Eleanor & Grey(59)

When I turned to my right, I saw her, a small figure sprawled out in front of two trees. There was blood on the tree in front of her, as if she slammed directly into it. She looked so small and still.

So very still.

The stillness was what scared me the most.

“No…” I whispered, hurrying over and falling down beside her. “Karla, it’s me, it’s Dad. Wake up, honey. Wake up,” I begged as tears streamed from my eyes, intermixing with the rain that mocked us as it fell from the sky. “Karla, wake up. You’re okay, alright? We’re okay. We’re okay. We’re okay.”

“Oh, my God,” a voice called out. I turned around to see headlights shining toward me as someone walked forward. “Are you okay, sir?” the stranger asked.

I narrowed my eyes at the figure as it grew closer. “We need help,” I cried, thankful to see him. “I can’t g-get a signal, c-can’t call for help.”

“Okay, okay.” He nodded once, his fear setting in as his eyes fell on Karla. The way he stared showed me the truth I knew—she wasn’t okay. I couldn’t deal with that idea, though.

“She’s fine. She’s okay,” I promised, even though my promises were much more likely lies.

“You’re bleeding,” the man said quietly, his tone coated in concern.

What? No.

I unbuttoned my jacket and touched my side, crimson staining my fingertips.

My eyes glazed over as I looked down to my white shirt, which was tainted red. Realization set in as my body began to sting with pain. Vomit began to rise from the pit of my stomach as the man moved in closer. “Let me help you.”

“No, I’m okay,” I told him, feeling far from fine. I felt sick, nauseous, faint. “Just go call for help.”

“But—”

“Please!”

He nodded in agreement and hurried away.

I kept holding my daughter in my arms, lowering my forehead to hers, wanting nothing more than for her to be okay, for her to open her eyes, to look my way and tell me she was going to be okay, but she couldn’t. So, I kept repeating the words over and over again. “You’re okay, you’re okay, you’re okay…”

She couldn’t hear me.

She couldn’t see me.

She couldn’t feel that I was there.

My vision blurred even more as I waited for help to come.

“Karla…” I whispered, shaking her. “Karla, answer me…please…” I cried. “Karla!”





35





Eleanor





“Karla, do you want to join us for dinner?” I asked as she walked past the dining room to get her dinner from the kitchen. I asked her every night, and every time she gave the same monotone response: “Nope.”

She picked up her plate, and when she crossed back toward the dining room, she paused. We all did.

Out of nowhere, “Karla! No!” was hollered from a different room as Lorelai and I sat up straighter. Karla stood taller. Our conversation stopped, and we looked up, a bit confused as the yelling continued. “No! No!” the voice hollered, obviously coming from Greyson’s office.

I slid back in my chair and stood up. Lorelai and Karla both looked nervous, but I smiled at them. “Stay here, girls. I’m just going to go check out what’s happening.”

I walked off toward Greyson’s office, and my stomach knotted up because it sounded as if he was in deep despair.

“Greyson…?” I called out, knocking first. No answer. I knocked again, still, nothing. Then, I twisted the doorknob and opened his office door to find a sleeping Greyson at his desk tossing and turning.

He was in deep despair, obviously having a terrible nightmare, and it didn’t appear as if he’d awake from it any time soon. I walked in slowly and I tapped him once on the shoulder. “Hey, wake up.” He didn’t stop thrashing. I tapped him harder a few more times. “Greyson, wake up!”

He shot up, wide-eyed and terrified.

I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder to try to shake the fear away from him. “It’s okay, you’re fine. It was a dream.”

He looked at me, his eyes still wide as ever, and ripped his shoulder free of my touch. He looked around, alert, and then his eyes glared back at me. “What are you doing in here?” he barked, obviously shaken.

“I, um, we heard you shouting. I just wanted to check in on you to make sure you were all right.”

“Are you okay, Daddy?” a small voice said.

We both looked up to the doorframe where Lorelai was standing with a worried expression on her face.

Greyson cleared his throat and tried to regain his composure as he sat up straight and adjusted his tie. “I’m fine.”

“You were screaming,” Lorelai commented, still concerned about her father.

Just then Karla appeared in the doorway. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked him.

“Nothing. I’m fine!” he snapped, making all of us jump out of our skin. He slide his hands over his face and sighed. “Sorry. I’m fine. Please, go back to what you were doing.”

“But, Daddy…” Lorelai started, her eyes watering over.

I offered the girls a smile I hoped would reassure them. “He’s okay, Lorelai. Just a bad dream. How about you head back to the dining room and we’ll finish our dinner.”