jolted and gripped the counter, my hand flying to my mouth in order to cover my scream.
“Jane?” My mother reached across the counter with concern. She touched my hand, making the image more vivid—her body hit the rocks.
I shuddered and shut my eyes, a chill icing the room.
“Jane? Are you all right?” she asked again.
I slid my hand from my mouth. “Yeah, um… I just remembered I forgot to do an assignment.” I looked into my mother’s large, almond shaped eyes, the same eyes she shared with Emily. She’s still alive, I told myself. It’s not real. “Sorry… Darn it. Now I’m going to get a ‘B’.” I tried to make the excuse seem relevant. I pounded the counter with my fist, though the image of my mother dead on the rocks still lingered.
“Oh, well. That’s all right. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You can’t win them all.” My mother went back to sipping her tea.
I licked my lips and leaned back against the counter. My talent to foresee death had never been so vivid, never so—strung out. I tried to swallow, finding my throat had dried with fear. I felt my cheeks begin to flush from the lingering burst of adrenaline. The scene played over and over, unrelenting. I went to the fridge, retrieving the orange juice and pouring a large glass. I brought the cup to my lips, drinking quickly, hoping the simple act would help bring me back to my senses.
The patio door off the kitchen opened and Wes walked in. “Hey, everyone.”
“Hi, Wes.” My mother gave him a pathetic wave over her shoulder, conveying her misery. “Think I caught your flu.”
Wes looked up at me, lifting one brow in question. “Oh… Mrs. Taylor. That’s… That’s horrible .” He placed a hand on her back and winked at me. “Feel better soon, okay?”
My mother smiled sheepishly, enjoying the attention.
I pushed my mother’s death into the depths of my mind, trying to remember that today was Monday—I had bigger problems than harmless visions. I heard the pounding of feet as Emily bounded down the stairs. Glancing up as she turned the corner, I saw she was wearing a long sweater and jeans, her hair straightened and her make-up light. This was the Emily I loved. The Emily I always imagined she would grow up to be, not the Goth chick of before.
“Hey, Wes.” Emily threw her bag on the counter, hooking one arm around Wes’s neck and kissing him on the cheek.
Mother tried to pretend she hadn’t seen it, but the smirk on her face gave it away. “How was your date last night, you two?”
“Mo- om ,” Emily whined, embarrassed that she’d even mention it. She’d thrown her hands in the air, eyes rolling. Her reaction was a little excessive.
“Okay! Nevermind .” My mother stood from the stool, shuffling to the couch in the TV room opposite the kitchen. She sighed and sunk into the oversized cushions. “Have a good day, everyone. I’m going to go ahead and die now.”
A chill ran down my spine as Mother said it.
Emily gave me a strange look, mouthing a question as to what was going on.
I showed her the images in my mind, then showed her the real fact that Mom was just sick.
Emily glowered at me. “See ya, Mom.” Her eyes remained on me as she slid her bag off the counter and grabbed a banana from the basket. Wes followed her.
I kept my gaze on my mother, last out the side door as I locked it behind me. We walked on the path between the houses toward the driveway where Wes’s car was already running. Emily opened the Camaro door, pulling the seat forward to access the back. I stood, waiting.
Emily cleared her throat. “After you.”
I was momentarily surprised. I had forgotten that I’d been downgraded to the backseat, Emily now upgraded as Wes’s girlfriend. I secretly grumbled to myself, disliking the new real-estate as I squeezed in. Emily was taller than me, so I guess it made sense that I should be the one sitting in the back, but that didn’t mean I wanted to. I wasn’t used to all the
“Jane?” My mother reached across the counter with concern. She touched my hand, making the image more vivid—her body hit the rocks.
I shuddered and shut my eyes, a chill icing the room.
“Jane? Are you all right?” she asked again.
I slid my hand from my mouth. “Yeah, um… I just remembered I forgot to do an assignment.” I looked into my mother’s large, almond shaped eyes, the same eyes she shared with Emily. She’s still alive, I told myself. It’s not real. “Sorry… Darn it. Now I’m going to get a ‘B’.” I tried to make the excuse seem relevant. I pounded the counter with my fist, though the image of my mother dead on the rocks still lingered.
“Oh, well. That’s all right. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You can’t win them all.” My mother went back to sipping her tea.
I licked my lips and leaned back against the counter. My talent to foresee death had never been so vivid, never so—strung out. I tried to swallow, finding my throat had dried with fear. I felt my cheeks begin to flush from the lingering burst of adrenaline. The scene played over and over, unrelenting. I went to the fridge, retrieving the orange juice and pouring a large glass. I brought the cup to my lips, drinking quickly, hoping the simple act would help bring me back to my senses.
The patio door off the kitchen opened and Wes walked in. “Hey, everyone.”
“Hi, Wes.” My mother gave him a pathetic wave over her shoulder, conveying her misery. “Think I caught your flu.”
Wes looked up at me, lifting one brow in question. “Oh… Mrs. Taylor. That’s… That’s horrible .” He placed a hand on her back and winked at me. “Feel better soon, okay?”
My mother smiled sheepishly, enjoying the attention.
I pushed my mother’s death into the depths of my mind, trying to remember that today was Monday—I had bigger problems than harmless visions. I heard the pounding of feet as Emily bounded down the stairs. Glancing up as she turned the corner, I saw she was wearing a long sweater and jeans, her hair straightened and her make-up light. This was the Emily I loved. The Emily I always imagined she would grow up to be, not the Goth chick of before.
“Hey, Wes.” Emily threw her bag on the counter, hooking one arm around Wes’s neck and kissing him on the cheek.
Mother tried to pretend she hadn’t seen it, but the smirk on her face gave it away. “How was your date last night, you two?”
“Mo- om ,” Emily whined, embarrassed that she’d even mention it. She’d thrown her hands in the air, eyes rolling. Her reaction was a little excessive.
“Okay! Nevermind .” My mother stood from the stool, shuffling to the couch in the TV room opposite the kitchen. She sighed and sunk into the oversized cushions. “Have a good day, everyone. I’m going to go ahead and die now.”
A chill ran down my spine as Mother said it.
Emily gave me a strange look, mouthing a question as to what was going on.
I showed her the images in my mind, then showed her the real fact that Mom was just sick.
Emily glowered at me. “See ya, Mom.” Her eyes remained on me as she slid her bag off the counter and grabbed a banana from the basket. Wes followed her.
I kept my gaze on my mother, last out the side door as I locked it behind me. We walked on the path between the houses toward the driveway where Wes’s car was already running. Emily opened the Camaro door, pulling the seat forward to access the back. I stood, waiting.
Emily cleared her throat. “After you.”
I was momentarily surprised. I had forgotten that I’d been downgraded to the backseat, Emily now upgraded as Wes’s girlfriend. I secretly grumbled to myself, disliking the new real-estate as I squeezed in. Emily was taller than me, so I guess it made sense that I should be the one sitting in the back, but that didn’t mean I wanted to. I wasn’t used to all the
Similar Books
