Light as a Feather

Chapter Three - The Final Move

I sat with my back against the wall, a wet flannel to my aching head and my little boy sat across from me, his hands playing with the rug on the floor, pulling loose thread free and snapping it off. "Let's go over this one, more, time," I say, stretching my legs along the carpet, "I left you, to go get a dustpan and brush, while I was gone, you fixed the room," I questioned.

"Yes, I fixed the room,"

"How?"

Laz let out a massive moan as he hung his head, "I don't know, I just wanted to help, I wanted to fix the room and then . . ."

"Then what?" I asked trying to mask my frustration.

"It just did. Like a wish. Like magic,"

"Laz, this isn't a film, things don't just-" a loud noise downstairs stopped me in my tracks, Laz's head turned towards the door as I watched the colour drain from his face. "Laz, darling, it is okay. I left the front door open it is probably that," I answered pushing myself against the wall as I tried to stand up.

"What if it isn't?" Laz whispered his hand coming up to his lips in fear.

"Well, we aren't staying here any longer. Listen to me. I need you to grab all the photos you can find in the house, there shouldn't be that many, pack them into a bag, the grab some spare clothes, not too many, any letters, or cards, or anything with yours or my handwriting on it, pack them too. We can't leave any trace okay?" I winced as I took the wet flannel away from my head, I didn't dare look at the blood that had seeped into the fabric. Laz was on his feet, nodding as he made a mental note. "Go, now," Laz dashed out of the room. I went to my bedside table and pulled out the maroon photo album. I threw it on the bed and made sure no photos or letters had fallen out. I pulled a duffle bag out from under the bed and shoved it into that. Grabbing clothes from my wardrobe I threw as little as I could possibly manage in. I wrapped the flannel in a plastic bag and shoved that in there too. "Laz, how are you getting on?" I called as I stepped towards the door. I heard nothing in return. I crept out into the hallway, the wind was hallowing through the broken windows and the open doors, I peered into his bedroom and saw nothing. Slowly, I made my way downstairs, trying to not make the floorboards scream. "Laz?" I whispered. Suddenly, a black shadow ran in front of the stairway and I screamed, scrabbling back onto the stairs.

"Mum, it's just me!" said Laz, holding photos in his hands. I placed a hand over my heart and felt it drumming on my rib cage.

"Don't do that," I hissed.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Come on," I grabbed his empty hand and pulled him up the stairs, "pack your bag and be quick," He ran into his room and I heard him rooting through his clothes and toys. I went back to my duffle bag, which sat on the floor near my bed, I bent down to zip it up when something clicked in my head . . . I left the duffle bag on the bed . . . I didn't place it on the floor. I felt the coldness seep up my spine, something I hadn't felt in years. I yanked open the duffle bag and saw the plastic bag containing the flannel was gone. I zipped up the bag and threw it over my arm. "Laz, we are leaving now!" I yelled.

*

I didn't know where we were going, I wasn't following any sign at all, I just kept turning, right, left, the second exit at the roundabout, left, left, right, there was no logic to me anymore. "Mum, it's getting dark, where are we going?" Lazlo mumbled the whole ordeal had taken it out of him and now he sat in his booster seat, his head nestled on his seatbelt with his eyes closed.

"Somewhere, baby, I not sure yet. You just sleep," I answered as I turned on the radio, I tried to find the classical station in the hopes of soothing him. I took another right. I didn't understand why someone would have wanted to take the flannel. Maybe no one did take the flannel, maybe I had done more damage to my head then I was expecting, and I was hallucinating? Maybe I put the flannel down and thought I had put it in the bag? I felt my head ache again, not from where I hit it but from the confusion that seemed to be clouding my memory. I took a left. The road was becoming wilder and narrow with every turn I took, soon we would be so far into the countryside I wouldn't be able to navigate back onto the main road. Maybe I should try and get back onto an M road or an A road, or something where civilisation thrived. I would need to put Lazlo in a proper bed soon, I couldn't keep him the car, he wouldn't sleep right. I wouldn't sleep. I took another left. The darkness outside was becoming suffocating, I couldn't tell what animals were watching us or what were reflections from my headlights, it made my stomach twist and I felt nausea begin to rise. Something was wrong with my boy. I know it, he's beginning to know it. Soon there will be questions from him. Questions I don't even have to answers to. Was what he was saying true? Had someone tried to take him when I wasn't home? Did the room fix itself or did Laz have something to do with it? I took a right. I felt my head thump as my hand gripped the stirring wheel, had he done this to our son? Has his father got anything to do with it? Why can I still not remember him? The anger began to boil. I felt my nails dig into my hand, my thoughts continued to whirl, I no longer had any control of them, blank images flashed in my hand, a smell, a touch, a sound, a fragment of a voice. Was Laz's father in the house? Was Laz's father the one who tried to take him? Was he Laz's "friend" all those years ago? I took a left. Then I slammed on my car's breaks, the car skidded to a halt. We sat outside a small B&B, a sign was sat in the window '2 vacancies left'. I had no choice, I pulled into the small car park around the back and got out. I picked up a sleeping Laz and carried him to the front door. He had gotten heavier than I could remember. I opened the door and walked up to the counter, rearranging Laz I banged on the golden bell. The sound echoed throughout the hallway. Soon enough a young woman appeared, her blonde hair scraped back into a tight bun. She smiled as soon as she clapped eyes on Laz. "Oh, what a beautiful child you have!" she said as she clasped her hands in front of her and tilted her head.

"Thanks, I um, need a room please." I answered, placing my hand on Laz's head.

"Certainly, we have room 5 free, there's a double bed, and underneath is a small camp bed this little one can sleep on." She unhooked the key and placed it down on the counter for me.

"Great, thanks, how much?"

"twenty pounds a night."

"Okay, can I pay for three, I have cash," keeping hold of Laz on my hip I dug into my jeans pocket and pulled free a wad of cash, I ruffled through for forty pounds and placed it on the counter.

"Thank you, just up the stairs and it's the third room down on your right. Breakfast is served at ten am or earlier if you prefer," she answered scooping the cash into her thin hands.

"Ten is great, thank you." I took Laz up-stairs and opened room number 5. It was a white room, with white curtains and white linen, the carpet was a horrid brown colour, but there was a bed, a table with a mirror, a chair, and a small bathroom. I pulled back the sheets and placed Laz onto the bed, he instantly turned over and stuck his thumb into his mouth. I pulled the cover up to his chin and climbed into bed next to him. I pulled him into my tired arms. I would be thankful to get a small amount of sleep.

*

I felt myself break through the vale of sleep, something was sticking into my back, it felt sharp and jagged, I reached behind me with my eyes still closed as I tried to dislodge whatever was stuck there, yet I felt nothing. I soothed my hand over my back and yet felt nothing, but still, the pain began to grow, I felt like crying out. I sat up and tore open my eyes, I began clawing at my top trying to get to the source of the pain, I could see nothing. My eyes snapped to the mirror which sat on the table and suddenly, great big wings or pure, brilliant white sprang forth from my back, the bottom feathers were drenched in blood and I could see myself screaming, yet no sound was coming out.

I jumped awake and felt my top sticking to my body. I was drench in sweat. I quickly checked my back, nothing was there. I looked in the mirror, nothing was there.