I was told that days had gone by - how many I didn’t even care about it. I only faintly remember being carried from one room to another, right before passing out again. What I was concerned with was how I was going to continue on with this newfound information. The entire time I was out of consciousness, I struggled with the images that were flooding back into my memory. I never seemed to actually sleep. It was more like a movie that was on fast forward. I never got to that next level of sleep. Every time I awoke, I was as exhausted as the time before. My family, thankfully, was at my side the entire time. The few times I was alert enough to notice, I saw that Athen looked as if he hadn’t slept for days either, but before I could talk to him, I would drift back to the foggy state.
This last time that I awoke, I had a feeling of strength and certainty, a feeling that I hadn’t grasped for a very long time. My days of sleeping, if that is what they could be called, were behind me. I could begin living again. I knew questions would come up, but unlike before, this time they would be answered.
I looked up at Athen who was already by my side with a cup of tea, smiling. I was the happiest girl in the world. My life had been given back to me, the greatest gift of all. I had to fight the uncertainties that kept creeping into my mind about what I was told, but I didn’t have the strength to fight anything.
“Hey, how are you feeling? You were out for quite awhile,” Athen said to me as he helped me up in my bed.
“I’m feeling like the weight of the world has been lifted, like anything is possible. That being said, though, I’m exhausted, but I can’t stand the thought of sleeping anymore.”
“I’m sure. The good news is the next time you go to sleep, it will be for real, no more memory overload. The worst is over.” Athen’s eyes were sparkling. It must have been even harder on him than I knew. At least for me, I was completely out of it. He had to be alert the entire time.
“Do you think the nightmares will be over now?” I asked, hopeful beyond belief.
“Not necessarily.” Athen ruffled my hair. “It’s a bit complicated.”
“Isn’t it always?” I murmured rolling my eyes.
“How are you, sleepyhead?” I heard Cyril’s voice ringing down the hall.
“Very funny,” I said, and threw a pillow at him before he managed to catch it around the corner.
“Not bad.” He chucked it back. “Did you tell her the good news?”
“No, can’t say that I had the chance yet,” Athen said, shaking his head.
“What good news?” I asked, thinking that things were beginning to be pretty wonderful already.
“Well, we, uh, put your notice in at the pub since so much time had gone by. I was pretty sure you wouldn’t need to go back there for a job. Always best to not call attention to our existence and follow the proper etiquette.” He seemed kind of hesitant as he looked at me waiting for a reaction.
“Oh, thank goodness. I didn’t even think about that! I appreciate that so much. I was starting to worry about doing it before finding everything out and being talked into staying and all. How did you do it?”
“We sent Karen in with a letter explaining about your flu and the holidays. I don’t know. They seemed kind of relieved, almost.”
“Huh, well, I was kind of screwing up a bit at the end. It seemed I could only focus on one thing,” I said laughing.
“Oh God, that’s my cue to exit. I’m glad you are up, Ana. It’s been painful hanging around with Athen so much.” He waved and trudged back down the hallway. I could hear him talking to Arie on the phone letting her know that I was up for good this time.
“So do you think you are up to maybe walking around the village a little bit?” Athen’s eyes were sparkling with hope.
“I don’t want to be in this bed a minute longer.”
Athen helped me get ready for my first evening out since the long process began introducing me to my new life. He turned on the shower, got jeans and a sweater laid out for me, and let me know when the water temp was perfect. Even though I was hopelessly exhausted, there was a part of me that hoped he would help me into the shower, but being the gentleman that he was, he backed out of the bathroom when that time came. Truthfully, it was probably for the better. I doubt I was up for much more than holding onto him, let alone feeling his lips on mine. The water pelted me endlessly in the same nonstop way that the images kept flooding through me, giving me no reprieve as I saw Athen’s body crumpled on the ground once more. I frantically massaged the suds in my hair hoping to rinse away the overwhelming feelings of despair.
“How’s it going in there? Are you doing ok?” Athen must have gotten Arie to come and check on me. How she got here so fast from across the village, I definitely couldn’t figure out.
“I’m doing quite well. This shower feels so wonderful, but I’ll be out in a second. Tell Athen that I appreciate him checking up on me.” I couldn’t tell her the truth.
“Will do.” Arie’s voice sang out.
I turned off the shower and wrapped my hair in the towel that Athen had thrown over the shower door. I put my clothes on that Athen had laid out for me and quickly grabbed the hair dryer. The last thing I wanted to do was catch a cold from wet hair. I flipped the towel off my hair feeling the slap of wet strands against my neck, looking in the mirror, my knees began to give out. Grabbing the sink vanity to stabilize myself, I looked closer in the mirror. My eyes had changed color. They were green now. Almost as green as Athen’s, and my hair was no longer the store bought color. It shined its glorious deep auburn brown and with the green eyes, it certainly changed the complexion of things quite a bit. I couldn’t understand how that could be. I couldn’t stop looking in the mirror. I didn’t even care if I put any makeup on. This newfound confidence was nice. I grabbed a brush, ran the blow dryer and decided that was it. I left the bathroom, turned off the light, and Matilda followed me out to meet the others. I couldn’t believe I now had green eyes.
CHAPTER 13