Spring Won't Come

Fifteen: Kayla

Kayla shook herself awake. The bed sheets were clutched in her hands, her skin was cold and clammy, her breathing frantic. She had dreamed of the shadows again.

She saw them every time she closed her eyes, those dark shapes that tried to pretend to have some semblance of humanity. They mocked her, threatened her, and made her feel powerless. She didn't know how much longer she could go without sleep.

Kayla hadn't missed a day of school since she was in the first grade, and that had been when she'd gotten chickenpox. Never in her life had Kayla thought she would miss school simply because she was tired. This was a different kind of tired though, it was the kind produced by a fear-induced constant alertness.

She hadn't slept Sunday night and had barely gotten through school the next day. She was tired, yes, but she was also afraid that the shadows might be able to get her during the day.

Last night had not been any better. She had dozed off and slipped into a nightmare of watching herself be tormented by the shadows. The glowing red face of her alarm clock told her that she'd only been asleep for twelve minutes.

Kayla went to the library in the morning and asked April if she could stay with her. Kayla thought that maybe the shadows would leave her alone if she wasn't at home. Turns out that they would follow her anywhere she went.

April's guest bedroom was decorated in spartan fashion. There was the bed, dresser, nightstand, and closet. Not very many places for the shadows to hide. She had kept the light on just to be sure. Kayla swung her legs over the side of the bed and hopped out. She stretched and walked over to the mirror that hung on the back of the door.

Her hair was a mass of golden tangles, the blues of her eyes were dull and ringed in black like shadows. Kayla grimaced. Vanity was one of her flaws, though she didn't see personal care and hygiene as such a bad thing. She sat back down on the bed and took her brush from the nightstand, going to work on the knots in her hair.

There was a knock and April called out. "You up? Kimmy is here."

Kayla put the brush down and opened the door. April's mouth twitched but she kept her thoughts to herself. "Dinner is ready."

Kimmy was sitting at the kitchen table, a steaming dish of lasagna in front of her. She let out an excited squeal and rushed to hug her friend. "This is so much fun! Ugh, I can't wait to have my own place one day."

The embrace was warm and comforting, despite Kimmy's bony physique. She held Kayla for a moment and gave her a squeeze. The act was enough for Kayla to forget her troubles for the time being. She was with people that loved her and was about to eat something other than a boxed or microwavable meal.

The wooden table in April's kitchen sat six and was set for three. In the center was a glass dish of lasagna, flanked by a bowl of arugula salad, and a basket of freshly baked Texas toast. The three sat down on one end of the table, April at the head, Kayla and Kimmy at either side of her.

"I just want to say a quick prayer," April said, "if that's alright with the two of you."

Kayla and Kimmy nodded their approval, though Kayla knew that her parents would not have been so supportive. They found April's religious convictions to be less than respectable.

April folded her hands together and closed her eyes. Her two guests followed suit. "Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for this food and for these two awesome girls that I get to spend time with. Bless this time and our food. Amen."

The prayer was short, simple, and sincere; Kayla liked it. It was far different from the long and pious prayers that she heard on Christmas and Easter, the only two days a year that her family even attempted to go to church. When it was finished, April began to serve the food.