Heartsick by Dia Reeves

Author:Dia Reeves [Reeves, Dia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-23T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Rue sat in her room by the fireplace, hands folded in her lap. The twins sat opposite her on the padded bench at the foot of her bed. They’d brought a camera bag, sketch pads, huge lights that Stanton was aiming at her. When the lighting was optimal, he asked his brother:

“What is that?”

“A camera, genius. Borrowed it from Jimi.”

“A Rolleiflex? This is for science, not art.”

Rue said, “Why can’t it be both?”

“Thank you!” Sterling beamed at her. “People always want you to choose.”

“I hate choosing.”

“You don’t have to.” Stanton rolled his eyes at the both of them. “Just sit there.”

“This is strictly professional,” Sterling told her, screwing a lens onto the camera. “No need to be nervous or shy.”

Rue peeled her uniform down to her waist.

Sterling’s borrowed camera hit the floor. “What was I saying?” he asked Rue’s breasts.

“Something about how professional you are. Sit down!”

Sterling scooped the camera from the floor and sat next to his brother.

Stanton stared into Rue’s eyes, patiently. “You can open up anytime.”

“I know.” Rue’s hands were folded again, fingers digging into her flesh. The slit in her chest was clenched so tight, it was nearly invisible.

“We won’t touch you or come closer than we are. We don’t need to. I don’t know about Sterling’s piece of junk, but this camera has a terrific zoom lens.”

“My Mom would kill me if she knew…we don’t do this.”

“We won’t tell anyone. Don’t you trust us? It’s just us.”

Rue nodded. “You won’t stand up? You’ll stay over there?”

“We promise.”

Rue softened and relaxed all over. Took a deep breath. On the seventh breath, the slit slowly parted.

The twins stared a long time, motionless.

“Where’s your ribcage?”

“Don’t have one. Not like yours.”

A thin, bony plate slid across, hiding her organs, then slid out of sight again. “A cage would get in the way, impede access..”

The twins gave each other a look. And then went to work, snapping photos and sketching Rue’s thoracic cavity.

“What’s that thing?” Sterling pointed to the burning orb between the tangles of vein and artery, floating unconnected, vibrant and swirling with grays and purples, but translucent. A sense of something churning within.

“Some weird organ?” Sterling guessed. “Like the toadstone?”

“It’s not weird. It’s my…” Rue thought about it, but gave up in frustration. “There’s no name for it in English.”

“Say it in your language.”

Her limbal rings flashed and swirled, the same grays and purples as the organ. So bright the twins squinted.

“Did that help?”

They laughed.

Rue tried again. “It’s the place where my soul lives.”

“Some sort of antrum?” Stanton said.

“If antrum means the place where your soul lives.” She thought it over. “Or a place to rest when your soul takes over. When I go away. When my soul takes over and sends me away, this is where I go.”

“Your soul?” Stanton didn’t seem convinced. “Sounds more like a split personality.”

“I don’t know what that is.”

“Do you really believe a little person lives inside you?” Sterling said. “And that you can disappear inside yourself?”

“It’s not a question of belief.

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