The Light That Guides You Home

Chapter 5

She awoke to a buzzing sound that she couldn't identify. After a minute of laying awake and looking around the room in confusion, she realized that is was her alarm clock. It was only 6:00 AM. She hadn't reset it or turned it off after getting up early to meet Toni for breakfast yesterday. Only five and a half hours since she took the sleeping pills, so no wonder she'd been confused. Last night's dream didn't seem nearly as terrifying with the morning light just beginning to creep in between the blinds, so she allowed herself to remember. Lisa again. Her parents had been in this one too, but they hadn't seemed threatening in anyway, just sad. No, it was more than just sad. Disappointed, maybe? Was her subconscious trying to tell her that her parents would be disappointed in her for not trying harder to remember? To see that whoever did this to them was punished? She supposed that was really a question for Dr. Evans. There was no use trying to go back to sleep now with her thoughts racing around like they were, so she sat up. First things first, she made a point of turning the alarm clock off so she wouldn't be up at six again tomorrow, then headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Showered, dressed, and full of coffee, Laura still felt a little groggy from the pills and lack of sleep. That meant writing was out. Maybe she'd tackle that wine stain again this morning. She filled the steamer's reservoir with hot water and cleaning solution once again and headed into the den. Scooting the desk out of the way, she steamed the carpet until the stain had faded to a pale pink semi-oval blotch. She should have treated it with something and let it soak, she thought. She went back into the kitchen to look under the sink where she kept an assortment of household cleaners to see if there was any carpet stain remover left. She found a bottle, pulled it out and gave it a little shake. Almost empty, but maybe there would be enough. The stain wasn't that large, after all. She took it back to the den.

Two steps into the room she stopped, staring at the floor. The bloodstain was back. No! Wine-stain, why had she thought blood? Because the deep red color against the pale carpet looked like blood, and her dreams had been full of blood. Whatever the stain was it was back, and looked like it had never been touched. She just stood there, staring at the spot trying to figure out how it could be back when a slight movement just beyond the stain caught her attention. She snapped her head up and saw the slim figure of her sister staring at her from the other side of the room.

She looked more like Lisa this time, same blue nightgown but no blood, no dirty face. She still wasn't smiling, but she appeared almost peaceful. "Lisa?", Laura whispered. She knew this apparition couldn't really be her sister, but she looked so real. The girl took a step forward and Laura flinched, but managed to hold her ground. No, she though, I'm just tired. Tired and maybe still a little drugged. I'm not really seeing her here. She squeezed her eyes closed, shook her head, and then looked back at the spot where Lisa had stood. She was still there, head cocked slightly to one side as if trying to figure out what Laura was doing. The gesture was a familiar one, and it nearly broke her heart to see the image of her beloved sister standing in front of her, looking so real she could reach out and touch her. She took a tentative step forward and stretched out one had. Lisa didn't move, just continued to watch. She took one more step, and Lisa darted forward, grabbing both of Laura's hands in her own before Laura could back away.

Her skin felt like ice, and her grip was strong. Laura pulled her arms but was not able to break free of the girl's grasp. As she struggled to get free, streaks of dirt began to appear on Lisa's face and the room began to darken. The walls faded away and the bookshelves on either side of the room were replaced with matching twin beds. Her black modern desk was replaced with a small white child's desk, and the carpet beneath her feet changed from a pale cream color to pink, just distinguishable in the failing light. This was her childhood bedroom. Their bedroom. And she could not be here, this could not be happening, it had to be a dream! She pulled her arms and shook violently try to escape her sister's hold, but was held fast. She stopped trying to get away and looked at Lisa, sobbing, and begged her, "Let me go. You're not real. You're not here."

Lisa said nothing in reply. As Laura watched, a dark bloom appeared in the center of the girl's nightgown and the wet stain spread slowly out in tendrils, like a vine creeping across her abdomen. In seconds the gown was soaked in blood. Laura whimpered, unable to get free or to look away. The blood began to run down the nightgown, onto Lisa's legs, then down her feet, finally to pool in the floor, in a puddle on the spot where the wine stain had been when this had been her den. Lisa tugged on her hands, and Laura looked back at her face, now tear stained and filthy. "It's time, sis.", Lisa told her and began to pull her closer. She brought her face up close, as if to deliver a kiss on the cheek, and Laura's knees went weak, dropping her to the floor.

Arms suddenly free, Laura wrapped them around herself and huddled into a ball, crying, and too afraid to look up at the thing that looked like her sister. She closed her eyes and rocked herself back and forth, back and forth, until exhaustion took over and she fell asleep right there on the floor.

She awoke several hours later to the sound a phone ringing. It took a moment to figure out why she was on the floor of the den instead of in bed. When she did remember, she looked around frantically. The twin beds and pink carpeting were gone, and Lisa was no where to be seen. For a moment she felt relived, then she noticed the stain on the carpet, as dark and as bright red as it had been when the wine first spilled, but reminding her of nothing so much as fresh blood.