DARKNESS IN THE LIGHT

What's Wrong With Me?

Stacy's head was pounding, and she felt vaguely sick, almost as if the slightest movement would induce her to throw up. It didn't help that the sound of rumbling thunder and crackling lightning echoed through her head.

She tried to prop herself up on her elbows and gasped lightly at the pain that shot through her chest. A huddled figure looked up from the seat near the window. It was Natasha, but what shocked Stacy was how worn she looked. Dark circles ringed her eyes and stood out against her pale skin. Her vivid red hair was pulled into a series of braids over her shoulder and she had abandoned her hoodie. She wore a simple loose white t-shirt over shorts, and her feet were bare. Stacy could see that her arms were crisscrossed with scars, the largest one emerging from under her left sleeve, circling her arm and ending at her elbow.

"Stacy, don't try to move." She jumped to her side and pushed her gently back into the mattress. "You might have broken ribs."

"Well, my mouth tastes like shit and I bet it smells that way too," Stacy croaked. Natasha cracked a small smile before reaching for the jug of water on the bedside table. 

"Where am I now?" Stacy asked, accepting the glass of water. Natasha helped her sit up slowly, cushioned by a veritable mountain of pillows. She felt like the thunder just rumbled louder.

"Welcome," Natasha spread her arms in a mocking gesture, "to the place I call home."

Stacy looked around. It was a small, dingy looking place, having nothing more than the bed than was in and the chair Natasha had been sitting in. A small trunk was wedged into the corner, lid open to show exactly 3 shirts and her hoodie. A patchwork quilt lay at the foot of the bed, and a torn sheet hung as the curtain over the single window in the room.

"Where are your parents?" Stacy asked, shocked. "Surely this isn't where you all live?" 

Natasha let out an incredulous laugh. "Stacy, my parents are the ones who gave me this place. The only place I could be free of them. Look around. Do you think I could have ever had more people here?"

"Nat, why didn't you say something? I could have helped."

She stood up and stalked away from the bed. "This is exactly why, Stace. I don't need your pity. You don't even know the whole story." She sounded angry.

"Then help me understand. How did I end up here? Why are you so angry? Who was that guy really? And is it raining? The thunder sounds pretty loud." Stacy pressed a hand over her ear. Natasha turned around looking confused.

"What do you mean, raining? The sun's out. And there's no thunder." She twitched the curtain away and Stacy could see the faint wintry sunlight through the glass.

"I've been hearing thunder all this time," she whispered. 

Natasha pursed her lips and frowned. "Wait a minute." She ducked behind the bed and brought out an old woollen shawl. "Take this. It's Gertrude's. She gave it to me saying I needed more warmth." Stacy hesitated.

"Why would I need it? I'm warm enough."

"Just take it." She reached out. The moment her fingers touched the material of the shawl, she dropped her hand and covered her ears. Tears sprang into her eyes.

"Stacy! What is it?" Natasha grabbed her shoulders roughly.

"The flames are so loud," she whispered. "They're crackling and spitting louder than the thunder."

Natasha sat back on the floor. "Stacy, I'm gonna need you to calm down. Tell me exactly what happened after I left the cafe 2 days ago."

Stacy looked at her with a tearstained face. "What's wrong with me? Why can't I remember anything?" Her lip trembled. "I wanna go home."