She floats down slowly and becomes a solid form on the side of the couch by my feet. “I know.” She places her hand on my leg and rubs small circles across my thigh. I relax into the soothing sensation of her comforting me when I look over for my cellphone.
“Where’s my phone? What day is it?” I ask, suddenly feeling the disorientation from unconsciousness overtake me. She hesitates for a moment, then disappears and reappears with my phone. She holds it away for a second longer before slowly handing it over to me.
“You have a few dear ones quite concerned for you. It has… It has been a number of days.”
I reach my hand out, taking the phone. I turn it on and look at her with my brows pinched. “Milly, what date is it exactly?”
There’s a part of me that knows what date it is, just from the way her body language is presenting unease. She always has perfect posture, but she appears tenser. She has the mask on that she thinks does wonders at hiding how she truly feels. But I know my Milly. I know she’s scared.
I glance back down at my phone, see the date, and exhale shakily. “It’s the 5th of October,” I say quietly. I’ve been asleep for weeks?
I swallow hard. She looks up at me, and it looks as though her eyes are filling with tears.
“It is,” she says faintly. We sit in silence as we watch fear, sadness, and affection pass across each other’s faces.
“How—how am I even alive then?”
“I had my dear friend, one with some knowledge in the healing talents, set up an IV to give you fluids and another medical device for nourishment. It was not the finest remedy by any means, but one that did keep your body going. It’s a massive reason why you might feel poorly.”
I worry my lip between my teeth and ignore the incomprehensible. I’ll dive into that later.
“What are we going to do?” I grab her hand and rub my thumb across the top.
She glances at the clock against the wall. “There are still some hours left for us yet. My friend shall be arriving shortly, once he’s seen to his prior engagements, to help us find a resolution based on what we have started to establish.” She nods her head to the mirror on the table to our side.
There is still no reflection showing through the glass, and the dust appears to have been completely removed from the ornate, goldenframe. My stomach flips with anxiety at the possibility that this theory we have truly is only that—a theory.
It’s intimidating to use something based on a belief without true, evident proof. But we don’t have the time or subjects to test it.
Milly interrupts my chain of thought. “Let me prepare something for you to eat, Shadow, to replenish your strength.”
At her words, my stomach instantly grumbles, and I blush. She giggles and disappears in a blink.
I sigh, unlocking my phone. There are a handful of unread messages. Most are from my friend Bea, and, unfortunately, many are from my father.
Bea:
Can you call me? I’m going away in a few months and would love for you to join the girls and me!
Bea:
Just touching base, I haven’t heard from you…
Bea:
Did I do something wrong?
Bea:
Now you’re freaking me out—are you alive? I don’t want to message your dad, but I will.
Bea:
Your dad doesn’t even know where you are. If you ran away, I swear to God, I’ll kill you. I would’ve run away with you.
I frown at the messages,my heart clenching at the worry that I’ve put on one of my closest friends through.Shit.
I quickly typed her a message explaining that I’m all right and would call her as soon as I could. I erase it and retype it a handful of times, second-guessing whether I'll have the chance to talk to her again.
