Up for Grabs by Michelle Mulder

Author:Michelle Mulder
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV013000 JUVENILE FICTION / Family / General JUV003000 JUVENILE FICTION / Art JUV028000 JUVENILE FICTION / Mysteries Detective Stories
Publisher: Cormorant Books
Published: 2023-05-06T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

In my dream, the toddler walks into my bedroom. He is in black and white, like he was in the photo, wearing one of those old-fashioned poofy nighties that goes down to his ankles. Someone has drawn open eyes onto his closed lids. He toddles over to the stained-glass window, which is just his height. It’s open, and he sticks his arm out and then his head, like he’s going to dive out and free-fall into the backyard. I rush to him, as he slides out. I watch him fall, and right before his little body hits the ground —

I woke up with a start, kneeling next to the open window, my face pressed close to the opening as if I might see that tiny body lying on the ground beneath the cherry tree. It was only a dream, I told myself. There is no toddler.

The smell of cigarette smoke wafted in from somewhere outside. I peered out but couldn’t see anyone. For a long time, I sat there, thinking about that little boy and how history might have been different if he had lived. He might have gone on to find a cure for cancer. Or maybe he would have been a mass murderer. Either way, the world could never be the same.

I shook my head. It was bad enough inventing alternate realities where my mother was alive. Was I going to do the same for relatives that died a hundred years ago too?

It took me a long time to fall back asleep.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.