The Catharsis

Chapter 28 - Annie

Sleep

By Amethyst Turner

It takes you by the collar

And keeps you by  the throat

It'll make you spill your secrets

You'll be sorry if you don't

The world of sleep

It seems to me

Is solid but can float

And you can break away from it

But you can bet I won't

XXX

Anne could breathe, but she didn't want to.

She wanted to be like her husband: doubled over and wheezing. She wanted to sob and shout like her mother. She wanted to gape in disbelief like her sister, calling out pleas to god.

Instead, she was dormant and still, like little Davey himself.

She felt hollow. She felt numb. Anyone who touched her just seemed to bounce off of her skin. She felt alone.

Davey collapsed onto her bed, his face wrinkled into sobs. He put his arms around her, but she couldn't feel it. Couldn't feel his tears landing on her neck, or his skin against hers. And it scared her. She felt dead.

XXX

Amethyst hid in the closet. Everyone was crying, great loud wails rising up from each person in the room, and it scared her. So she ran away.

She wanted to find Nick. Drawing would help her forget, wouldn't it? Leafy's voice would not leave her head. Each time she let herself sit still, his words repeated themselves until she broke down in tears again.

Davey wouldn't find her, she decided. If he did, she would kick and scream and shout. She'd throw herself out the window and run away. She'd spit in his face and dart past him while he wiped it off. Anything to keep him from taking her home.

Part of her wondered if Davey really cared about her. His wife seemed nice . . . maybe they would keep Amethyst?

But she didn't let herself think about that. If she did, she'd get too attached to the thought. And nowadays, she knew better than to get her hopes up.

She had to fend for herself. No one else was going to protect her. She couldn't trust anyone anymore.

XXX

"Minka!"

She heard the call, but ignored it. Rolling over in bed, Minka pulled the covers over her head.

"Minka!" The ringmaster shouted again. She closed her eyes, wishing the world would just disappear. Her head hurt -- and Charleston's shouting didn't help. She heard footsteps approaching the bed and squeezed her eyes shut. Go away.

The covers flew back from her head. She glared up to see Charleston standing over her with a huge grin on his face. He cradled the phone in his hands, his eyes sparkling with uncharacteristic glee. "It's for you," He told Minka, thrusting the phone toward her.

Minka gave the device a weary glance. "Who is it?"

"Davey Springs."

Minka dove for the phone without another word. Her heart rate increased by a billion miles an hour. She tried to calm herself before speaking, but couldn't wait that long. "Hello?" She breathed, clutching the phone like a lifeline.