Crying: A Dystopian Novel

Standing: Chapter 8

   ++++ ANNA ++++

"Oh, Anna, please lie down." Mom insists. She's taken over Grandma Elle's old job of caring for the sick and injured.

"Do I have to?" I cough.

"Just listen to yourself! I'll be done in just a minute, I promise." I lie down again, allowing Mom to listen to my breathing, along with an occasional cough. "Okay, you're free to go, but don't you dare even think about going anywhere. No one's leaving for a while." She's been very upset about everything going on, and I don't blame her.

"Okay. Thanks, Mom." I head out of my room and go out on the porch. Apparently the porch is the place to be today because everyone is here. There's an empty chair between Laelynn and John, so I sit there.

"What's new?" Grace asks.

"What took you so long?" asks Michael. He and John still won't let me out of their sight for more than five minutes.

"Your mother," I laugh. "She's still freaking out over every little thing." It's been two days since the fire, but she's still very concerned about me and Laelynn. Honestly, she has good reason to be; we both got 2nd degree burns and I'm still coughing. I think our faces are the only things that look normal about us. I start to fold my hands on the table, but stop; they are covered in itchy, red blisters.

Laelynn smiles. "Same here." We sit silently for a while, and then Grace leaves. She looks at John as she stands up, trying to covey that she thinks they should go, but he flicks his eyes over to me and then back at her; he doesn't want to leave me. I smile at him, and he looks at Michael before leaving.

"Can I talk to Anna?" Laelynn asks once they are gone. Eleise nods and pulls a reluctant Michael with her into the house. I turn back to Laelynn.

"You okay?" I bite my lip. She still hasn't talked to anyone about what happened.

"No." She replies flatly, staring at the floor.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I don't even know everything that happened. I ran in and saw that everyone was crowded around you, so I went out to the cove and accidentally fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in this tiny room. I was so scared and..." Her voice trails off.

"It's okay, you're safe now." I put my arm around her.

"I didn't know what to do. I just sat there and rocked for I don't know how long. Then the man came in and tied me up; took me away to the forest. I saw Eleise searching and started to call out, but he knocked me hard in the head and threatened to kill her. I heard him continue muttering threats as I passed out. Next thing I know, I'm hanging over the fire and hear his sickening cackle echo through the trees. So I called out, desperately hoping someone would hear me and that he wouldn't kill me." She shivers and hugs me. "I was so relieved when you found me, but when I came to after we lay down, I almost lost it. You were still out of it and I said I would never forgive myself if you died saving me. We all feared the worst until you sputtered back into consciousness."

"Are you okay now?" I shudder; I don't want to think about any of this either.

"I guess." She sighs. "I'm just shaken up." We hug and when I start to let go, she just pulls me closer.

"Lae, it's okay." I stroke her hair.

"It was so cold, so empty." She shakes.

"Lae? What are you talking about?" I ask.

"When I died at the pack's place. The darkness consumed me and covered me in this cold. I immediately felt empty inside."

"Is it dark now?" I ask.

"Well, no." She says.

"Is it cold?"

"No, it's summer, silly."

"Is it empty?"

"No. What's your point?"

"That it's okay now. I'm sorry for not protecting you from that, but I promise I won't let it happen again." She shakes for a while after I say this, but then stops and nods. She lets go of me and dries her tears. I lead her into the house and no one follows us to our room- even though Eleise, Michael, and Mom are all sitting at the kitchen table by the back door.

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