After Dark

“Come on, Evie, wake up. We’ve got a long day ahead of us. Wake up, sweetie.” My mother gently shook me awake, and I sat up quickly. Today was the day we were going to spend all day in the happiest place on Earth: Disneyland. I jumped out of bed, getting dressed and ready. My mom laughed at my enthusiasm, sitting calmly on the chair near the table in the small hotel room.

We had planned this trip for months. We had finally saved enough money to go all out, and all out is where we were going. We hadn’t skimped on airplane tickets, the hotel room, and now we were going to spend an entire day at Disneyland.

This was something completely new and amazing to me. My mother and I had always been able to get by with just enough, but never anything more. My father had died in a fire-fighting accident, leaving my mother to fend for herself and a baby. I had grown up with always enough, but never anything extravagant. I didn’t hold it against her, in fact I like to think it made me a better person. I learned to cherish the little things along with the big things, and this was a very big thing.

I finally was finished and bounced out the door, my mother following me. We walked downstairs, called a taxi, and were on our way.

Soon, we were at the gates of Disneyland. I couldn’t help but be amazed at everything. I looked around, feeling seven years old again. We bought our tickets and walked inside. I nearly cried out of extreme happiness. My mother wrapped her arm around me.

“Come on, we’ve got a whole kingdom to cover in one day.” She said with a warm smile, and I grinned. She was right.

We were standing in line for the carousel when I first noticed them. They were a group of adults, standing a few people behind us in line. They were whispering among themselves, glancing up at me every so often. I was extremely uncomfortable, but by the time I turned around to confront them, they were gone. I blinked a few times, and looked around, but they were just…gone.

“Come on, Evie, it’s our turn. What’s the matter?” My mom asked, looking at me with concern. I shook my head, smiling at her.

“Nothing. I just thought I saw someone I knew. Let’s go.” I grabbed her hand and walked onto the ride, but I couldn’t put those people out of my head.

I saw them again when we were in line for the Snow White ride. It was just like with the carousel, but this time there was a lady with them. She regarded me coolly, keeping eye contact with me when I glanced at her. She said a few words to the group, and I blinked, and then they were gone.

I shivered, and my mom wrapped her arm around me protectively. I leaned into her, trying to forget about them.

I had almost forgotten about them when we were going to eat. We had gone into a little café, built to look antique like. We walked up to the counter and had ordered our food when I noticed the woman from before working behind the counter. What was a Disneyland employee doing following me around?

I shook my head. Maybe I was imagining things. We stepped back and waited for our food.
When it was done, the woman brought it out to us, smiling like Mona Lisa.

“Here’s your food.” She said in a smooth voice. She smiled especially knowingly before turning around and going back to the kitchen.

“What a nice lady. Come on, Evie, let’s go eat.” My mother said, tugging on me. I was still slightly confused, but I followed her anyway and we ate. Everything seemed alright until we were making our way to the front of the castle to watch the fireworks. My mom had her arm around me and we were standing in a perfect spot when the stomach pains started. At first it felt like just a stomachache, like I had eaten too much, but it quickly escalated until I could barely stand up.

My mom tried her best to keep me up, but I had to sit down, doubled over in pain. As if waiting on some sort of cue and finally receiving it, the woman walked over, this time in a nurse outfit.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” She asked with concern, kneeling down next to me. My mother knelt by my side.

“I’m not sure what’s wrong, she just started having severe stomach pains.” My mother said to the woman.

“Not to worry. We have a trained staff on hand inside the castle to help with any injury. Come with me.” She picked me up in her arms, cradling me with ease as if I weighed no more than a baby. My mother followed closely, holding my hand. The pain became unbearable, and I drifted in and out of consciousness, only getting a few glimpses.

The woman leading my mother into a sterile white hallway.

The woman placing me down on a bed, quickly hooking me up to IV’s.

My mother brushing my hair out of my face, telling me it was going to be okay.

The woman giving me a shot, telling me it wouldn’t hurt a bit and it would help me sleep.

My mother kissing my forehead, telling me goodnight.

And then sleep. Blissful, painless sleep.