now.
Feeling a little silly, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. When I’d channeled the characters of Blanche Du Bois or Cordelia from King Lear , I’d drawn a mental picture of them, added the details from the plays, and then breathed that essence into myself. Now, I tried the same thing with the room. I envisioned the kitchen in as much detail as I could, then filled in the empty spaces by remembering how Maggie and I played dress up together, and the way she giggled whenever I pushed her high up in a swing.
As I enveloped myself in happy memories, I sensed another presence emerging. At first, I thought it was a trick of my overactive imagination, but soon the force became too intense to ignore. I felt something as welcoming as early spring sunshine on bare skin. Faint, but real. Excited, I tried to build up that feeling. But while I could sense the reservoir of positive energy, I couldn’t tap into it. It warmed me, but it didn’t fuel me up the way I’d hoped.
Frustrated, I finally gave up and opened my eyes. My back was stiff, but my eyelids were heavy. If nothing else, I was relaxed enough to fall asleep.
As I shut off the kitchen light, I decided to try the experiment again. Maybe the whole energy thing was just wishful thinking. Then again, it had chased off the nightmare of Luquin’s monstrous art display.
Chapter Seven
To my surprise, I slept seven hours straight. Feeling fully rested for the first time in months, I stretched and smiled.
I texted Andrew first thing – Good morning, sunshine.
After ten minutes with no reply, I wondered if he was still sleeping. Or maybe his phone was uncharged or lost. I nibbled a thumbnail, thinking. Or it could be the gym. That was it! No doubt, he was in the middle of one of his marathon workout sessions.
After showering and dressing, I put on my new silver necklace and admired it in the mirror. The gift had been a typically sweet Andrew gesture. I wished I could buy him something just as nice in return. He certainly deserved it. But what to get?
The answer came almost immediately. A comic book! It wasn’t as sentimental as a necklace, but he’d love it. Also, it would be a subversive gesture since Caleb hated Andrew’s comic obsession. Even better, I’d have an excuse to visit Holy Comics and see Isaiah. Maybe I’d even work up the courage to ask him to coffee again.
I smiled to myself. Despite the gray weather, the day was definitely looking bright.
Because of Elena, I’d been inside the basement of the old church plenty of times, but this was the first time I’d ventured upstairs. In what had once been the sanctuary, two rows of gothic, stained-glass windows lined the walls. An immense rose window dominated the back of the church. Even on this gloomy day, the colors in the rose were breathtaking. I vowed to return when it was sunny to see the stained glass really shine.
The pews and kneelers had been replaced with rows of dinged-up wooden bins and book shelves. Scattered throughout were life-sized cardboard cutouts of comic book and movie heroes. At the back of the store, a customer examined a large display case full of baseball cards, signed baseballs, and other memorabilia.
Unfortunately, Isaiah was nowhere in sight. Standing behind the counter was a hefty guy with brown, close-cropped hair, and sideburns that hugged his round cheeks and met in a beard under his chin. He plucked ramen noodles one by one from a cardboard container and sucked them into his mouth as he silently watched me rifle through the bins.
Going into a comic book store without Andrew felt strange, and shopping for comics alone was just plain weird. After five minutes, I despaired. Not only was I clueless about what to buy, Isaiah still hadn’t shown up.
Feeling like a silly, thirteen-year-old with a crush on her best friend’s older brother, I approached the counter. “Is
Feeling a little silly, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. When I’d channeled the characters of Blanche Du Bois or Cordelia from King Lear , I’d drawn a mental picture of them, added the details from the plays, and then breathed that essence into myself. Now, I tried the same thing with the room. I envisioned the kitchen in as much detail as I could, then filled in the empty spaces by remembering how Maggie and I played dress up together, and the way she giggled whenever I pushed her high up in a swing.
As I enveloped myself in happy memories, I sensed another presence emerging. At first, I thought it was a trick of my overactive imagination, but soon the force became too intense to ignore. I felt something as welcoming as early spring sunshine on bare skin. Faint, but real. Excited, I tried to build up that feeling. But while I could sense the reservoir of positive energy, I couldn’t tap into it. It warmed me, but it didn’t fuel me up the way I’d hoped.
Frustrated, I finally gave up and opened my eyes. My back was stiff, but my eyelids were heavy. If nothing else, I was relaxed enough to fall asleep.
As I shut off the kitchen light, I decided to try the experiment again. Maybe the whole energy thing was just wishful thinking. Then again, it had chased off the nightmare of Luquin’s monstrous art display.
Chapter Seven
To my surprise, I slept seven hours straight. Feeling fully rested for the first time in months, I stretched and smiled.
I texted Andrew first thing – Good morning, sunshine.
After ten minutes with no reply, I wondered if he was still sleeping. Or maybe his phone was uncharged or lost. I nibbled a thumbnail, thinking. Or it could be the gym. That was it! No doubt, he was in the middle of one of his marathon workout sessions.
After showering and dressing, I put on my new silver necklace and admired it in the mirror. The gift had been a typically sweet Andrew gesture. I wished I could buy him something just as nice in return. He certainly deserved it. But what to get?
The answer came almost immediately. A comic book! It wasn’t as sentimental as a necklace, but he’d love it. Also, it would be a subversive gesture since Caleb hated Andrew’s comic obsession. Even better, I’d have an excuse to visit Holy Comics and see Isaiah. Maybe I’d even work up the courage to ask him to coffee again.
I smiled to myself. Despite the gray weather, the day was definitely looking bright.
Because of Elena, I’d been inside the basement of the old church plenty of times, but this was the first time I’d ventured upstairs. In what had once been the sanctuary, two rows of gothic, stained-glass windows lined the walls. An immense rose window dominated the back of the church. Even on this gloomy day, the colors in the rose were breathtaking. I vowed to return when it was sunny to see the stained glass really shine.
The pews and kneelers had been replaced with rows of dinged-up wooden bins and book shelves. Scattered throughout were life-sized cardboard cutouts of comic book and movie heroes. At the back of the store, a customer examined a large display case full of baseball cards, signed baseballs, and other memorabilia.
Unfortunately, Isaiah was nowhere in sight. Standing behind the counter was a hefty guy with brown, close-cropped hair, and sideburns that hugged his round cheeks and met in a beard under his chin. He plucked ramen noodles one by one from a cardboard container and sucked them into his mouth as he silently watched me rifle through the bins.
Going into a comic book store without Andrew felt strange, and shopping for comics alone was just plain weird. After five minutes, I despaired. Not only was I clueless about what to buy, Isaiah still hadn’t shown up.
Feeling like a silly, thirteen-year-old with a crush on her best friend’s older brother, I approached the counter. “Is
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