Chapter 27 #2
Mom’s brows furrow together. “Why on earth would she be here? I can’t even get her on the phone when I try calling her—” Her voice trails off, becoming nothing more than a muffled noise in the distance.
The treehouse! Why didn’t I think of it before all of this?
Ignoring Mom’s continued rambling, I turn on my heel and run as fast as possible to the backyard.
My thoughts scream in my head while different voices yell at me.
I can’t understand what they’re saying; some are cries, and many are outraged.
I swore I heard Theo’s voice yelling my name for a moment, but my legs wouldn’t stop if I wanted them to. Like a robot, I’ve been programmed to complete a task: get to the treehouse as quickly as possible.
I reach the grown-up trail leading to my destination.
Darkness swallows it whole, leaving nothing but a faint gleam from the moon in the distance.
I scramble for my phone in my sweats, unable to locate it in either pocket.
Fuck, it must have fallen out while running back here.
I take a deep breath, putting my arms out before me as I slowly move forward.
As I push through the blackened trail, twigs, vines, and briars slash at my arms and hands. I battle through it and even stumble a few times on stones and roots along the trail.
After being abused by nature, I finally see light at the trail’s end.
The treehouse comes into sight. The moon shining all around it is strange at this time; usually, it has already moved.
I sprint over to the wooden stairs leading up to the crooked door.
I notice that it’s not latched but cracked open slightly.
As I climb up, I call out Nora’s name, praying to hear her voice. But I receive nothing but the repetitive sounds of the woods. Crickets chirp loudly while the light breeze rattles tree limbs throughout the dreary forest.
Once I reach the top of the ladder, a heaviness consumes my body, and an eerie feeling pricks at my battered skin. I slow my breathing, closing my eyes just for a second. Once I open them, I slowly push on the small door to the treehouse. “Nora, are you…” My words are cut short.
As the door creaks open, I see feet lying just a few steps away. Once it’s fully open, I find Nora lying on her side by the exposed window. The moon flickers its ghostly glow around her limp body.
No, no, no. I dive through the small door, crawling on my hands and knees to her.
This can’t be happening. Once I reach her side, I catch a glance at her phone lying near her, and the screen lights up.
Mom’s number flashes across the screen, and there is a long list of missed calls and texts from Michelle and me. The time shows 3:03 a.m.
My breathing becomes deranged as I take in what’s in front of me.
Nora lies on her side, one arm pinned underneath her.
Her left arm rests beside her, and I notice a foil-like object in her lax hand.
Flashbacks of our mother unconscious in the bathtub flood my mind.
No, Olive, focus; we have to be quick! Nora’s voice and urgent words hit me like a bag of bricks.
I begin greedily taking deep breaths while searching my surroundings. Nora’s bag sits underneath the window of the treehouse. I quickly retrieve it, dumping out the items inside.
Not caring about what I touch, I sift through the items, scattering them on the wooden floor of the treehouse, all while focusing on what I’m looking for. Damn it. It’s not here…where the hell is the Narcan?! My heart pounds against my chest.
I glance back at Nora nervously. She looks so peaceful. Her head lies flat, her lips slightly parted, and her curly hair spreads around her head like blossoming wildflowers taking over a forbidden garden.
Seeing her like this fills my eyes with tears.
I quickly reached for her phone to call 911 but realize it is locked with a password.
My hands tremble as I attempt to guess it, but nothing works.
Then it hits me—her password is probably Jake’s birthday!
Why didn’t I think of that sooner? Just as I’m about to enter it, the screen locks again, leaving me with a one-minute timeout. Fuck!
Frustration floods over me, and in a moment of panic, I toss her phone against the wall, the sound of shattering glass echoing around us. I lean closer to her still form, grasping her shoulders and shaking gently. “Nora! Please, wake up!” I plead, my voice a mix of desperation and hope.
I do chest compressions, pushing down with all my strength, refusing to let despair creep in.
I can’t give up! I take a deep breath as my vision dims, and the world spins around me.
I have to keep going for her. I won’t let her die.
That three-letter word burns through my mind and into my throat like acid.
I glimpse up at her, taking in her beautiful features.
I don’t know if the moonlight adds to it, but her tan skin begins to pale.
Realizing what has happened stabs its way through my heart and soul.
But I can’t accept this; it can’t be real.
I grab her arms, pulling her up from the floor.
Her head quickly falls behind her shoulders, dangling lifelessly.
The sight of it makes me lose my grip, causing her head to slam onto the wooden floor.
My hands instinctively cover my mouth as a distressed cry escapes me, muffled by the weight of agony.
I gently place two fingers on her neck, searching desperately for a pulse, but the chilling absence of life is a punch to my gut.
The realization that I couldn’t save her wraps around my heart like a heavy stone, suffocating me with its unyielding grip.
“THEO! HELP! Please, help me…” I barely croak out, my throat tightening as anguish swells within me.
My balance falters, and the room spins around me, the world blurring into a dizzying black void as if caught on a wild merry-go-round that has suddenly lost control. I lean against Nora’s chest, yearning for the comforting rhythm of her heartbeat that once reassured me.
Tears stream down my trembling lips, mingling with the salty taste of fear and sorrow as I whisper against her, “Oh, Nora, don’t leave me. I need you, I love you… please.” Each word feels like a plea cast into the void, swallowed by the merciless silence surrounding us.
As everything around me fades to black, the only sound I can hear is the frantic beating of my own heart, echoing in the stillness like a desperate drum, wrapping me in a swirling haze of grief.
In this profound darkness, I feel as though I’m gently drifting away, suspended in an endless void that threatens to engulf me.
My eyes, the only part of me I can control in this strange dream, dart around, taking in the swirling chaos of colors and shadows surrounding me.
In the distance, a luminescent light begins to manifest, growing steadily more prominent as I float toward it.
I soon realize it is the moon, hanging in the vast expanse of the night sky like a radiant beacon.
Its brilliance is so intense that my eyes strain against the overwhelming glow, feeling like they might burn from its exposure.
I squeeze my eyelids shut to shield myself, but despite my efforts, the moon’s power draws me in, relentless and mesmerizing.
Every moment, I find myself being pulled closer, unable to resist its enchanting allure.
Panic rises within me as I attempt to pull away, hoping to escape its grasp, but it is futile.
The moon’s pull becomes stronger, and in an instant, it envelops me completely, swallowing me whole. I am consumed by its ethereal light, becoming one with its dazzling entirety.
There’s a slight ringing in my ear as I continuously blink, my vision becoming less blurry with each shutter of my heavy lids.
As my senses recharge and my mind is aware, I check my surroundings.
I realize it is nighttime, but the moon’s ethereal light is much brighter than ever before.
I am standing in front of the trail to the treehouse.
But what was before is no longer. The trail is clear, with no briars or branches.
Something pulls me closer, almost telling me to walk through its path.
I don’t fight it; my mind and heart feel calm and at home.
As I travel through, I am enveloped with a sense of nostalgia.
Throughout the clear path, colorful wildflowers sprout and bloom around me as I walk by.
And the sweet smell of honeysuckles tickles my nostrils.
I breathe in my surroundings as the moon pulls me to where I belong.
Once I step from the trail, a delightful gasp leaves my throat.