Chapter 17
“Breakfast is served.”
Alister sat up and searched the darkened room. A blurry shadow moved about and the confusion of his sudden awakening made it hard to understand what was happening.
“It is a beautiful day, and you are sleeping it away.”
Alister swung his feet off the bed and placed them on the floor. He picked the sleep out of the corners of his eyes. Nothing about the moment seemed real.
“The sun is shining, and there isn’t a cloud in the sky.”
“It’s still dark,” Alister said, his voice raspy.
“Only in this room. I can only hope you will find a way to get yourself outside.”
Alister rubbed his face, fingered his beard and groaned.
“The air is cool, and the smell of fires burning certainly makes the statement that fall has arrived.”
The light in the room blinked on and Alister clamped his eyes shut.
“I’ve made it through an entire day.”
Alister forced his eyes open in time to see Michael sitting on the bed beside him. He shifted his weight.
“You know what that means, and you should be happy,” Michael said.
“I am.”
Alister looked at the covered window and then at the clock above the door. Nine o’clock.
“How long was I sleeping for?”
“Since yesterday afternoon.” Michael motioned toward the food tray he had placed on the table. “I’m sure you’re hungry.”
Alister gave him a courteous look. Pancakes, orange juice and two slices of burnt bread were on the tray.
“Confused is more like it.”
“You just need a little time to wake up.”
Alister sat in silence for a moment. “I don’t understand how you are here.” He stood, went into the bathroom and closed the door, leaving it open a crack. “When you didn’t return after talking to me yesterday, I thought for sure the curse had gotten you.”
“I told Dr. Lee how upset you were when I spoke to you. She thought it best I keep away from you for the rest of the day.”
Alister flushed the toilet and came out of the bathroom. “What? Why? She had to know my worry of the curse returning would have me up all night.”
Michael looked to the clock and smiled. “She said my returning this morning would have a much bigger impact on you, that it would prove that there was no such a thing as a curse.”
“Is that what she said?”
Michael shook his head. “I can’t help but think that maybe there never was a curse to begin with.”
“If that were true, then how do you explain everything that has happened?”
Michael shrugged.
“What about all those people that died?”
He shrugged again. “Have you considered the possibility that your mind might be playing tricks on you?”
Alister shook his head. “If it were my mind that was playing the tricks, then how would you know everything you know?”
“I don’t know…I’m just saying. Maybe some of the things you believe happened never really did.”
Alister scratched his head and pursed his lips while he considered Michael’s words.
“If it were my mind playing tricks,” Alister asked, “wouldn’t it only be inside my head? And how would you know about it?”
“Who knows?” Michael asked with a smile. “Maybe I’m not really real but only a thing alive inside your imagination.”
“No,” Alister said. “My experiences tell me something else.”
Michael stood. “The doctor has been here for a few hours. She’s been waiting for you to wake up. There’s something she’s been wanting to show you.”
Michael walked to the door and Alister got back into bed.
“Tell her I’m not interested, that she should leave me alone.” He pulled the blanket up to his chin and turned to his side. “You both should or other people might think it’s OK to talk to me.”
“Not this again.”
Alister allowed a smile to take over his face. His back was to Michael.
“The doctor told me you might say something like that. She wanted me to tell you that you’ve already broken your vow of silence to two people and nothing has happened to either one of them.”
Michael exited the room and Alister rolled onto his back. He sighed, interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on his chest. In this moment, it was as though someone had lifted a thousand pounds off of his shoulders.
Although the idea of the curse being created by an overactive imagination sounded ridiculous to Alister, the possibility that the curse was ending was becoming more real. If he was going to be honest with himself, it felt good.
“Damn good.”