Afternoon shadows filled the house as she placed the last rug on the floor in front of the fireplace. The dollhouse was exquisite.Brooklyn sent thank-you vibes to her daddy. She took another picture and sent it to the chat.
To her astonishment, Brooklyn scrolled back and guesstimated the other Littles had sent over a hundred messages. What had she missed? Scanning them quickly, she watched new ones pop up.
Giana: Six hours! I win!
Pippa: It was closer to seven. That makes Aspen the best guesser.
Aspen: Both of our guesses were so close. I vote we share the prize.
Brooklyn: What prize? And you were betting on how long it would take me?
Pippa: I guessed ninety minutes. I obviously have never constructed a dollhouse, but that was a ton of pieces!
Aspen: It’s gorgeous! I want to come play!
Pippa: Count me in! Tomorrow? I’m off at six. If you all want to order pizza, I’ll pick it up on my way over.
Giana: I can make it then. I’m off tomorrow. Well, unless there’s an emergency.
Aspen: I’ll bring dessert. Don’t worry about anything, Brooklyn. We’ll come prepared.
Giana: I’ve got drinks.
Brooklyn: I can do something.
Pippa: You’re sharing your present with us and hosting.
Brooklyn: Okay! See you tomorrow.
Wrapping her arms around herself, Brooklyn gave herself a hug. What had started out as another tough day had become one of the best. Her daddy had done this for her. She turned to consider the stack of presents still waiting to be opened and shook her head. This one was enough. She would save the others for the next time he was gone.
Brooklyn walked into the pantry and scanned the shelves, spotting a lot of space at the top. She could put them there out of the way. It was too high for her to reach, so she pulled a chair close and lifted one package before stepping onto the seat. One by one, she set them safely on the shelf.
The final one wavered a bit on the edge. Brooklyn took her time to balance it.There! That’s it!
She held on to the lower level as she returned to the floor.Oh, no!
Brooklyn made a wild grab for the package as it tumbled. Her foot hit one of the chair legs, sending her off balance. The tiled floor seemed to rush up to greet her with dizzying speed. A brief flash of light and pain hit her before darkness took her.
“Ow!”Brooklyn lifted a hand to her head and immediately slowed her movement as her vision swam. When she finally pressed against the spot that hurt, her fingers touched wet and sticky hair. Had she fallen into water? Reversing the process, the sight of blood coating her skin made her stomach heave.
She struggled to think clearly as she stared in horror at her hand. A pulsing headache pounded inside her skull, making it tough for her to think. She needed help. What should she do? Whatcouldshe do?
Call someone.
Brooklyn carefully shifted a hand to her pocket. The familiar ridge of her device was gone. Where had she left it? Looking up, she tried to think. Everything was hazy. Was that a black ridge hanging over the middle shelf? Suddenly she remembered setting her phone down there to carry in the packages. Pushingher elbow into the cold flooring, she attempted to sit up and froze when another wave of nausea cascaded over her.
When she regained control, Brooklyn looked around with her eyes to avoid moving her head. Nothing. She moved her arms slowly to search by touch. Refusing to dwell on the scary amount of wetness around her, Brooklyn focused only on her goal. She had to reach her phone. Panicking now wouldn’t help her.
Her fingers closed around a broom handle in the corner. Bringing it in front of her, Brooklyn knocked the phone off the shelf. A gasp of pain burst from her mouth as the corner of the device landed sharply on her right breast. Dismissing the impact as incomparable to her headache, Brooklyn fumbled with her phone.
The chat window appeared on the screen, and she pushed the phone icon.Please let someone answer.
“Brooklyn? You couldn’t wait to talk to us?”
“Giana! I’m sorry to call, but I need help.”
“What’s wrong?” Her friend’s voice immediately changed from friendly to emergency responder efficient.
