Interitum

Chapter 4

"Avery!" I cry out. "Avery, I'm coming!" She needs me. My sweet little sister is locked up and scared, and she needs me. I have to get to her, so I try to run to her. I'm within shouting range when I'm forcibly pushed back, by what seems like a giant wall of air. I push up against it, trying to get closer to her. "Avery!"
I can hear her calling out, but I still can't understand what it is. Suddenly, I can hear her, clear as day. She is saying something. A name. My name. "Taylor!"

Its this that makes my eyes snap open. I'm instantly welcomed by a bright, white light, and it takes a couple of seconds for my eyes to adjust, all the while blinking profoundly. When I can finally see again, I look around to take in my surroundings. I can see that I'm in a pure white room that almost seems to be glowing. The walls are jagged, and I realize, I'm not in a room, I'm in a cave. A cave. Why does that word send a sense of urgency through my body? I can't remember. In fact, I can't remember anything. To keep from freaking out, I look down at the bed I'm lying in. It's white too, with beautiful baby blue designs on it. I'm wearing a beautiful white dress that flows, and is tied in the back with a ribbon. My hair is curled and the front is braided back. As I'm feeling my hair, I realize that there's a boy sitting next to my bed, apparently asleep. This must be Luke. I can remember him talking to me as I was in a coma. He has tan skin, with dark brown hair that is very messy, as though he couldn't be bothered to comb it, only to run his hands through it. He is wearing a navy blue suit with a white shirt, and black dress shoes.
I hear footsteps outside, and a little girl runs in. She looks exactly like Luke, and is wearing a dress similar to mine with her dark hair done the same. If the boy is Luke, then this little girl must be Ansley. She looks to only be about 5 or 6. She stops when she sees me sat on the edge of the bed, and smiles at me. Then she walks up to Luke and shakes him gently. "Luke, Luke! Look, she's awake."
Luke lifts his head up, clearly exhausted, and looks toward me. His eyes widen when he realizes that I am actually awake. He looks relieved for some reason. "Hi, I'm Luke. What's your name?" He says this gently, like he doesn't want to scare me.
I hesitate for a moment, not sure if I should trust him. But as he's been telling me his life story the last- what, 7 weeks?- I decide that I can trust him. "Taylor," I say, my voice raw from not being used. It comes out shaky, so I clear my throat and repeat myself. "Taylor, my name is Taylor."
"Nice to meet you Taylor. Are you hungry? My mom makes the best potato soup." He smiles at me, his head inclined toward me slightly.
"Do you have to eat when you're dead? I am dead, right?" I ask, still slightly confused from my coma.
He and Ansley laugh slightly, but not in a mean way. I would probably be laughing too if I wasn't so out of it. "Yes, you do still have to eat when you're dead. It's still one of my favorite activities."
I smile a little at his statement, then he asks, "Do you remember anything? Like how you died, or your life before you died?" I can tell he's been dying to ask me this question. (pun not intended)
I close my eyes and think for a second, but nothing comes to mind. "No," I say, and I can tell he's worried. "All I can remember is you and Ansley talking to me while I was out."
Ansley grins, and you can easily see she's glad I remembered her. "Let's go eat and then we can explain everything to you. I'm starving!" She runs out of the cave, and I follow her. I didn't realize how hungry I really was. I can hear Luke leave after me, and he puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes it a bit. A comforting gesture, but I'm too frazzled to be grateful for it.