Rachel

In spite of her exhaustion, Rachel had barely been able to find sleep for more than a few moments. She kept waking up over and over to see the blackness of night still blanketing the room. Alice had come back at some point, she remembered. She'd heard the door open, seen the lights in the living area turn on and off. If she listened hard enough she could hear the old woman's light snores intermitting peppering the quiet of the house. She closed her eyes yet again, hoping that sleep would finally take her away from her troubled thoughts.

Behind her closed lids, Rachel soon recognized the familiar wooden walls of her home. She turned in a circle to assure herself that the vision was real. But there it was, her family home, the door in place, the cupboards untouched by sibla hands. Everything as it should be. Looking to the kitchen she saw Mama there, cooking dinner. Father sat at the table whittling.

"Mama?" she asked hesitantly. The phantom woman turned to her, a smile on her face.

Rachel smiled back. They were alright. Mama and Papa were alive and well and everything was fine. She took a step toward her father who stood to come and embrace her. But then he stopped.

"Papa?" Rachel asked. "Papa what's wrong?"

She looked on horrified as she saw the splotch of red appear on his stomach, the bloodstain quickly spreading, ruining the fabric of his shirt. He clutched the wound and opened his mouth to scream, but all that poured from his lips was more red.

"Papa!" Rachel cried out frantically. She had to help him, but her feet wouldn't move. It was like she was stuck to the ground. At the sound of jangling chains she looked down to see her ankles in shackles. She was bolted to the floor!

"You're my brave girl."

Rachel's eyes turned sharply to her mother at the sound of the woman's voice. But Mama was no longer cooking. She was staring a Rachel now. Her skull broken along the left temple, blood streaming from the wound.

Tears filled Rachel's eyes. This couldn't be happening. Not again. She had to do something. She had to help them.

BANG!

The sound of a gunshot rang in the air and Rachel watched her parents simultaneously fall to the ground.

No. No! they couldn't be dead, her mind protested. But there they were, lying unmoving on the ground. The red pooling around them. More and more red blood, poured from their bodies, creeping closer and closer to where Rachel reminded shackled to the floor. She tried desperately to break free of her restraints, but to no avail.

"Mama, wake up," Rachel begged, still trying desperately to free her chains. "Papa help me." Neither of her parents moved. Feeling something sticky Rachel looked to her hands to see them covered in blood that streamed from her wrists. She stumbled back, falling to the ground. The smell of blood filled her nostrils. Her whole body was covered with it. Her parents' blood. Her father's lifeless eyes stared into hers. Red filled her vision. Red and death.

"Papa!" Rachel screamed. "Mama! Papa! No!!!"

"Shush. Shush," Arms wrapped around Rachel as her unseeing eyes darted frantically around the dark room trying to make sense of her surroundings. Her heart leaping in her chest.

"Hush, child."

The soothing voice again.

"It was only a dream. You're alright."

Rachel realized it was Alice who was holding her. Alice whose tender embrace felt so comforting. She collapsed into the old woman's body as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"It felt so real. I saw my mother. My father. And then...They're gone," Rachel sobbed. "They're really gone. I'll never see Mama and Papa again."

Alice took Rachel's arms in her hands, squeezing them slightly before leaning back slightly to force Rachel's gaze.

"No one we love is ever truly gone, child," she said. "One day, when this life is through, we will all be reunited with those we've lost. Have faith in that."

"I miss them," Rachel said. Alice gathered her back in her arms again.

"Of course you do," the old woman answered, stroking Rachel's hair as Mama always had. "But your mother and father would want you to keep living Rachel. To be as happy as you can and enjoy every day until you see them again."

"Mama told me to be brave," Rachel said, blinking back tears to look up at Alice again. Those had been her mother's last words.

Alice smiled at her, gently wiping a tear from Rachel's eye with her thumb. "And you have been Rachel," she said. "You will continue to be brave for your mother won't you?"

Rachel nodded, wiping away at her own tears now and trying to gain her breath.

"Good girl. Now come, Rachel, it's late," Alice said. "Why don't you try to go back to sleep."

Rachel felt the panic creeping back, sitting heavily in her chest. How could she go back to sleep? What if she had the dream again. Her parents had always let Rachel sleep in their bed when she had a nightmare, but now...What if she had to lay there alone, watching her parents die over and over again?

"Will you stay with me, Alice?" Rachel asked hesitantly. "I don't want to be alone."

Rachel saw the old woman pause for a moment, staring at her with a blank face she found entirely unreadable, but then the Alice gave her a tight-lipped smile and nodded.

"Lay your head on the pillow child," she said, helping guide Rachel's body back down to the bed

Rachel obeyed, as Alice settled down beside her and she nestled in close, glad to have the comfort of another human by her side.

"Now close your eyes."

Rachel felt Alice's hand gently stroking her hair again just as Mama always did and she closed her eyes, trying to imagine that it was her mother lying beside her. That she was safe in her bed back in Demin

"You're not alone, Rachel," she heard the woman whisper. "You are safe."

Rachel soon found her consciousness drifting away.

