Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

I closed the door and sat across from Destiny again,

"You put on a good act for Trevor," Destiny said. "It was nice of you to do it, but you know deep inside that you're very frightened about being in that house with those two with Trevor gone "

"You know. You're right,'" I said. "It's time you came out of here. Destiny," I muttered. "I shouldn't be alone." I picked up the doll control and then I lifted her out of the chair and carried her out of the motor home. Of course. I was anticipating Skeeter and Rhona making fun of the life-size doll, but that didn't matter to me now. Nothing they said mattered to me.

Fortunately, however, they were already upstairs and in their room when I entered with Destiny. I carried her up to the guest room and placed her in a chair in the corner. Then I put the control on the night table by the bed. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but I needed her company more than ever now, even though I knew she was only a doll. Having her here helped me feel close to Uncle Palaver again. She was part of the little family I had.

I left to check on Echo. She had gotten into her pajamas and fallen asleep with Mr. Panda cradled in her arms. The small lamp on her night table was still on. so I turned it off and then returned to the guest room.

"I'm going to change these sheets and pillowcases. Destiny," I said. "I certainly don't want to sleep on what they slept on."

"You should," I had her say. I know it was crazy to throw my thoughts through her, but it gave me the feeling of having company, a companion. My situation was like a magical key opening the door to understanding my uncle even more. With Mrs. Westington in the hospital and Trevor leaving. I did feel alone, maybe as lost and alone as Uncle Palaver had felt.

"You should change into one of your own nightgowns," Destiny remarked.

"Good idea."

I found one I had brought in from the motor home and then I fetched a different blanket from the linen closet and got into bed.

"It's more comfortable than the bunk in the motor home, but not as nice as the bed I first had here." I told Destiny. Then I reached for her control and had her nod.

"I bet." she said. "I used to wonder how you slept up in those cramped quarters."

"It was all right. I felt safe being with Uncle Palaver."

"Me, too," she said. I turned her head from side to side. This isn't such a bad room. It's sort of quaint, old-fashioned. It has character."

"That's what Mrs. Westington says."

"How wise she is," Destiny said, nodding. It was almost as if she was doing it all before I pressed the right buttons. My imagination is running away with me. I thought. It was like mounting a magical horse and galloping out of the shadowy reach of loneliness.

"I guess I'll go to sleep." I reached up and turned off the small lamp on the night stand. but I kept the control for Destiny beside me. I just liked knowing it was there, knowing she was there watching over me as my mother would when I was very young and had a childhood illness, a fever or a rash.

For a while I just lay there looking into the darkness. This won't last much longer. I thought. I was confident what I had told

Trevor would come home. Rhona will find out how Mrs. Westington had gotten her attorney to stop her from getting anything and she'll give up and leave. She certainly wasn't interested in her child or bearing any responsibilities for her, and with Echo attending a special school soon, she won't have even a phony excuse to remain. Skeeter was surely going to grow bored as well,

Doctor Battie would find the right medicine for Mrs. Westington

soon and she'd be coming home. There wasn't much more that Rhona could do then. I wanted to shout at her what she had said to me. "The writing's on the wall." Her days were numbered, reduced to hours, not mine.

But then I thought about what Mrs. Westington had said to me in the hospital. Of course, she was right. I did have to start thinking of myself and my future. Brenda would surely be calling me any day now and we'd meet and talk about our lives together, her future and mine. Despite all that had happened since we had last seen each other and what had happened immediately before I left. I was anxious to reunite with her. After all, we were still sisters and as Trevor was fond of saying, blood was telling and strong. We couldn't deny who we were to each other. The truth was I actually missed her, even missed her criticisms of me as much as anything.

I was a changed person. She would see that immediately. Beside becoming more mature. I was more determined to stop neglecting myself. I'd lose these pounds and gradually gain more self-respect. Brenda would appreciate that. I was sure we would get along better than we ever had.

These thoughts filled my aching heart with renewed hope. Mrs. Westin ton was right about the necessity of being optimistic. If you saw only the dark side of everything, you'd be blinded by the light of any promise and your savings account of expectations would be bankrupt. I can get us through all this. I thought, as I turned on my side and cuddled up with the blanket I had taken from Mrs. Westington's linen closet. It had the scent of lilac and it made me feel good.

I can survive it all and I can help both Echo and Trevor get through it as well. Well be fine. The morning would bring light and no matter what Rhona said or whatever tantrum she pulled. I would be strong and ignore it. She'd get frustrated and give up on terrorizing me, too. Mrs. Westington was right. Rhona didn't have the attention span for it.

I welcomed sleep. I needed sleep so I could restore myself my strength and my wit, as Mrs. Westington would call it. I wanted to be as confident and as trusting in the future as the birds who were sleeping in the darkness out there. We'll be fine. I sang to myself as I would a lullaby. We'll be fine and safe again.

I did fall asleep quickly, much more quickly than I had expected, because it was only minutes later that I woke when the mattress dipped beside me and the blanket was lifted away. The smell of whiskey curled under my nostrils before any other odor. My body froze: my throat tightened. I was terrified of turning around. It was as if I was trying to get out of a nightmare and if I turned. I would fall deeper into it.

I felt something wet and warm on my neck and realized it was a tongue licking me.

"Hi, April," Skeeter whispered.

He shoved his left hand under my left side and brought his right hand over my waist, lifting the nightgown up, his palms moving across my breasts. Then he pulled the nightgown so hard, it brought my arms up and he slipped it off me. I cried out, but he put his hand over my mouth and brought his lips next to my ear.