Fake Nora by Kelly Martin

Author:Kelly Martin [Martin, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Monster Ivy Publishing

Chapter Fifteen

Nora

“Well, that was a quick trip.” Jesse had an I told you so tone to his voice.

Nora didn’t want to hear it, nor did she feel like speaking to him.

“How long are you planning on lying there and crying?” Jesse asked with a sigh.

“Does it matter? I thought time means nothing here.” Nora sniffled, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand as she felt all the weight of her situation cover her. If she couldn’t even get downstairs, how would she get out the door? And would the door even lead her home? Was Jesse right, and there was no hope?

“It doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear you crying for the rest of eternity.” Jesse sounded grumpy. Nora felt grumpy so they could be all grumpy together.

“Then talk to me and make me feel better about life.” Nora propped her head on her hands, still lying on the floor. Water from her tears saturated her long sleeves. Despite the uncomfortable feeling, Nora didn’t care. She had so many other things on her mind that wet sleeves were the least of her worries.

“I don’t know anything about life,” Jesse answered most unhelpfully.

“Make something up, then.” If he could just talk, talk about anything that wasn’t this house or reflections, or anything remotely scary or sad, she would greatly appreciate it. She wasn’t sure what a boy from the forties could talk about that she would understand, but she would do her best to follow along because it wouldn’t have to do with the house or bad ones. That’s all she cared about at the moment.

“I don’t have a great imagination.” Jesse sighed, and Nora nearly resigned herself to the fact that he wasn’t going to say anything when Jesse finally spoke. “I was born in nineteen twenty-seven. I’m the youngest of seven kids.”

“Easy to remember.” Twenty-seven. Seven kids.

“Sometimes. Sometimes it feels like I could just run upstairs, and my brothers and sisters would be there with me. Most of the time, though, I know I’m alone. Well, as alone as you can be with the bad ones running around.”

“Don’t talk about bad ones, please. Just, nice things. Nice … please.” Nora wasn’t beyond begging at this point. If he could talk to her, ease her fears, she would be grateful forever. If he could do that for her, she would be happy to repay him anytime he wanted to hear a story about the future. And seeing as she didn’t think she’d ever leave the room again, it would probably be her turn to talk very soon.

“Nice things.” Jesse took a few seconds to think. “My mother smelled like lavender perfume.”

Nora smiled and closed her eyes, imagining Jesse in his old house with his brothers and sisters, his parents sitting around the fire in the living room. His mother probably sewed while sitting by the fire. His father probably read the paper with the radio on. The kids did … whatever kids did in the forties.

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