above a whisper.
“I know . You’ve got a small cut on the back of your head, but I don’t think it’s severe. The fall itself is what you’re troubled by,” the voice was low and matter of fact.
Susanna didn’t feel threatened at all by the voice, and yet she was still paralyzed with apprehension. The silence in the room was palpable. The thought crossed her mind that she was dying up on the stairs in the tower and that she was dreaming before death.
“I’m scared …” she murmured a reply to her very own thoughts.
“I’ve no wish to frighten you,” he answered quickly, his voice soothing, “I would leave you but you’re too injured and you shouldn’t be alone.”
Susanna almost sighed in relief . At least he was saying he didn’t want to hurt her, “Who are you?” she ventured, unsure if she was ready for the answer.
“Tell me what I can do for you, Susanna?” he blatantly ignored her question and called her by name.
“My bag in the bathroom, there is some medication in there for pain . It’s a bottle with a red top. I think it would help … and water, can I have some water?”
She didn’t hear him when he left the room but she heard the sounds coming from the bathroom and knew he had gone in search of her medication. She took that opportunity to open her eyes , which was no small feat, considering her pain. She was in the living room in front of the fire on her pallet. The room was dark, the fire although warm was not bright and all the lights were off. A warm blanket covered her and her clothes were dry. She heard him move towards the kitchen, his footsteps unbelievably quiet. A drawer opened and she heard the unmistakable rustling of some utensils as well as the sound of the fridge door.
She strained to see through the darkness as he moved from the kitchen towards her but all she could see were shadows. He moved behind her, which made it impossible to see him since there was no way she could roll her eyes upward to look at him. Frustrated she breathed a sigh.
He raised the pillow under her head gently and held a coffee cup to her lips, “Water,” he commanded softly.
Without thinking she reached for the cup and brushed against his hand, steadying the cup at her lips. He didn’t pull his hand away and at the moment the hand of this stranger was not a concern because the taste of the water consumed her. She guzzled most of it before he pulled the cup away.
“Take this and I’ll get you more,” he said calmly, holding the pill to her lips. She opened her mouth and he placed the pill on her tongue before raising the cup once more. She took it, quickly downing what was left in the cup.
After gently lowering her pillow back to the floor, he hurried into the kitchen once more. Returning with another full cup of water, he held it to her lips once again.
“Thank you,” she managed, her eyes closing in relief.
“Of course,” was his only reply.
She was so weak with exhaustion and pain, she wanted to sit up and ask who he was and how he got in the house but the thought of too much interaction drained her. Even though he was quiet she knew he was there and that was enough to make her feel somewhat content and safe.
“How long ago did I fall?” she managed to ask, her eyes closing with fatigue and pain.
“A few hours.”
“How long was I there before you found me?” her voice was trailing off, the effects of the medication worked faster on an empty stomach.
“Seconds.”
Seconds? The word floated in her hazy thoughts and screamed for an explanation that she was too weak to demand.
“I don’t understand,” was all she could manage, the pain in her head ebbing as the medication took hold. Visions of her as a little girl at the lighthouse fluttered in her mind. She was laughing and running through the tall flowers on the island. Then she was in the room with the etched glass, pressing her hand against
“I know . You’ve got a small cut on the back of your head, but I don’t think it’s severe. The fall itself is what you’re troubled by,” the voice was low and matter of fact.
Susanna didn’t feel threatened at all by the voice, and yet she was still paralyzed with apprehension. The silence in the room was palpable. The thought crossed her mind that she was dying up on the stairs in the tower and that she was dreaming before death.
“I’m scared …” she murmured a reply to her very own thoughts.
“I’ve no wish to frighten you,” he answered quickly, his voice soothing, “I would leave you but you’re too injured and you shouldn’t be alone.”
Susanna almost sighed in relief . At least he was saying he didn’t want to hurt her, “Who are you?” she ventured, unsure if she was ready for the answer.
“Tell me what I can do for you, Susanna?” he blatantly ignored her question and called her by name.
“My bag in the bathroom, there is some medication in there for pain . It’s a bottle with a red top. I think it would help … and water, can I have some water?”
She didn’t hear him when he left the room but she heard the sounds coming from the bathroom and knew he had gone in search of her medication. She took that opportunity to open her eyes , which was no small feat, considering her pain. She was in the living room in front of the fire on her pallet. The room was dark, the fire although warm was not bright and all the lights were off. A warm blanket covered her and her clothes were dry. She heard him move towards the kitchen, his footsteps unbelievably quiet. A drawer opened and she heard the unmistakable rustling of some utensils as well as the sound of the fridge door.
She strained to see through the darkness as he moved from the kitchen towards her but all she could see were shadows. He moved behind her, which made it impossible to see him since there was no way she could roll her eyes upward to look at him. Frustrated she breathed a sigh.
He raised the pillow under her head gently and held a coffee cup to her lips, “Water,” he commanded softly.
Without thinking she reached for the cup and brushed against his hand, steadying the cup at her lips. He didn’t pull his hand away and at the moment the hand of this stranger was not a concern because the taste of the water consumed her. She guzzled most of it before he pulled the cup away.
“Take this and I’ll get you more,” he said calmly, holding the pill to her lips. She opened her mouth and he placed the pill on her tongue before raising the cup once more. She took it, quickly downing what was left in the cup.
After gently lowering her pillow back to the floor, he hurried into the kitchen once more. Returning with another full cup of water, he held it to her lips once again.
“Thank you,” she managed, her eyes closing in relief.
“Of course,” was his only reply.
She was so weak with exhaustion and pain, she wanted to sit up and ask who he was and how he got in the house but the thought of too much interaction drained her. Even though he was quiet she knew he was there and that was enough to make her feel somewhat content and safe.
“How long ago did I fall?” she managed to ask, her eyes closing with fatigue and pain.
“A few hours.”
“How long was I there before you found me?” her voice was trailing off, the effects of the medication worked faster on an empty stomach.
“Seconds.”
Seconds? The word floated in her hazy thoughts and screamed for an explanation that she was too weak to demand.
“I don’t understand,” was all she could manage, the pain in her head ebbing as the medication took hold. Visions of her as a little girl at the lighthouse fluttered in her mind. She was laughing and running through the tall flowers on the island. Then she was in the room with the etched glass, pressing her hand against
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