“Hi Ned,” she said, pushing her way into his home.
“What are you doing here Ellsa?”
She smiled at him, glad that for once someone recognized her. “I came to say hi and see how you are doing.”
Ned kept the door open until she sat down, giving no indication that she was going to leave anytime soon. “What do you want Ellsa?”
“Are you still in love with my sister?” He looked away. Ellsa bit down, “That must mean yes. Why?”
“Because compared to you, she’s a breath of fresh air. I would have done anything for her, just to have her. And I would have done anything to get rid of you.”
His words burned her, like hot coal against her skin. She stood up and headed for the door. She stopped when she got to him. “It was nice seeing you again.”
Not turning to look at her, “The feeling isn’t mutual. Just leave.”
Ellsa walked past him, when he didn’t turn around to watch her, she pulled a syringe out of her jacket pocket and stuck it in his back.
Ned fell onto the floor, stiff.
She knelt down and turned him on his back. She held his hand up and watched it fall on the floor with a thud. She smiled as she watched his fear filled eyes watching her. “What’s your opinion on fire?”
She turned on the gas, hung around for a minute, then lit a small fire near him, giving her enough time to leave the building before the apartment blew up.
****
“No!”
She sat up, her panic climbing when all she could see was darkness. But she heard voices. Loud shouting voices. At first she thought it was just the remnants of her nightmare ringing in her ears. But… her nightmare wasn’t about a child. There was no child. So where was the loud boy’s voice coming from and who was he?
She rubbed her throbbing temples. It hurt so bad, like someone had taken a hammer to her head. And when she closed her eyes she could see loud swirling colors that made her dizzy. But at least the ringing in her ears was fading. What the hell was wrong with her?
Slowly she lowered herself back onto the bed, sighing with gratitude at the soft cloud her aching head landed on. She closed her eyes, crossing her arms over them and tried to keep her mind clear. But the shouting outside her door made that impossible, especially now that a female and a heavier male voice had joined the fray. Were they neighbors?
She slowly moved her arms away and opened her eyes. Neighbors? Was she in an apartment—her apartment? And where exactly was that apartment?
She searched her mind for answers, but she just drew blanks. Oh God! She panicked, forgetting the headache and quickly jumping out of bed. Where is the damn light switch? She cursed silently moving her hands against the wall until she got to the door. She looked down at the light coming from under the door, blood pounding harder in her head. Should she? What if something dangerous was on the other side?
But how will I get any answers if I don’t open it?
She took a deep breath, but that only made her head feel heavier and her handshake harder. Cradling her head with one hand, she held the doorknob with the other and slowly turned it and stepped out—into a well-lit corridor.
This was no apartment building. She was in a house. There was another door opposite hers, then at the end of the hallway, almost ten feet away two more. The rooms must be spacious. Since the corridor leading to her left was a dead end, she turned to her right, grateful for the soft grey carpet beneath her feet. She didn’t want to make any noise and draw attention to herself. She got to a flight of stairs and slowly took them one at a time down to the main floor hoping they wouldn’t creak. The carpeting ended at the last step and her feet got a little shock from the cold marble of the foyer. Right in front of her, just a few feet away was a large dark door. A way out, her chance to escape—but to escape what? She wasn’t even sure she was in danger. Instead, she turned to her left and slowly walked to the entryway of what she believed to be a living room, where all the shouting was coming from. Three adults stood in the middle of the room shouting to each other, the child seated on a single chair, pouting fiercely, that is until he saw her. His face lit up and he jumped out of the chair and raced to her. Something told her to brace herself and she did and glad for it when he slammed into her legs, hugging them tightly.
“Momma, you’re finally awake!”
Momma? The one word echoed in her head and her whole world tilted. She quickly reached for the wall to steady herself. She looked down at the little boy whose head reached her hip, his arms now wrapped around her right thigh as he stared up at her fear and tears swimming in his eyes.
“Momma, please tell me you remember me?” he begged in a little voice that shot right through her heart, breaking it.
Her heart crumbled away when the realization struck her. Dear God, I have a son?
****