Chapter Thirty
Quinn - Present Day
Ow! My brain hurts. My mind is foggy.
But there’s silence. No voices. Peace blankets me even if it’s temporary.
My pain is back tenfold, and my muscles ache. My jaw and cheeks feel like I’ve been smiling for hours, and I could swear there’s a brass band playing inside my skull. I can feel my hair sticking to my forehead from the sweat leaking from my pores.
I try to open my eyes. I see flickers of the kerosene lamps, but the light hurts to see.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath before trying again.
This time I see the shadow of a person.
“Ssshh, Quinn. It’s okay, just rest. I’ve got you.” A soft female voice meets my ears, the sound of them moving closer and lifting my head before they sit down. I feel fingers stroke my back as they place my head on their lap. Fingers run through my hair, a soft humming soothing me back to sleep.
Mummy?
“Thirsty.” My voice croaks.
“Here.” She lifts my head up enough to put a cup to my mouth. The cold liquid feels like bliss as it swirls around my tongue before I swallow it. I take another mouthful.
“Be careful, you don’t want to make yourself sick. Go back to sleep, Quinn. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
I hear her place the cup back down, pulling me back into my previous position, the sounds all meshing into one.
“Mummy?” I ask. As if in my wildest dreams my mum could come back to save me.
“No, Quinn. It’s Rhiannon. It’s just us here. You’re safe.”
“Why doesn’t she love me?” I whimper as she continues to stroke my hair. “Why am I never enough for anyone?”
“You are enough. You’re more than anything your mother could ever dream of being.
And one day you’ll be enough for the right man, Quinn.
Everything you’ve been through will make it all the more sweeter.
As for the rest of them, they didn’t deserve you in the first place.
The lifetime of pain you’ve suffered will be a glimpse in the rear view one day, and people will be lucky to be in your life. ”
“Magpie…” I mutter.
“What was that?” she asks.
I contemplate her thoughts as my brain whirs around in my head, the cogs turning, looking for the perfect reply. But before I can open my mouth to respond, black crashes over me.