decide.”
“It’s impossible to decide,” I said.
She thought about the question a few more seconds and then
said, “Wait a second, what does this have to do with you and Lou?”
I avoided eye contact with her. “Nothing. I’m just talking.”
She snickered. “No
you’re not. Lou can’t go back, can she?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Yes you did.”
I bit my bottom lip to keep from screaming at her. “If you tell anyone I said that, April, I
swear I’ll...”
“You’ll what?”
I grabbed her wrist and squeezed. “Please, don’t say anything.”
She pulled her arm free and took a sip of her tea. “Okay. On one condition.”
“What?”
“Tell me why she can’t go back.”
I crossed my arms. “I didn’t say she couldn’t.”
“Fine. Don’t tell
me. I’ll just ask Tyrone or Wes what
they think. Maybe I’ll even ask Lou.”
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath and held it for
a split second before I released it. Leaning in I said, “She... isn’t like us.”
“How so?”
“Stevie Dayton, he created her. He put her in our story.”
She mulled over what I’d said. “What does that mean?”
“He made her,” I said hoping she would understand without
me having to come right out and say it.
“She’s not real?”
I couldn’t bring myself to confirm her question, but she
knew what my silence meant.
“Holy crap!” She
looked past me and strained to see Lou sleeping near Gordy’s cot. “She looks so... real. Like the rest of us.”
“Of course she does,” I said. “What did you expect?”
“I don’t know. This
Stevie guy made some of these monsters, didn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
“Those things don’t look like anything I’ve ever seen
before.”
Wes appeared out of nowhere. “What are you two yapping about?”
“Nothing,” I said nervously.
“You’re yammering pretty loudly about nothing. Woke me up.”
“We’re just talking about Stevie Dayton,” April said with a
smile.
I groaned underneath my breath. She was going to say something. I just knew it. Why did I tell her?
“I was just wondering where he came up with all his crazy
monsters and stuff.”
Wes sat down at the counter and said, “Where he and his
Storyteller buddies came up with them ain’t near as important as how we’re
going to send them back to hell where they belong.”
Wes turned away and April winked at me.
I stood. “Right now I’m just worried about sending those
worms back to hell.” I walked away
hoping against hope that April would keep her mouth shut.
***
I had to get away from everyone. They were my family, but they were also
reminders of the family I no longer had. It was exhausting being around them and trying to pretend that I didn’t
resent them for being survivors.
It took some great acting on my part, but I eventually
convinced the others I had to go on a bathroom break by myself. I grabbed my backpack and headed out the
front door. Ajax followed me onto the
deck.
“Go away, Ajax,” I said putting on a harness.
He let out a breathy woof to protest.
“I said ‘go away.’”
He sat back on his haunches.
“I don’t want you around, Ajax! Especially you.”
He let out a throaty hoot and started to sign.
“Stop,” I said. I
yelled so loud my ears burned. “I don’t
want to have a conversation about this. I can’t have a conversation about this. I don’t understand your stupid sign language. I don’t understand you. You bug me. Just go away!”
His mouth turned down while his eyes opened slightly
wider. He was hurt by my behavior.
“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t care if I hurt your feelings.”
I clipped onto the zip line. “I don’t care,” I said just before zipping
over to the other platform. I looked
back and saw Ajax hang his massive head.
Once I was on the other platform, I
“It’s impossible to decide,” I said.
She thought about the question a few more seconds and then
said, “Wait a second, what does this have to do with you and Lou?”
I avoided eye contact with her. “Nothing. I’m just talking.”
She snickered. “No
you’re not. Lou can’t go back, can she?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Yes you did.”
I bit my bottom lip to keep from screaming at her. “If you tell anyone I said that, April, I
swear I’ll...”
“You’ll what?”
I grabbed her wrist and squeezed. “Please, don’t say anything.”
She pulled her arm free and took a sip of her tea. “Okay. On one condition.”
“What?”
“Tell me why she can’t go back.”
I crossed my arms. “I didn’t say she couldn’t.”
“Fine. Don’t tell
me. I’ll just ask Tyrone or Wes what
they think. Maybe I’ll even ask Lou.”
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath and held it for
a split second before I released it. Leaning in I said, “She... isn’t like us.”
“How so?”
“Stevie Dayton, he created her. He put her in our story.”
She mulled over what I’d said. “What does that mean?”
“He made her,” I said hoping she would understand without
me having to come right out and say it.
“She’s not real?”
I couldn’t bring myself to confirm her question, but she
knew what my silence meant.
“Holy crap!” She
looked past me and strained to see Lou sleeping near Gordy’s cot. “She looks so... real. Like the rest of us.”
“Of course she does,” I said. “What did you expect?”
“I don’t know. This
Stevie guy made some of these monsters, didn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
“Those things don’t look like anything I’ve ever seen
before.”
Wes appeared out of nowhere. “What are you two yapping about?”
“Nothing,” I said nervously.
“You’re yammering pretty loudly about nothing. Woke me up.”
“We’re just talking about Stevie Dayton,” April said with a
smile.
I groaned underneath my breath. She was going to say something. I just knew it. Why did I tell her?
“I was just wondering where he came up with all his crazy
monsters and stuff.”
Wes sat down at the counter and said, “Where he and his
Storyteller buddies came up with them ain’t near as important as how we’re
going to send them back to hell where they belong.”
Wes turned away and April winked at me.
I stood. “Right now I’m just worried about sending those
worms back to hell.” I walked away
hoping against hope that April would keep her mouth shut.
***
I had to get away from everyone. They were my family, but they were also
reminders of the family I no longer had. It was exhausting being around them and trying to pretend that I didn’t
resent them for being survivors.
It took some great acting on my part, but I eventually
convinced the others I had to go on a bathroom break by myself. I grabbed my backpack and headed out the
front door. Ajax followed me onto the
deck.
“Go away, Ajax,” I said putting on a harness.
He let out a breathy woof to protest.
“I said ‘go away.’”
He sat back on his haunches.
“I don’t want you around, Ajax! Especially you.”
He let out a throaty hoot and started to sign.
“Stop,” I said. I
yelled so loud my ears burned. “I don’t
want to have a conversation about this. I can’t have a conversation about this. I don’t understand your stupid sign language. I don’t understand you. You bug me. Just go away!”
His mouth turned down while his eyes opened slightly
wider. He was hurt by my behavior.
“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t care if I hurt your feelings.”
I clipped onto the zip line. “I don’t care,” I said just before zipping
over to the other platform. I looked
back and saw Ajax hang his massive head.
Once I was on the other platform, I
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