فصل 6

6

Only a Dream

Several hours after Taylor had gone back to sleep, she bolted up in bed, as if someone had woken her. Suddenly, in the dark room, there was a bright light floating above her, flickering like a projection. The light was in the shape of a person. The image was hazy but grew in intensity and clarity until she thought she recognized who it was.

“Michael!” she screamed.

The image flickered, then disappeared.

“Tay?” McKenna said hoarsely, dimly illuminating her index finger to light the room. “Taylor?” Abigail also woke. “What’s wrong?” “Did you have a bad dream?” McKenna asked.

Taylor was shaking. McKenna got up, standing to the side of Taylor’s bunk. “What’s wrong?” When Taylor could speak, she said, “I just saw Michael.” McKenna glanced over at Abigail and frowned.

“It was only a dream, honey,” Abigail said.

Taylor started crying. “No. I was awake. I really saw him. I did.” For a moment, neither McKenna nor Abigail knew what to say. Ostin sat up, mumbled something, then went back to sleep.

“I’m not crazy,” Taylor said.

“We know you’re not,” McKenna said.

“No one said you’re crazy,” Abigail said.

Taylor looked at them with tear-filled eyes. “. . . But you’re thinking it.” Just then Tara also sat up. “You okay, Sis?” “She thinks she saw Michael,” McKenna said.

Abigail got out of her bunk, walked over to Taylor’s bed, and knelt down next to it. “I believe you saw him.” Taylor wiped her eyes. “You do?”

Abigail nodded. “Jack told me that after Wade died, he kept hearing Wade’s voice. Once he said he was sure he saw him. Grief does strange things to the mind. It happens.” “I didn’t make it up,” Taylor said. “I saw him!” She began to cry again. “I think I saw him. I don’t think I made it up.” “Taylor, you and I both know how the mind can fool itself,” Tara said.

Taylor wiped her eyes again, then looked at her sister. “Can you give me Michael?” “What?”

“Just for a minute.”

“Tay . . . please don’t ask me to do that.” “I know you can do it.”

“It’s not . . . right. It’s not healthy.” “Please.”

Abigail and McKenna both glanced back and forth between them, and McKenna lightly shook her head.

Tara finally said, “All right.” She got out of her bunk and stood a few feet in front of her twin. Suddenly she looked exactly like Michael, though she looked at her sister with sad eyes.

Taylor began sobbing. “Stop. Okay, stop. You were right.” Tara took Taylor in her arms. “I’m so sorry. It’s not fair. It’s just not fair.” “That was really wrong,” McKenna said.

Abigail nodded. “Yeah. But I probably would have asked too if it had been Jack.”