Dark Mind (The Dark Mind Trilogy Book 1) by Matthew Goldstein Page A
Authors: Matthew Goldstein
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said. “I met someone at school and she’s coming over tonight.”
Meredith opened her eyes. “Cole, that’s wonderful.” She licked her lips. “I knew you could do it. Be sure to let me know how it goes.” She reached up slowly and tousled his hair, then let her arm drop back onto the bed as she closed her eyes again.
“I will, Mom,” Cole whispered, fighting back the tears welling up. He watched her deep breathing for a few seconds, listening to the whirring and beeping of the machines around them, unable to accept the unreality of it all. “Good night.” He tiptoed out and shut the door gently behind him.
7
The pit in his stomach did not diminish after he left. This was the most depressed he had ever felt. He could never forgive himself for his failure as it was and if she was not out of the hospital soon, he wouldn’t be able to take it. He foresaw many long, dark nights of torment.
Cole had refused to say a word to Beth on the ride home and as soon as they arrived he locked himself in the library. Beth did not disturb him for dinner and he spent a few unbearable hours staring at the clock, expecting to be disappointed. When it struck seven and still nothing had happened, his last hopes dissipated and he swore he would never talk to Beth again. But five minutes later, defying his insistent cynicism, the doorbell rang. He sprang to his feet, in a moment forgetting that the last two hours had ever happened. Perhaps Beth hadn’t ruined his life.
Despite the doorbell, he was shocked to see Amy and her mother standing on the porch. “I got it!” he called to Beth, determined to prevent her from embarrassing him any further. He swung the door open and was greeted by Amy's beaming smile. He was unable to stop a smile from stretching across his own face.
“Hey Cole!” Amy said.
“Hey, come on in.” Cole stepped back to provide room for Amy to step inside.
“Hi, Cole,” Mrs. Brown said. “I’m so glad this is the right house. I couldn’t quite remember the address and I was sure I had it wrong. Is your aunt here?”
“Umm, yeah, she’s in the back cleaning up.”
“Okay, just let her know I’ll be back in two hours, will you?”
Cole breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. “Will do. Bye, Mrs. Brown.”
“I like you. Bye Cole.” She smiled at him and left.
“All right,” Amy said as Cole closed the door. “Let’s go. What do you wanna do?”
“First, follow me,” Cole said, leading her to the library. “I just want to make sure we won't be bothered by my aunt.”
Amy plopped down in the big chair Cole frequented. “No worries. Adults can be so bothersome .” She laughed.
“So, uh, what do you usually like to do?” Cole asked, shifting his weight. He suddenly realized he had no idea what anyone else did for fun and was at a complete loss as to how to entertain his friend.
“I don’t know,” Amy said. She jumped out of the chair and stared up at the bookcase. “Got anything interesting in here?”
“Yeah, that’s where I found that Poe book.” Cole reached up and pulled the old book from the shelf, showing it off to Amy’s eager eyes.
“Oh cool, can I borrow it?”
“Ummm. I – don’t know. It’s my aunt’s. I mean I’m sure she won’t notice if it’s gone as long as you keep it secret and bring it back.”
“Of course I’ll bring it back. Thanks so much. I can’t wait to read this later. Then we can talk about it in school.”
“Uh-huh. Of course.” Cole was not entirely comfortable lending Beth’s books , but he couldn’t refuse Amy this and he had grown to trust her. Besides his mother, she was the first person he had ever trusted in his life and the thought scared him.
“So, your mother’s still in the hospital? What about your father?”
That was not a question Cole had seen coming.
“You don’t have to tell me,” Amy said.
“No, no, it’s fine,” Cole said after the initial shock had worn off. “It’s not a big deal. I have
Meredith opened her eyes. “Cole, that’s wonderful.” She licked her lips. “I knew you could do it. Be sure to let me know how it goes.” She reached up slowly and tousled his hair, then let her arm drop back onto the bed as she closed her eyes again.
“I will, Mom,” Cole whispered, fighting back the tears welling up. He watched her deep breathing for a few seconds, listening to the whirring and beeping of the machines around them, unable to accept the unreality of it all. “Good night.” He tiptoed out and shut the door gently behind him.
7
The pit in his stomach did not diminish after he left. This was the most depressed he had ever felt. He could never forgive himself for his failure as it was and if she was not out of the hospital soon, he wouldn’t be able to take it. He foresaw many long, dark nights of torment.
Cole had refused to say a word to Beth on the ride home and as soon as they arrived he locked himself in the library. Beth did not disturb him for dinner and he spent a few unbearable hours staring at the clock, expecting to be disappointed. When it struck seven and still nothing had happened, his last hopes dissipated and he swore he would never talk to Beth again. But five minutes later, defying his insistent cynicism, the doorbell rang. He sprang to his feet, in a moment forgetting that the last two hours had ever happened. Perhaps Beth hadn’t ruined his life.
Despite the doorbell, he was shocked to see Amy and her mother standing on the porch. “I got it!” he called to Beth, determined to prevent her from embarrassing him any further. He swung the door open and was greeted by Amy's beaming smile. He was unable to stop a smile from stretching across his own face.
“Hey Cole!” Amy said.
“Hey, come on in.” Cole stepped back to provide room for Amy to step inside.
“Hi, Cole,” Mrs. Brown said. “I’m so glad this is the right house. I couldn’t quite remember the address and I was sure I had it wrong. Is your aunt here?”
“Umm, yeah, she’s in the back cleaning up.”
“Okay, just let her know I’ll be back in two hours, will you?”
Cole breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. “Will do. Bye, Mrs. Brown.”
“I like you. Bye Cole.” She smiled at him and left.
“All right,” Amy said as Cole closed the door. “Let’s go. What do you wanna do?”
“First, follow me,” Cole said, leading her to the library. “I just want to make sure we won't be bothered by my aunt.”
Amy plopped down in the big chair Cole frequented. “No worries. Adults can be so bothersome .” She laughed.
“So, uh, what do you usually like to do?” Cole asked, shifting his weight. He suddenly realized he had no idea what anyone else did for fun and was at a complete loss as to how to entertain his friend.
“I don’t know,” Amy said. She jumped out of the chair and stared up at the bookcase. “Got anything interesting in here?”
“Yeah, that’s where I found that Poe book.” Cole reached up and pulled the old book from the shelf, showing it off to Amy’s eager eyes.
“Oh cool, can I borrow it?”
“Ummm. I – don’t know. It’s my aunt’s. I mean I’m sure she won’t notice if it’s gone as long as you keep it secret and bring it back.”
“Of course I’ll bring it back. Thanks so much. I can’t wait to read this later. Then we can talk about it in school.”
“Uh-huh. Of course.” Cole was not entirely comfortable lending Beth’s books , but he couldn’t refuse Amy this and he had grown to trust her. Besides his mother, she was the first person he had ever trusted in his life and the thought scared him.
“So, your mother’s still in the hospital? What about your father?”
That was not a question Cole had seen coming.
“You don’t have to tell me,” Amy said.
“No, no, it’s fine,” Cole said after the initial shock had worn off. “It’s not a big deal. I have
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