——————

When she awoke, Rachel found herself alone in her bed, the rumpled blankets and indented pillow by her side, the only indication that Alice had stayed with her through the night. Opening her eyes groggily, Rachel used her elbows to prop herself up to see if she could find the source of the noise that had roused her from slumber. It was coming from the main room of the house.

Listening more closely, Rachel could hear the sound of pots and pans being moved. She could make out the scent of something cooking mixed with the comforting warm smell of burning wood. Alice must have lit a fire in the hearth.

Rachel hesitated to rise from the bed. Her head was heavy and the more she moved the more she felt the throbbing in her temples. She wondered how much sleep she'd managed. With Alice's arms wrapped around her she didn't remember having had any more nightmares, but she could see from the general darkness of the room that it must still be early morning. The sun had yet to rise. Still, she found that with the sounds in the other room, she couldn't quite imagine just going back to sleep. Seeing Alice's figure through the door as she moved about, Rachel called to her.

"Alice," she tried hesitantly.

The woman continued puttering about the kitchen.

"Alice?" Rachel said again, a bit louder this time. The pressure in her head intensified but a few moments later the woman appeared in the doorway.

"You shouldn't be awake, Rachel," she said.

"I..." Rachel was surprised to hear the touch of annoyance in Alice's tone. The woman had been so comforting the night before, she didn't want to upset her. "I heard the noise in the kitchen," Rachel answered.

Alice sighed, wiping her hands on the apron around her waist and smoothing her hair back, she came to the bed and again checked Rachel's forehead for fever, as she had the previous morning, and gave a quick examination of her other injuries.

"I'm sorry I woke you," she said briskly, as she went about her examination.I was just making some porridge for when you woke. I spent all day with you yesterday and cannot grant so much time today. In any case, I fear I might have rushed you too quickly towards recovery. You are clearly still exhausted, overwhelmed. It's best you spend a few days simply resting.

"I have steeped some more tea for you. It is calming and will help relieve any internal swelling you might have from the bruises you've sustained. I will give you a cup now and leave the rest for you to heat should you want it.

"The porridge on the stove can be heated as well if you wish. There is fresh milk to add to it in the icebox. In fact, feel free to eat any of the food you find in the kitchen should you get hungry. There are apples on the counter, some cheese. I will come by to check on you later."

Rachel tried to keep the tears from forming as Alice left the room. Was the woman just going to leave her alone? She didn't want to be alone. Still, she was tired. Rachel closed her eyes and leaned back into her pillow, her back propped against the headboard of the bed.

It was only a few moments before Alice came back into the room with a mug in her hand. She helped Rachel prop herself up more before handing her the cup.

"How are you feeling today?" Alice asked as Rachel blew on the hot liquid before taking a small sip.

"My head hurts a bit," she said tentatively. She hoped Alice wouldn't think her to be too much of complainer. Alice's tone and demeanor were already so cold and distant again.

"Not surprising," Alice said. "You were up half the night tossing and turning. I was glad when you finally managed to calm yourself."

"You stayed with me through the night, didn't you?" Rachel asked. She felt badly that she had disturbed Alice's sleep. She had no recollection of any more dreams after that first horrible nightmare, but it sounded as if Alice had comforted her through more. The woman had work to do and Rachel had ensured she'd gotten no rest. Perhaps that was why she was more cranky. But Alice didn't answer her question.

"Drink up," she said. "The tea should help with the headache as well and might even help you to go back to sleep. You need to rest if you are ever to recover from the trauma you have faced over the last few days."

Recover? Rachel thought to herself. The image of red from her dream flashed before her eyes. She had lost so much. How could she possibly recover? Still she didn't argue and instead lifted the mug to her lips to take another sip. The drink was pleasant she realized. Less bitter than it had been the night before.

"I added some honey to your tea," Alice said. "There is more in the jar I left by the stove. Perhaps you would like to add it to your porridge as well."

Rachel nodded though some part of her was in awe. Her family had never been able to spare any extras. Treats like honey and sugar were hard to come by and could only be used on special occasions.

After watching her finish most of the cup, Alice took it back and set it on the night table by the bed. Rachel watched as she poured a glass of water from the metal pitcher there.

"As you can see there is water here for you as well, if you are thirsty," Alice said. "Is there anything else I can get you before I leave."

Rachel shook her head, biting her lip slightly to hold back the tears that threatened again.

"When will you be back?" she asked.

"When I am able," the woman answered. "In any case, you should still be sleeping."

Alice helped Rachel lay back down, fluffing her pillow and waiting until she had rested her head upon it before pulling the covers around her body more closely. Rachel felt the heaviness of her eyelids almost immediately.

"The tea I gave you will help with dreamless slumber for now," Alice said as she stroked Rachel's hair. "Let yourself relax." The gesture should have been one of comfort but the motion felt more compulsory than caring. Rachel tried to comply nonetheless, closing her eyes and letting sleep overtake her again.

Thoughts on the chapter? On Alice? I tend to stay away from "dream scenes" but I had reason for this one, and for the chapter. I'm wondering what readers think about it. About Alice's reaction the next morning? I'm also curious about the pace of the story. This one day has gone on for awhile. Does that work for you? Feel free to answer or not answer any of these questions. As always any and all comments are greatly appreciated! :-)