Underground Angels

Chapter Thirty | And Now We Wait

Chapter Thirty

And Now We Wait

 

            The sound of a quiet mind woke Noel. It was so startling, to not hear voices from the first moments of consciousness that she actually thought she was going crazy.

Pushing the heavy feather duvet back, Noel swung her legs over the tall bed and stared at the worn carpet. For a few moments she felt normal, as if the past four months had never happened – and then she remembered.

Gabriel was in Hell. Hades, with his psycho father – who knew what was happening to him right now? Noel felt nauseous just thinking about it, and rubbed her eyes; it was then she heard a slight whimper.

“Bella?”

The large dog padded over, putting her massive head in Noel’s lap. She gazed up at Noel with her big brown eyes, message clear – where is Gabriel?

 

“I don’t know Bella.” Noel decided there was no use in lying to a dog. “Well, I sort of do. We’ll get him back.”

Bella let out another whine.

“Or maybe we won’t.” tears pricked behind Noel’s eyes and she smoothed back the dog’s silky ears. “I don’t know if I can, Bella – I’m not a hero.”

Another whine followed, then a sloppy lick to her hand.

“Thank you for believing in me, Bella.” She whispered, pressing a kiss to the dog’s forehead. “You won’t be left behind, don’t worry.”

            The house was quiet. Noel pulled a sweater on over her pyjamas and went downstairs, Bella shadowing her. She found Grandma Ethel sitting in the sun room, plants on every surface; it reminded Noel of Allan Gardens in Toronto, with its tall glass ceilings and towering plants.

“Grandma?”

Grandma Ethel looked up from her paper and set her coffee down. “Good morning Ellie.”

“Why can’t I hear them?”

“Hear what?” asked Grandma Ethel innocently, but her face told Noel that she knew.

“The voices. They’re gone.”

“Not gone, just muted.”

“How?”

“Sit dear, we have a lot to talk about.”

Noel sat across from her grandmother, Bella curling up at her feet. “Grandma, I’m really…I’m actually really, really scared.”

Grandma Ethel sipped her coffee and gazed out the glass walls. “You should be Noel, it’s good you can admit it.”