll be my progeny,” she said.
“What about my brothers? Luke has already two sons, and Michael’s wife is having a baby within a few months. Aren't those grandsons enough? I'm not going to have children, for sure. At least not in the near future. Maybe in 10 or 20 or even 30 years!” He laughed.
“Oh, those brothers of yours aren't good for anything. Look at their wives! You are the one, I know. You are 32 now and it's time we settle the matter,” she replied with a pleased smile.
In the meantime, they had reached the reception counter and overtook it, only making a gesture of greeting to the receptionist. The girl finally regained her self-control after the appearance of the young, gorgeous man who had left her breathless.
“Madam? Sir?” she called.
“Madam, excuse me? May I help you?”
She went out from her desk and approached the two, who were reaching the lift.
“Madam, Sir? Can I take you somewhere? Where are you going? Shall I announce you?”
The old woman stopped and leaned on her stick.
She looked at the young woman and with an austere gaze and her commanding tone replied, “No, thanks, I know the way.”
The girl widened her eyes without knowing how to manage the situation and how to answer. She went back to her desk and quickly connected to Isidora, mentally asking her permission to talk to her.
Isidora felt a light push on her mind, asking for mental access. She hadn't time to chat or discuss anything. She blocked the access so as not to be disturbed. The scene she was witnessing was chaotic enough, and she didn't need anything else to divert her concentration.
Few seconds passed and the phone rang. She stopped it with a gesture of annoyance.
The circle was holding hands, their eyes closing, each member murmuring an ancient spell. Even Aurora was moving her lips like she was pronouncing it too. Isidora was afraid her wrong words could put in danger the spell itself, but she had insisted a lot and the circle felt her presence could be important.
A light knock interrupted Isidora's thoughts and the door slowly opened. Who on earth could it be? She had ordered not to be disturbed!
The receptionist peeped her head into and whispered in one breath, “I'm so sorry, but I had to! Mrs. Chassey is here with a young man.”
“Tell her I cannot receive them. Or that I'm not here!” was the harsh reply and she dismissed the girl, waving her away with her hand.
“No, I'm saying they are here, just a few steps behind me! I had to teleport to arrive before them.”
“But... how did you arrive here before us?” a male voice asked followed by Jacqueline's voice. “I told you they can do wonders.”
There was a bright flash, followed by a fog that covered a large part of the room. The people in the circle cried in fear and surprise, pushed backward by a blast wave.
Still half-covered by the receptionist and the door, Matthew and his grandmother missed the scene, only seeing a sudden light and hearing the shouts.
Isidora acted quickly. She stretched her arm towards the door and her straight palm facing it, she blocked entrance to the trio.
She then turned to the center of the room, the group still blinded by the flash.
“What's happening there? Do you need any help? Let us enter!” Matthew shouted, knocking at the door with strong bumps.
The fog was rapidly dissolving and there, lying in the center of the carpet, a woman's shape was starting to show.
“Mom!” Aurora yelled.
Caught by surprise, Isidora weakened her attention to the door.
“Hey! What the hell is happening in there? Let us in!”
Matthew's blows grew stronger and he fell headlong inside the room, the door not opposing any resistance anymore. He took a few steps inside, nearly falling down, finding in front of him a scene that left him speechless. Silence fell in the room, only interrupted by the girl's sobs.
“My goodness!” he mumbled. He looked at the woman lying on the carpet and the little girl crying near her, trying to hug her and shaking her to make her recover.
He frowned, breathing quickly, “What did you do to her?” Nobody answered, all of them still shocked by the experience and by the sudden arrival of the stranger.
He knelt down and touched her throat, checking her pulse. Then, gently caressing her forehead, he looked up and shouted, “What are you all doing? Call an ambulance!”
Everything had happened in a few seconds, and the circle and Isidora had barely recovered from the surprise. They all approached Kim, who was still unconscious.
“Stay back, let her breathe!” Matthew ordered.
Ivy knelt down near him and softly said, “It isn't as it might seem.” She took him by the hand, gently squeezed it to show her support, and stood up, silently requesting him to get up too.
He looked at her, bewildered, still worried about the woman, his gaze full of questions.
Ivy smiled at him and he stood up, towering over the tiny figure.
Mrs. Chassey looked inside, and her fright died down as soon as she spotted her grandson and the Asian girl hand in hand, both staring in silence at each other. She smirked while Isidora looked at her with a hard gaze.
“You won,” she murmured. “You always win.”
CHAPTER 20
Kim was resting in her bed, Aurora playing next to her and Mr. Stevenson curled up at the end of the bed, loudly purring. Aurora and the cat barely left her alone for a second. She even had to argue to have some privacy in the toilet.
She stretched her arms, stealing a glance at the cat, still not really convinced he didn't mean any harm to her. Her daughter smiled at her, bent over her face, and smacked a kiss on her forehead. Kim couldn't have enough of looking at her little face. Now she knew that regardless of what her conscious mind might have thought while in her other life, she had missed her daug
hter terribly.
She heard Lucille's and Isidora's voices and steps coming from the stairs while they were coming upstairs.
“How are you now, my dear,” Isidora asked her, entering the room.
Kim breathed deeply. “Still puzzled and afraid it might happen again. But I still don't know what happened. I was too confused after I went back to understand what you all had tried to tell me. I'm not even sure you tried to give me an explanation, now that I come to think of it.”
