Delphic Song

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

 

Before I opened my eyes, I knew I was back in my room. I lay there, staring at the purple wall across from my bed. My blankets were tangled around my feet – it was clear I hadn’t had a restful night’s sleep. That dream –

No. Blinking hard, I tried to avoid the direction to which my thoughts were heading; instead focusing on black and white floral pattern on my lamp’s shade until it blurred and the image doubled.

But my efforts were fruitless; the unwanted thoughts tugged at the corners of my mind until I couldn’t force them away anymore. I had been so close – I had been standing in the same residence as my mother! She could have been in the next room over for all I knew. But once again she had slipped away, just like she had the night I had been left at the hospital.

Abruptly, I stopped myself short.

I hadn’t been in the same room as my mom. I hadn’t almost met her. Penn wasn’t real, Jaden wasn’t real, the castle and the room and the spa and everything – it wasn’t real.  

That had all been a dream.                           

I rolled over and buried my face in my pillow, letting out a small scream that was muffled by the fabric. This was so frustrating, and it was embarrassing that I continued to forget the difference between dreams and real life. And I was also embarrassed because, just a minute ago, I had actually believed that I might see my mom.

And I knew that would never happen.

An unexpected knock at my door startled me.

“Yes?” I called, twisting over onto my side and propping my face up on my hand so I could see the door.

Liz peered around the door, her eyes widening when she saw that I was still in bed.

“Hon, when did you wake up?” she asked, coming in and sitting beside me on the mattress.

Scooting backward so that my back was flat against the wall, I pulled my hair over my shoulder so it wouldn’t pull and pinch. “About five minutes ago.”

Liz’s face was almost comically slack in disbelief. “What? Are you feeling okay?” She leaned forward, placing a cool hand against my forehead. Shaking her head, she sat back again. “You don’t feel feverish, so you better have a decent excuse for sleeping the day away.”

“The whole day?” I jerked my head to look at the clock. It read 5:13 pm. What? That wasn’t right, I thought. It wasn’t feasible for me to wake up this late. What was going on with me?

“Maybe I should take you to the clinic sometime this week. Just to make sure it’s just you being a teenager and not something else.” Liz ruffled my hair, smiling.

“I’m sure it’s just the horrifying teenager syndrome. I hear it’s become very common recently.”

She laughed. “I just hope they’ve found a cure, because it’s not easy dealing with you when you're sick.” Teasingly, I aimed a sappy puppy dog face in her direction, inciting a raised eyebrow from Liz. “Let me rephrase: it’s impossible.”

I stuck out my tongue at her.

 “Anyway,” she said, rising from her perch on my bed. “Before I forget: I came up here to tell you that someone’s here to see you.”

I frowned. “Liam or Payson?”

“Neither,” she said, winking. “It’s a boy who goes by the name Nate?”