The Awakening

7 - A Moment of Clarity

She gags as her own saliva slides back down her throat, unable to swallow as her tongue fights against the binding. A cool liquid pours down her forehead, matting her to her cheeks and muffling her hearing. She rolls her head back and forth, trying to clear her ears. The burlap wrapped around her head is taut. She unable to open her eyes properly so what little she see is framed in shadows by her lashes.

An electronic whirring sound kicks into life and she feels tension shoot through her body. A lighting rod of fire shoots down her spine as the flames lick out to her extremities. Her wrists fly up against the metal constraints and as a reflex, her back begins to lift off the ground. Rigid she flexes suspended over the table.

"Mum, mum. Are you okay? Jesus, Mum, you've hit your head." Her mother gyrates as she falls, blood seeping from the gash in her forehead. Her mouth opens, jaw clicking as it forms incomprehensible syllables. Drool dribbles down her chin as her tongue lags. Avery falls to her knees, pulling the dish towel off of the stove top and covering the growing pool of blood on her mother's forehead.

"Oh dear, I'll get the first-aid kit and I'll be right back," the sight of blood revives Georgia from her drugged stupor. She stumbles about trying to make herself useful. Avery feels her cheeks flush at the inconvenience. She wipes the tears as soon as they form hoping that Georgia misses it.

"Dark-" Her mother's words cut out as she curls into a tight fetal position, hacking and gagging.

"It's okay mum. I've got you." Avery cooed, stroking her mother's brow and brushing her hair away from her face, as Georgia walked back into the room laden with first aid items. She kneels down by the side of Avery trying to assist.

"Lemons - the smells stronger. He's nearer. I feel sick. He's closer and it's cold, so cold," her mother curls tight into a small ball. The words roll off her tongue through clouded eyes. 

"High Ridge," Beth's consciousness slips away from her and tears slid down her face.  Georgia fumbles, nearly dropping the medical supplies in her hands, her entire face draining of color with the words just spoken. 

"What does she mean Avery? Who is she talking about?" Georgia asks, the words almost a whisper, her face pinched.

Avery agitates the blush of her cheeks taking on a deepened crimson, pausing before she speaks. She lets the damp dishtowel fall to the ground now stained red. Keeping her hands busy as she reaches for the first aid kit, pulling out a package of gauze and winding it around her mother's head. 

"Georgia you have enough on your plate at the moment.  I'm sorry, I didn't want to place any other burdens upon you.  We were meant to help you.  Not the other way round.  I'm sorry." Avery places her face in her hands sobbing as she feels Georgia's warm comforting arm across her shoulders pulling her close.

"Avery, look you are doing a wonderful job here of looking after your mother but maybe you need to share this. She seems to be getting worse, I had no idea. You can't shoulder it all yourself. Let's get her cleaned up and into bed and I'll make a drink for us both.  I think we could do with it and you must tell me everything." 

Avery gives a tight nod as she reaches her arm around her mother's waist and hoists her up to take most of her weight. Beth's legs managed to find a few steps as both Avery and Georgia carried her to bed.

As Avery settles her mother into the spare bed, while Georgia had rushed off to return with a warm face cloth. The bandage holds firm as the blood darkens, drying as it stops bleeding. She looks so peaceful and calm in the bed.

The moment feels personal and Georgia takes the cue to give them a moment. When Avery emerged from the room she finds Georgia sitting at the dining room table with two cups of coffee waiting. Her hand gestures at the seat across from her and Avery realized that she has been holding her breath. Perhaps it was time to talk. 

Sitting at the table, Avery rushes through her story of the notes and the diaries and how she felt it all had to mean something.

Georgia releases a sigh, taking it all in. "I agree with you and even if it doesn't make sense yet, there is something I think you should know. On the way home I felt sick and the car pulled over.  When I got out of the car,  it was High Ridge...and then your mother..." Georgia's eyes grew dark.

"High Ridge...mum keeps repeating it."

"It can't be a coincidence," Georgia shook her head.Avery looked up to search the face of the woman sitting in front of her, she desperately wanted to agree but with everything that had happened today she did not want to give her hope she could not deliver on. She reaches across the table taking her hands as she chose her words carefully, "Honestly, Georgia I don't know. It is something but I don't know what."

"Can I look at your notes, see if a fresh set of eyes will make a difference?" Georgia has already jumped up from her seat, leaving Avery's outstretched hands empty on the table. She sprints across the room making her way to the door. 

"But..." stammers Avery, an uneasy feeling starting in the pit of her stomach, had she betrayed her mother. But the pleading look in the older woman's eyes when she turned to look at her put away all the doubt. Newly formed creases had formed in the corners of her blood shot and puffy eyes. Georgia had aged five years in the last twenty four hours. 

"Avery, I need to keep busy doing something before I go insane.  I have to wait by the phone but I can look at your notes at the same time and maybe just maybe, I can spot something you haven't noticed. Okay?"

Avery nods, "there's no way Cassie was unhappy or ran away, not in a thousand years.  She would have told me." 

"I know, I think the same but thank you for saying that.  It means a lot.  Now, let's look over this but I think I will need another cup of strong coffee to keep me going." Georgia continues with renewed energy, forgetting the weight that shifts uneasily on her shoulders and moves about her kitchen with ease.  The caffeine having worked its magic.  As she shifts about reaching to the top pantry next to the fridge she brushes the magnets causing the effect to tumble to the floor.

As if a heavy reminder, the last piece to fall and stare up at her is a picture of her and Cassie. They had taken it a couple of months ago during one of their late afternoon hikes. Georgia now recognized the landscape as High Ridge. 

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