kicking and stomping. Holly screamed at the top of her lungs, "Leave her alone!"
A scrawny boy with glasses who was hyped up and cheering like he was a spectator at a wrestling match shoved Holly back, "Shut up!"
"Stop it! They're hurting her!" Holly wailed.
Rebecca could hear Holly's cries through the taunts and shouts. It gave her strength to keep fighting.
"Hold her down!" Jeff screamed. Christina grabbed Rebecca's face and neck. The sensation sent waves of terror through Rebecca's body and she lost all bearings — was this just another nightmare?
Something flashed before her eyes, a bright white light that made everything around her vanish like water vapor in the wind. The world began to spin, it made her sick and nauseous.
She could still feel hands around her neck — but the children were replaced by a dark figure hovering over her, menacing, terrifying. She could smell his breath. His darkened face was a blur, but his shape was familiar. She could feel his dirty, blistered fingers wrapped around her throat. She could smell blood, in her mouth, up her nose.
Her windpipe squeezed shut, she couldn't get air into her lungs. Her eyes bulged. She tossed and flailed about like a fish out of water. Tommy and the others saw what was happening and let go. They stood up and backed away.
A teacher's aide finally spotted the melee and pushed through the sea of tiny onlookers, blowing her whistle for them to make way. "What's going on? Break it up!" she shouted. Christina and the others quickly adopted somber expressions, nervous about the damage they had caused.
"We didn't mean it," Christina insisted, her voice now timid and innocent.
"We were just kidding," Jeff added.
Several of the other children, who moments ago were screaming for blood like a mob of striking teamsters, burst into tears at the grim reality of their bullying.
Rebecca's eyes had rolled back into their sockets, her torso lurching and sputtering, in the throws of a violent seizure. The aide, who had only just volunteered for the job a few weeks ago, stood helplessly for a moment, clueless. She knelt beside Rebecca and put her hand on her chest, as if trying to wake her from the spell. Upon her touch, Rebecca lashed out wildly, striking the aide across the cheek.
She recovered and cradled Rebecca's head to keep it from smashing on the concrete. She held her tightly as Rebecca's body quivered and trembled, so harshly, one of her shoes flew off. The aide blew her whistle again, a long breath, loud like an alarm.
Rebecca had lost all contact with the outside world. In her mind, she could see trees, branches, water. The vision spun faster and faster. Everything dripped red, as if bathed in blood. She felt herself slipping away, further and further, all sensation draining from her body. Soon there was only the cold darkness.
CHAPTER 26
A blinding circle of light roused Rebecca. It moved from one eye to the other. How strange …
"Just follow the light. That's it," said a soft voice. A nurse peeled open Rebecca's eyelid again and shined a penlight into her pupil to watch it dilate. Rebecca winced, her reaction made the nurse smile, she was going to be okay.
She blinked, groggy, the bright white room started to come into focus. There was a doctor and several nurses hovering over her, adjusting wires. Her arm felt sore; she looked and saw a needle in her skin held with a bandage, with a tube that connected to a bag filled with fluid, dripping. This isn't the nurse's office .
An announcement over a PA asked for a doctor to please come to the ER immediately. Outside, a man was wheeled by on a gurney. What happened to me? All at once every muscle in her small body flexed and tensed. She started to panic.
"Just relax, Rebecca," the nurse said, gently rubbing her shoulders, easing her back down.
Hearing her
A scrawny boy with glasses who was hyped up and cheering like he was a spectator at a wrestling match shoved Holly back, "Shut up!"
"Stop it! They're hurting her!" Holly wailed.
Rebecca could hear Holly's cries through the taunts and shouts. It gave her strength to keep fighting.
"Hold her down!" Jeff screamed. Christina grabbed Rebecca's face and neck. The sensation sent waves of terror through Rebecca's body and she lost all bearings — was this just another nightmare?
Something flashed before her eyes, a bright white light that made everything around her vanish like water vapor in the wind. The world began to spin, it made her sick and nauseous.
She could still feel hands around her neck — but the children were replaced by a dark figure hovering over her, menacing, terrifying. She could smell his breath. His darkened face was a blur, but his shape was familiar. She could feel his dirty, blistered fingers wrapped around her throat. She could smell blood, in her mouth, up her nose.
Her windpipe squeezed shut, she couldn't get air into her lungs. Her eyes bulged. She tossed and flailed about like a fish out of water. Tommy and the others saw what was happening and let go. They stood up and backed away.
A teacher's aide finally spotted the melee and pushed through the sea of tiny onlookers, blowing her whistle for them to make way. "What's going on? Break it up!" she shouted. Christina and the others quickly adopted somber expressions, nervous about the damage they had caused.
"We didn't mean it," Christina insisted, her voice now timid and innocent.
"We were just kidding," Jeff added.
Several of the other children, who moments ago were screaming for blood like a mob of striking teamsters, burst into tears at the grim reality of their bullying.
Rebecca's eyes had rolled back into their sockets, her torso lurching and sputtering, in the throws of a violent seizure. The aide, who had only just volunteered for the job a few weeks ago, stood helplessly for a moment, clueless. She knelt beside Rebecca and put her hand on her chest, as if trying to wake her from the spell. Upon her touch, Rebecca lashed out wildly, striking the aide across the cheek.
She recovered and cradled Rebecca's head to keep it from smashing on the concrete. She held her tightly as Rebecca's body quivered and trembled, so harshly, one of her shoes flew off. The aide blew her whistle again, a long breath, loud like an alarm.
Rebecca had lost all contact with the outside world. In her mind, she could see trees, branches, water. The vision spun faster and faster. Everything dripped red, as if bathed in blood. She felt herself slipping away, further and further, all sensation draining from her body. Soon there was only the cold darkness.
CHAPTER 26
A blinding circle of light roused Rebecca. It moved from one eye to the other. How strange …
"Just follow the light. That's it," said a soft voice. A nurse peeled open Rebecca's eyelid again and shined a penlight into her pupil to watch it dilate. Rebecca winced, her reaction made the nurse smile, she was going to be okay.
She blinked, groggy, the bright white room started to come into focus. There was a doctor and several nurses hovering over her, adjusting wires. Her arm felt sore; she looked and saw a needle in her skin held with a bandage, with a tube that connected to a bag filled with fluid, dripping. This isn't the nurse's office .
An announcement over a PA asked for a doctor to please come to the ER immediately. Outside, a man was wheeled by on a gurney. What happened to me? All at once every muscle in her small body flexed and tensed. She started to panic.
"Just relax, Rebecca," the nurse said, gently rubbing her shoulders, easing her back down.
Hearing her
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