How sad it was that this suite had been turned
into a room filled with nightmares. The bed had
become my cage, the bathroom and hot tub my torture
chamber. I truly felt like one escaping a prison. All the magic and wonder of Farthy was just something Luke and I had imagined, a child's dream. Reality was
much harder and crueler.
I saw the same disappointment in Luke's face
when I looked back at him as we moved down the
corridor. He saw the cobwebs, the dead chandelier
bulbs, the faded carpet, scuffed walls, and the old
faded curtains over the large windows, keeping the
hallways dark and dank.
I directed Luke to take me to the elevator chair.
"It will make it all easier."
"Now Annie, ya sure ya know how ta work that
damn thing? I sure don't want any accidents occurrin'
here and give that Tony Tatterton a chance ta come
after us with I told ya so's."
"It's easy, Aunt Fanny."
I slid over into the seat and strapped myself in
firmly. Then I pressed the down button and the chair
began its descent.
"Well, I'll be darned. Look it, Luke. We're goin'
ta hafta git one for Hasbrouck House right quick." "Company name's right on the chair," Luke
said. He took a pen out of his top pocket and jotted it
down. Luke was always prepared, always the student. "How has college been, Luke?"
"Ifs been okay, Annie," he said, walking along
with me as the chair moved down the stairway. "But
I've made a new decision."
"Oh?"
"I'm withdrawing from summer school. I don't