Somnolent Strike

Fancy

When I got out of hospital, I was still so weak that Mom insisted I stay with her for a few weeks until I was properly better.

"I don't want to trouble you. " I said desperately.  

"It's no trouble at all. I insist. You can even sleep in my bed in the big bedroom." She said as if it was a big treat.

K really really didn't want to sleep in with her. 

"I snore though. And I fart. I can take the old put-u-up in the store room."

But she wouldn't hear of it. She insisted I sleep in her bed with her and even gave me a sleeping pill for better sleep. She watched me like a hawk to make sure I chewed and swallowed it.

"Ok then. Bedtime. I'll find you night things. You'll have to use my toothbrush."

I ended up not brushing my teeth and just swirling mouthwash around to clean them. I wore one of mom's old nightdresses she wore before she got pregnant with Sam. It was gleaming gold with tangerine lace and a pink bow at the back. I used to love her nightgowns because they were all so movie star elegant. I liked sneaking into her bedroom and dressing up in them, playing at being a beautiful baroness. I couldn't stand wearing anything of Mom's now. Well... they wouldn't fit me anyway. They didn't really fit back then because I'd been a chubby kid, but now I'd lost a lot of weight due to my illness they hung on me baggily like I was part of the Playing Cards in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with a large square for clothes, just a human head, arms and legs peeping out of it at awkward angles.

Mom sighed at me.

"You look awful, not gonna lie. Maybe we should buy one in your size. This one is slipping right off at the shoulders. You've lost too much weight." She smoothed her hands over her own round hips, smiling to herself. 

I scowled, hating how beautiful she was. She looked just like a movie star, even her chest though it had started to sag. I peered down at my own and then remembered I didn't have one. It was so flat the only thing that stuck out were my ribs.

"Come on then. Into bed." She pointed to her pink four poster. I jumped in, sending a few fancy cushions flying out of bed and messing up the cream bed sheets. 

"Careful!" She snapped, picking them up. "You're so scattered. Are you like this in your own home? No wonder you don't have a partner!" She got into bed daintily, lying down incredibly carefully and spreading her black hair all over her pillow. 

"No I don't have a partner because I don't want one. Who wants to be tied down in a relationship?" 

She pointed to herself.

"Me duh! Andrew called to apologize. He'd been grounded by his mom for setting fire to a few houses in the neighborhood." She said happily, looking up at the ceiling as if what Andrew had done proved he was a wonderful boy.

"So you still like him?"

"Of course I love him. In fact I want to marry him. He makes me so happy. He bought me a huuuuuge bouquet of tulips you know. Purple tulips, so pretty. And there was a tiara on top of it and also a box of those ... what are they called — Blue Bottle Fizzies. You would like them, Vera. You like Fizzies." She went on talking long into the night until I groaned and covered my head with her silk pillow.

"Hey! You're right though, it's getting late... I just missed our night time chats so. Remember when you still lived here and we'd do this?" She put her hand on my cheek and brought her face closer. I froze, wanting to shove her away, or pull away or scream, but i didn't do anything like that. And when she kissed me I swallowed the vomit that had started escaping from the back of my throat.