Into the Garden (Wildflowers 5)

"Jade, it's me. Cathy," I said in a hoarse whisper.

"Cat. How are you? Misty and Star told me what happened today. I was just on the phone with both of them, trying to decide what we would do next. She can't keep you locked up in there. I called Doctor Marlowe, too, and she said she had called and your mother told her you had some kind of an accident. What accident?"

"I fell and broke my ankle," I said.

"How did that happen? So she let you use the phone at least, or are you doing it behind her back? Cathy? Are you still there?"

"Jade ..."

"What's wrong? Tell me," she demanded. "We're your sisters. Cathy? We're here for you. You can trust us."

My throat seemed to have shut down. I couldn't get enough breath out to speak. I couldn't swallow. The tears were frozen at my lids. My hand shook terribly as I held the receiver to my ear.

"Cathy, talk to me. Cathy?"

"She's gone," I finally said.

"Who is? Cathy?"

"She's lying on the floor in the living room," I whispered as if I was afraid she would hear me even in death and be angry I had told someone about her.

"What?"

"She's dead, Jade. My mother, Geraldine, my sister, she's dead," I finally managed to say.

"What do you mean, dead?"

"I came downstairs and found her on the floor in the living room. She's dead. She died while I was upstairs asleep!'

"Are you sure?" she gasped. "Maybe she's just asleep."

"No, she's not just asleep. She's cold and her eyes are stuck."

"Her eyes are stuck? You're not making sense. Did you call anyone, the police, 911?"

"How did she die?"

"I don't know," I whispered, actually looking around again.

"Was there any blood?"

"No, I don't think so. I'm not sure. I didn't really look at her."

"Maybe she's not dead then, Cathy."

I spun around because a rippling sensation at the back of my neck gave me the terrifying feeling that I wasn't alone.

"Cathy?"

"I don't know what to do," I continued in a whisper.

"All right. Stay calm. I'm on my way. Call the others, too."

"Should I call 911?" I asked.

There was a pause.

"Are you absolutely sure she's dead, Cathy? Are you?"