Where The Forest Lies by David Sorrow

Author:David Sorrow [Sorrow, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A D Stow Publishing
Published: 2021-09-16T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Forteen

Healing

A

manda was curled up in front of the fire, when she woke. Heika was snuggling hard against her neck, her back legs twitching in her sleep. The sun came in through the front window hugging them both with warmth. It was a new day. For the first time in forever. It like a new day. She had been carrying the weight of the tragedy with her every day for over a year now. Like regret, it was something only she could let go of. This had been holding her head underwater relentlessly, and she needed one good breath to take a stand. To stand up above the water level and start looking for the shore. That’s what Emma had given her. Being patient and kind as she listened to her. Taking water from Amanda’s lungs into hers. Sharing the burden to help her breathe. Today was a new day.

Emma was passed out on the small couch. The water in her chest already naturally expelling itself in little bubbles as she muttered in her sleep. Watching her; some part of Amanda’s childhood, deep in her subconscious, came out. She had the sudden urge to slap her dozing sibling upside the head with a throw pillow. These are the impulses we act upon as human beings without realizing. When someone exclaims, ‘What are you doing?’ and we can honestly answer, ‘I don’t know. Felt like the thing to do.”

Startled awake, Emma could have been seven years old again. Two adult women, in the early denial years of their thirties, unceremoniously throwing themselves into an impromptu pillow fight. Each laughing more and more as they ducked and dodged full two-handed swings. Heika, up and at ‘em, was yipping around them uncontrollably excited by the action.

The battle ended, both women lying shoulder to shoulder on the floor, breathlessly laughing how their backs hurt and making their own convincing arguments that they had won. In truth, Heika had won, panting and grinning on the sofa. She hadn’t been a part of such excitement maybe ever.

“What’s the plan today?”, Emma eventually asked.

Amanda’s fingers drummed on her chest contemplating in rhythm.

“I haven’t thought that far. My plan didn’t extend past coming here to see you. I didn’t know what I wanted to say till it came out last night.”

Emma felt the weight of the reference to last night. She reminded herself again not to jump into responding, without giving her sister a chance to finish her thoughts. Amanda’s pauses could have been centuries to Emma, whose brain rushed like a flash flood, where she could only grab a thought at a time as the rest raced by. After, what must have been four full moments, maybe more, Emma deduced that nothing more was coming.

Amanda had come to her, a life apart, with need. With baggage to share. She should’ve been angry. There still hadn’t been a mention of how

life was going. So far, this was a withdrawal only interaction. No, anger wouldn’t do. Everything she remembered about perfect, little Amanda, told her she wouldn’t be able to handle this lifestyle for long.

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