Rebecca’s wet hair stuck to the side of her face, and the fabric of her shirt clung to her chest in a way that would normally have made her embarrassed. After walking for an indeterminate time, she decided to sit on a bench. This was the first decision she’d made on her own since Zimmer had dropped her off at her apartment the day before, and she felt good about it. Then she doubted herself and thought maybe she should keep walking, but she concluded that she could do this. After several more minutes and much more rain, her cellphone rang.
“Rebecca?”
“Yes.”
“They’ve stolen the boat. They locked me in the cabin. You have to help me.”
“Who is this?”
“Stewart!”
“Findley?”
“Just listen to me—”
“I know you. We were very important to each other for a very long time. You’re the most important person in my life, but I work very hard for you to never know that.”
“Rebecca, are you on medication again?”
“Why would I do that to you?”
“What’s going on?”
“I’m losing myself,” Rebecca said. As she said these words, she knew they were true.
“It’s going to be okay,” Stewart said. Knowing there was little she could do for him, Stewart focused on helping her. “Where are you?”
“I’m sitting on a bench in the park. I don’t know the name of it.”
“Where is it?”
“It’s the one by the art gallery. Behind the art gallery.”
“Just stay there. Don’t move. Just stay there.”
“I don’t seem capable of moving now.”
“Just stay right there. I’m going to send help.”
“Stewart, do you love me?”
“You’ll be okay.”
“But do you? You don’t have to say yes.”
“I do. Yes. Still.”
“Oh.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I don’t think so,” Rebecca said. “I was just hoping that knowing the answer would make me feel something.”
Rebecca closed her phone. She sat on the bench. The rain fell harder. She knew the rain couldn’t hurt her. She felt impervious to decay. She felt the rain on her skin, but then, all of a sudden, she didn’t. When she looked at her arm, she saw that the rain was no longer hitting it but was passing right through. She was, quite literally, beginning to disappear.