Chapter 3
“Oh, my
god,” Marie said again. “Oh, my god, I killed him!” She put her
hand on the wound in his head, and gasped again. A strange heat was
flowing from her spine out to the tips of her fingers, which were
placed lightly on Stephen's forehead. She watched in amazement as her
brother's temple healed, slowly somehow expanding back out, smoothing
his forehead over. Slowly, the boy's eyes opened. He blinked, slowly,
and then again, as if he was disoriented.
“What...
just happened?” He sat up, and rubbed his temple. “I could swear
I was... the voice in my head...” he stopped speaking, looking
around wildly as if afraid. “I'm dead, aren't I? I'm dead, and you
guys are like my... judgment, or something. Right?” He asked, and
the boys burst out into laughter. “Dude, Stephen, are you serious?
Marie just... fixed you. You were dead, and she touched your forehead
and she... fixed you.” This from Johnny.
“Johnny,
what have you been smoking? There is no way that Marie would ever fix
me.” Stephen fixed his cold, blue eyes on Marie. “Would you?”
“I
didn't... I didn't do it on purpose. I sort of... it was an accident.
I didn't know that I could. I've never... had any of this happen
before.”
“Any of
WHAT?” Stephen looked at my brothers, clearly almost as confused as
Marie felt. “What the hell is going on?” Harold volunteered an
answer.
“Well,
Marie has some superpower, like, super-strength, or something. She
kicked you in the head and killed you. Then she touched your forehead
and she... she fixed you. I don't know how.”
“Neither
do I.” Said Marie, quickly. “I have no idea why any of this is
happening. I just... you guys, this is going to sound absolutely
crazy, but--”
“Sis,
after what just happened, I don't think much is going to sound crazy
any more.” Johnny interrupted.
“This
might. Just... let me talk, okay? Okay. So, earlier, I went into
dad's study.” The boys all leaned a bit closer. The study was
nearly taboo for the siblings. “And his wardrobe – remember the
wardrobe we were never, ever allowed to touch? - was open. And so, I
walked up to it and I looked inside. And there was, literally,
nothing.” The boys all sighed, clearly thinking that to be the most
anticlimactic ending ever. “Wait, though, I mean literally
nothing. No wood at the back of the wardrobe, no dust, no
clothes, nothing. Just like... a black hole. In the wardrobe. And I
felt this thing, like a vacuum, trying to pull me in. And then there
was this minotaur – I know, I told you this was crazy. And he said
'your father sends his regards.' Oh, and he smashed through the wall
and jumped out.” Marie's brothers were looking at her like she was
nuts.
“Johnny, I
take it back,” Stephen said, then looked at Marie. “What have you
been smoking, Marie?” Marie sighed.
“I'm
telling you the truth. You know what, come here.” Marie stood and
walked to the door. “Come and see.” Followed by her brothers,
Marie walked down the hall and pushed open the door of the study.
“What the
hell...” Marie said in disbelief, as her brothers laughed.
“See, told
you it was all crap,” remarked Johnny.
“No!”
Marie shouted, staring at the spot in the wall where the hole had
been just an hour before.
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