Beyond by Graham McNamee

Author:Graham McNamee [McNamee, Graham]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9780385737753
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Published: 2012-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Nowhere is safe anymore. Can’t even hide away at home, in my own room.

This used to be a safe place, the Blushing Rose. Peaceful, quiet—maybe dull. But never dark and creepy.

Now I can’t be here by myself. I help out when Mom’s around. She’s working the counter while I’m in back. I can hear her talking with a customer about tulip bulbs.

I’m potting African violets, mixing worm castings in with the soil. Violets love worm poo, makes them really—

Tap tap tap.

I drop the pot, spinning toward the sound of—

Tap tap tap. Knocking at the alley door.

“Delivery,” a voice calls from the other side. Ryan.

I exhale, shaking my head. I am such a wreck.

Rushing to let him in, I take a quick peek in the mirror over the sink. My big startled eyes stare back. My hair is wild as weeds. I try to fix that mess, getting worm stuff in it. Giving up, I go open the door.

“Hi, Ryan.”

His hair is wet from the rain, streaks of mud and soil on his cheeks like war paint. As big a mess as me. But smiling through the dirt.

“Hey, Jane. I’ve got a little bit of everything for you today. I even brought the sun.”

He hands me a potted sunflower, with bright yellow petals the color of summer.

Ryan starts unloading from the truck while I make space in the back room. It’s a tight fit, with us brushing past each other. I try not to say much, keeping it all business.

When he’s done, we check the order sheet.

“I miss anything?” he asks.

“No. Perfect.” I look at the sheet, at the new plants crowding us together, everywhere but at him.

“How have you been, Jane? I mean, is your recovery going okay?”

I open my mouth to say some easy lie, like that I’m improving, getting better. But I can’t. “Don’t know. Still breathing, anyway.”

“That’s a good sign. But you look kind of beat.”

I meet his eyes for a split second but force myself to break away.

“I am kind of beat. Real tired. Not sleeping good.”

“Gotta get your rest. Sleep’s a great healer,” he says. “Can I give you something?”

I feel a blush heating my cheeks and turn around to rearrange some pots so he doesn’t see. “Um … what did you have in mind?”

“Hold on. I’ll show you.” He goes out in the alley, and a minute later he’s back with a plant. “Cestrum nocturnum. Night-blooming jasmine.”

The plant’s small flowers are bright white and star-shaped. “Is this more of your mystic medicine?”

“It’s pure science. Aromatherapy. You inhale the scent molecules into your lungs; they get absorbed into your blood and flow to your brain. Jasmine is best for calming and easing anxiety, headaches. Lets you relax and breathe easy. The flowers release their scent at night, so they’ll help you sleep.”

“Thanks,” I mumble, taking the plant from him. “I can use the help. I’ll give it a try.”

“Let me know,” Ryan says, brushing the hair from his eyes and adding a new streak of dirt to his forehead.

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