The Faulted

chapter eight

life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides

+

I shift from side to side restlessly finding no comfortable position. I can't even manage to keep my eyes closed for more than a couple of seconds before they open again. My feet kick off the covers. It's no use, I'm not going to sleep.

Sighing, I get out of bed and walk downstairs to the kitchen. I check the time, two in the morning.

"Always two," I mumble. I grab a bottle of water from the fridge, taking a few sips. It felt good, I was really dehydrated and I barely noticed.

"Gail," I hear.

My heart almost leaps out of my chest. I freeze. Carol and Ryan are sleeping in their bedroom, I'm the only one awake. I know I heard that voice, it was here with me. Not in my mind.

"Gail," I hear, this time it sounds more urgent.

"Who's there?" I ask, my voice loud and shaky. My palms are sweating. I walk to where I heard the voice, to the backyard.

My heart beats furiously as I cautiously open the screen door, taking a feeble step outside and peeking around.

I narrow my eyes. There's nobody here.

"Okay," I say slowly. "Just in my mind, then."

I turn around and reach for the knob on the screen door.

"Gail, stop."

I look back at Kaian. He's holding on to the net attached to the side of the boat beside him, which looks like it's about to fall onto Kaian from the wind. The waves crash onto him and he gasps for air in between, but he waits for me.

I'm standing at the edge of the boat, wide eyed, terrified and squirming. "I'm not a good swimmer!"

"Don't move, stop moving," Kaian tells me. I freeze in my spot. "Put your legs over slowly, don't rock the boat, okay?"

I shake my head. "I'm scared."

"I know you are baby, but come to me okay?" Kaian says. "The boat is going to sink, you want to sink?"

I shake my head again. I meet Kaian's green eyes and shiver. Is he scared, too?

"Neither do I. Now come on, slowly," Kaian encourages me, holding my small hands softly as I slowly slip off the boat and into the water.

My stomach churns and I feel all the color drain from my face. It feels as if someone pushed me because I stumble back, landing on my back. Hard.

I scream and sob all at the same time. I squeeze my eyes shut when all I can see is Kaian, but even in the dark I see his electrifying eyes staring through me. By the time Carol and Ryan rush outside and Carol grabs me in her arms, her voice is muffled and everything slows down around me. I black out completely.

--

"Is she okay?"

"Physically, yes, everything is alright. She just fainted from her severe hyperventilating, and she bruised her back a little," a different, unfamiliar voice says. "The bruise on her face has been there before this, though."

"Yeah, she hit herself with a toothbrush."

"I see. Once she regains consciousness I'm just going to ask her a few questions to make sure she's emotionally stable."

"Sure, thank you, Doctor."

"I'll be right back with the morphine." The sound of the door opening then closing makes my eyes open.