The Tunnel

Chapter 8

Amelia, Edmund and Nadie settled into a routine. Every day, Amelia would hitch a ride with Edmund to and from school. Every day, Nadie would come down to Amelia's apartment and ask to play. Every day, Amelia took one step closer to the end of her tunnel.

Amelia woke up on a Monday morning. It was different. Amelia didn't lie in bed and ward off the bad thoughts because there were none. Her mind was clear and refreshed, lacking the usual cobwebs of nightmares that had plagued her through the night, disrupting her from a calm sleep. She slid her feet out of bed and stood. She walked to her closet and sifted through the sweaters that hung from the racks. She settled on a loose fitting, purple sweater and made a move out for the door.

"Amelia!" She turned to see Olivia Wren calling after her. "Wait for a moment?"

"Sure."

"Um, you know that Nadie, she, Nadie isn't doing well, and she isn't living a life that a nine year old should be leaving. I mean, we had to pull her out of school and hire a tutor. And she hasn't seen her friends for months because she just doesn't have the energy to do anything."

"Yeah." Amelia knew all this.

"Well would you be willing to spend the night one night? Nadie has been asking for a sleepover for months. I just don't want her miss out on normal experiences."

Amelia hesitated; "Oh, well I guess so."

"Great just let me know a date!" she said as she turned away.

                                                                                                  *****

Amelia knocked on the door with her sleeping bag tucked under her arm and a small navy blue drawstring back over her shoulder. She readjusted her grip on the sleeping bag while she waited for an answer at the door. Finally she could hear footsteps barreling towards the door. It was Nadie that greeted her. She was already in her pajamas tank and bottoms. Her shirt had a cracked screen printing of an owl snoozing on a branch.

"Let me take that from you!" said Nadie with a smile reaching for the sleeping bag. She turned and headed into the apartment, gesturing for Amelia to follow. "My mom said I have to be a good hostess."

"So far so good." Amelia replied pacing behind her. She picked at the hangnails along her thumb nails. Nadie turned down the hall and dumped Amelia's sleeping bag on the floor of her room and turned to face her guest.

"What do people do at sleepovers?"

"Umm..." Amelia's eyebrows furrowed, her mind reeling back several years. Memories of late night popcorn making and movies played like old tapes in her head. Flashes of secrets and snickering coursed through her mind. The other girls didn't sleep, Amelia recalled, only her. Sleep could take her away from the judgmental laughter. She shut her eyes, attempting to ward off the bitter memories and forgetting Nadie was still waiting for a response.

"'Melia?" Nadie interrupted Amelia's thoughts.

"Movies and pizza."

"Okay." She replied looking concerned. "I'll go ask mommy to put in a frozen pizza." And walked out of the room. Amelia dropped her drawstring bag on the floor and sat down on the soft, pale-pink carpet. Frowning internally, she berated herself for letting herself to tear at the seams. Rolling her shoulders back she attempted to regain her composure and put on the I-am-perfectly-fine mask, waiting for Nadie to reenter the room.

Amelia unwrapped the sleeping bag laying it evenly on the floor, smoothing out any wrinkles in the fabric, focusing on the simple task. She grabbed a pillow off Nadie's bed and placed it at the opening of the bag, inhaling slowly.