Limbo
Chapter 2
I woke up at 8. It was a nice surprise, seeing as I usually woke up a lot earlier. Ryan had left the curtains open again before he left, so the Colorado summer sun beat down on me. I got up to shut the curtains, but noticed something was... off. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but something was different. I stopped and thought. Then I recalled that it was my 15th birthday. The thought washed over me, then silently left as quickly as it had come. Birthdays here were non-existent, mostly because we could hardly afford food. I shut the curtains and went to make breakfast. I opened the fridge and pulled out the half eaten yogurt I hadn't finished yesterday. I sat down at the kitchen table and sat in silence.
Like clockwork, the wall phone rang again. I ran to it and picked it up.
"Ryan?" I said breathlessly.
"Janie, good, you're awake." He said, laughing at me. "How are you doing?"
"I'm... doing fine."
"Good. Boss says he'll let me go early today. I don't have to come back after lunch break." He said. I could tell from his voice he was smiling.
"That's great!" It was, really.
"See you then?" He said.
"See you then."
~~~
I glanced at the clock. 11:30. I decided to make lunch for us. I filled a pan with water and put it on the stove to boil. I set the table while waiting. It finally bubbled, so I put the noodles in and waited some more. This was going to be great. When the noodles were ready, I took the pan over to the sink.
I dumped the water in. Steam flew up and hit me in the face, clouding my glasses. I stumbled backwards and put my hands behind me for support. With my luck, I grabbed the still-burning stove. I screamed bloody murder and fell over, hitting my head on what felt like a counter- hard.
I remember hitting the ground.
I remember bleeding.
I don't remember falling asleep.
I opened my eyes to see Ryan screaming. Screaming and shaking me.
"Janie! Janie, wake up! Janie please!" He was screaming at me. I felt warm, sticky stuff pooled around my head. Ryan wouldn't stop shaking me. I wanted to tell him I was fine, and that I needed help.
But I couldn't move. I tried to move my lips to talk, but nothing moved. I was in total paralysis. I heard Ryan frantically calling the police. He sat down next to me and kept trying to get me to wake up. I didn't get it. I was already awake, wasn't I? Why couldn't he see that? 3 police men and a few paramedics ran into our kitchen. I saw them left me... but I was still on the ground. From what I could see, the entire back of my white tank top was deep red. A part of my normally light brown hair was matted and dark. It was horrible to look at. This had to be a nightmare.
I still laid on the floor. I couldn't move.
~~~
It had to of been a few days. I was still on the kitchen floor. I wasn't hungry, I didn't have to pee, nothing. It was confusing. Why hadn't Ryan picked me up? I know he saw me. I saw him look in my general direction, but just start crying again. I wanted him to help me up and tell me it was okay. But he never did. He just passed through the kitchen, sometimes stopping and sitting next to me. He was is shambles... but I was right there.
I wanted my brother to see me.
Like clockwork, the wall phone rang again. I ran to it and picked it up.
"Ryan?" I said breathlessly.
"Janie, good, you're awake." He said, laughing at me. "How are you doing?"
"I'm... doing fine."
"Good. Boss says he'll let me go early today. I don't have to come back after lunch break." He said. I could tell from his voice he was smiling.
"That's great!" It was, really.
"See you then?" He said.
"See you then."
~~~
I glanced at the clock. 11:30. I decided to make lunch for us. I filled a pan with water and put it on the stove to boil. I set the table while waiting. It finally bubbled, so I put the noodles in and waited some more. This was going to be great. When the noodles were ready, I took the pan over to the sink.
I dumped the water in. Steam flew up and hit me in the face, clouding my glasses. I stumbled backwards and put my hands behind me for support. With my luck, I grabbed the still-burning stove. I screamed bloody murder and fell over, hitting my head on what felt like a counter- hard.
I remember hitting the ground.
I remember bleeding.
I don't remember falling asleep.
I opened my eyes to see Ryan screaming. Screaming and shaking me.
"Janie! Janie, wake up! Janie please!" He was screaming at me. I felt warm, sticky stuff pooled around my head. Ryan wouldn't stop shaking me. I wanted to tell him I was fine, and that I needed help.
But I couldn't move. I tried to move my lips to talk, but nothing moved. I was in total paralysis. I heard Ryan frantically calling the police. He sat down next to me and kept trying to get me to wake up. I didn't get it. I was already awake, wasn't I? Why couldn't he see that? 3 police men and a few paramedics ran into our kitchen. I saw them left me... but I was still on the ground. From what I could see, the entire back of my white tank top was deep red. A part of my normally light brown hair was matted and dark. It was horrible to look at. This had to be a nightmare.
I still laid on the floor. I couldn't move.
~~~
It had to of been a few days. I was still on the kitchen floor. I wasn't hungry, I didn't have to pee, nothing. It was confusing. Why hadn't Ryan picked me up? I know he saw me. I saw him look in my general direction, but just start crying again. I wanted him to help me up and tell me it was okay. But he never did. He just passed through the kitchen, sometimes stopping and sitting next to me. He was is shambles... but I was right there.
I wanted my brother to see me.