Exotic

XVII

Sydney

"She's locked herself in the bathroom." Dewey said when she came back into my room. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and tried to calm myself. I'd woken up to her shaking, and I thought she was having a seizure. So I shouted for Mum and Dewey. When they came in, she was screaming. It was pained and blood curdling. I was so worried that I just broke down. Mum tried to hold where when she sat upright, but she was so panicked that she fought and bolted. Mum followed her to the bathroom and Dewey was close behind. I was left in my room, crying and terrified for my friend.

"She seemed petrified of me. It broke my heart." Mum said softly.

"I think we should call her parents." Dewey concluded, "She was shit-scared of me, too."

"I'll go call them." Mum said and quietly left my room. Dewey sat on my bed, leaning against the head board, deep in thought.

"Did she talk in her sleep at all?" she asked me.

"I heard her say, 'No' and then a few minutes later she was convulsing and screaming in pain." I explain.

"Right, okay." Dewey nodded, "How are you? Are you in pain?"

"I'm too terrified to feel. I'm scared for her."

"I know, kid. Me, too." Dewey placed her arm around my shoulder.

"Do you think I could go talk to her?" I wonder.

"I don't want to risk your health. Her parents are coming, we'll let them help her." Dewey said.

Down the corridor, I heard Mum knock on the bathroom door and Dewey got up, probably to steer her away from the door, but Mum spoke to Kath anyway, "Kath, your parents are on their way. I'm going to go into a closed room so you won't see me, and you can run out and meet your parents halfway, okay?"

Then Mum and Dewey came back into my room and shut the door. Dewey looked confused as hell but Mum shushed her. A few moments of silenced passed, then we heard the bathroom door open, followed my her footsteps running down the stairs and out the front door. Mum let out the breath she was holding and held her chest.

"Why have you done that?" Dewey threw her hands up and let them slap against her thighs.

"That's what her parents told me to do. She's so afraid. I had to let her run." Mum said.

"Will they let you know if they meet her?" I ask.

"They said they'd text." Mum answered. She sit down on the bed and held my hand, "She was scared of me."

"I don't think she's scared of you. I think that her dream and reality have sort of blended together and she can't tell the difference between the two. Maybe she didn't recognise you." I reason.

"I'll wait for her parents to get back to me. They know how worried we all are, they promised to help us out to." Mum's phone then buzzed and she sighed "They've got her. And they're taking her home."

"I think we should let them do their thing and check back in the morning." Dewey advises.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." Mum nodded, "What do you think, Sheila?"

"How am I supposed to go back to sleep after that?" I reply.

"What do you want to do, then?"

"Well, I want to see Kath. I want to make sure that she's okay!"

"We can't do that, Sheila. How about something to take your mind from it?"

"That'd be good." I nodded.