Part 18 (1/2)

”No, I was awake,” I say to him. ”Dad, I do not want to go to school today,” I say quietly.

”Alright, but why? Are you ill?”

”No, but I do not feel a hundred percent,” I mutter, and my heart breaks as he gently rubs my shoulders over my duvet.

”Alright,” he says, picking the alarm clock and turning it off. ”I'll leave a note for your grandparents and ask them not to disturb you.” He concludes, and I nod gratefully.

He begins to rise from the bed.

”Dad?” He stops and looks back at me over his shoulder, ”I love you,” I whisper.

He looks so surprised, I fear that he might tear up, and I scold myself for not saying it often enough. I've probably never said it since I was seven years old or thereabout. He bends again to place a firm warm kiss on my nose.

”I love you too, princess.” He whispers. He then gets up awkwardly and walks out of the room. I close my eyes, finally shutting the world out, and give in to the much-needed slumber.

Chapter 22.

Anne-Marie Calling

I watch the words s.h.i.+ne bright on the screen of my phone, as the light blinks. I have turned my phone to silent, so it makes no noise.

I've been awake since a little past 10a.m. and very glad that my grandparents hadn't come in to check on me. The last thing I want to do is talk. I lie in my bed, staring at my painting lying against the opposite wall.

My b.l.o.o.d.y pajamas still lie in a heap on the floor before my bed. I hadn't feared dad seeing them because he never turns on the lights in the mornings. The dried blood on my skin is annoyingly itchy. I know I need to get up and get cleaned up before anyone sees me, but my mind doesn't want me to move. My spirit is broken. The realization of just how much my fate is not my own has scared me to hiding.

When I hear the front door open and dad's voice talking to grandpa, I immediately grab at the clothes on the floor and throw them under the bed, and then bury my head deep under my sheets. My movements had been a tad too swift, but I guess any movement after so many hours of lying still, would feel like that.

”Is she still in bed?” I hear dad's worried voice. He then opens the door tentatively.

”Princess?”

”Mmh...” I moan in response.

”Are you okay?”

”Yes, I just need to relax today dad,” I say, my voice croaking from lack of usage. He hovers by me for a while, not sure what to do or say.

”You would tell me if you were feeling unwell, right?” He asks with heart-wrenching concern.

”I would,” I reply, trying to sound cheerful.

”I'll just grab on some work clothes, and then be out of your way!” I bury my head deeper into my covers, and listen as dad rustles about.

”Ok kiddo, I'll be rus.h.i.+ng off to the house with grandpa. You have a good rest,” he bends over and kisses my forehead, he can probably make out its profile from under my covers.

”See you later dad,” I call as he walks out the door.

”Good bye princess! Be sure to eat something.” I listen as the car backs out of the driveway.

I continue staring at my painting. Someone calls my phone again, but when I look, the phone goes out, having run out of battery power. I don't move to charge it, but rather remain on my bed, staring at my painting.

I feel the air warming up around me, I don't bother to look around. How did it get into my room with my window shut? I don't speak out my question though.

”Caroline?” Uriel's voice speaks up from beside me, but I do not bother to answer. ”I wanted to check up on you, see how you are doing.” Silence.

”I am so sorry that you had to go through that,” she cries, throwing her arms around me. I do not move, neither to reciprocate her touch nor to coil away from it.

”Caroline, please talk to me!” She pleads. She might as well plead to judgment day. I am done.

”Caroline,” grandmother calls, opening the door and sticking her head through it. I lower my beddings a little to peep at my grandma. Uriel is still perched beside me, but I know she has placed herself in the other dimension so that only I can see her.

”Yeah,” I answer her call.

”I am leaving for the supermarket. I just wanted to check that you are ok.”

”I am okay,” I say to her. ”Could you please bring me some cherry ice cream?” She smiles back at me, realizing that if I was asking for ice cream, then I was probably fine.

”Will do. Just be sure to get into the kitchen in the meantime and try some of the chocolate m.u.f.fins I just baked. They are still warm!” She winks at me as she closes the door behind her. I smile to myself. Grandma winks? Wow!

When I hear the main door close, I jump out of bed. I am b.u.t.t naked, but I don't care, Uriel is the trespa.s.ser here.

”Are you in any pain?” She asks, as I bend over beside her to drag out my soiled clothes for the past couple of days. I strip off my beddings that have some dried blood on them, and drag the clothes to the bathroom with me. I fill up the was.h.i.+ng machine and set it to regular wash. I grab at my toothbrush and step into the shower cubicle with it, turning on the water. I stay almost half an hour in the water, letting the warm spray rejuvenate me.

Back in my room with a towel around my body and another around my head, I set about cleaning it. I open wide my window, hoping the dark haired angel hovering over my bed would take it as a sign to leave.

I sort out the closet, and set about replacing my beddings. As I spread out the bed sheet, Uriel tugs at the other end to help me. I immediately drop my end, not wanting to do anything with her. She finishes out spreading it by herself, shaking out one end and then rus.h.i.+ng very fast to the other end to tug at it before it settles down. It is impressive, the speed at which she can move, but I don't say anything. Giving up the bed to her, I make my way to the storage closet in the hallway and carry back the vacuum cleaner with me.

”Are you never going to talk to me again?” She asks, just before I turn on the vacuum and enjoy as its loud hum drowns out anything she would have to say. I finally turn off the vacuum cleaner, and curse at the silence that falls over us again. As I straighten up, I feel another angel embracing us with his presence.

”Hi Caroline,” Ariel's voice calls from outside my window where he hovers.

”She isn't speaking to any of us,” Uriel answers him in my stead.

”I see,” he responds with a sigh. ”Have you tried the girl talk way, that always seems to work.” Did he just? No... I thought I heard him speak in their language, and I understood him without being touched by any of them. How is that possible?

”Just tell her something about you been sad, and that you love me but think I don't feel the same way about you. I overheard her talking to a friend about something similar. She will warm up to you if you do.” He finishes before flying off. I try my level best to maintain my calm as I hear them talk about how they should manipulate me. Is this what they have been doing the whole time they've been having their private conversations? Manipulative, another trait of theirs to remember in the future.

”Sweetie, I really need a girlfriend right about now,” my heart breaks when I realize Uriel is actually doing what Ariel suggested. How could she? All the moments we have bonded, have they been discussing ways in which she could connect with me? Picking out topics for her that hit close to home? Has she been faking all the emotions, her tenderness?