Secrets and Lies | ✔️

Chapter 43 - Enid

Ch.43 - Enid

Oddly, most of the visitors Enid saw in her sleep were random people from the past. Some were predictable, others not so much. She'd seen her parents a few times, always together and smiling but never speaking, and it brought her comfort to know they'd found each other on the other side. Her older sister stopped by and brought along the German Shepard they'd had growing up. She sat next to Enid at the bedside, Rusty by her side, an aura of peace radiating from them.

Other visitors were unexpected at best. Visions of Emily, Charlie's first wife, swam before her, looking as lovely as ever and cradling a baby in her arms. But an old neighbor who lived around the corner near her childhood home seemed to drop in the most. And just as the others, he never interacted. He just stared at her with empty eyes. Enid didn't understand the meaning. The man had always given her the creeps as a child, but now, in the stark room where she lie, she wasn't afraid; merely curious. Then he'd leave just as quickly as he appeared.

Enid spent much of her time wandering down the endless white corridors of her mind searching for a way out. But the hallways never lead anywhere, she always ended up exactly where she'd begun and just as confused.

She was, however, beginning to recognize more voices. There was a nurse who came in frequently and spoke to her as though she were awake, her voice gentle and prodding. Enid's most comforting hours, besides those spent with Charlie, were with this nurse. In a small way, the woman reminded her of Talia; tender and soft-spoken, yet strong enough to care for those most would shy away from. One day the nurse even sang Enid a song. The lyrics were haunting and she couldn't remember them after the young woman left, only the melody.

Memories also came to mind, memories she'd pushed far away and hadn't thought of in years. One remembrance that played over and over was of her parents fighting when she was young, which they rarely did. That's why it had been so frightening. Her mother had screamed at her father, Enid couldn't even recall why, and her sisters had started crying. Enid ran outside and found somewhere safe to hide, covering her hands over her ears.

She had visitors in her hospital room now, only these visitors weren't ghosts from her past. Enid tried to listen to what Charlie and Talia were saying, but only picked up bits and pieces of their conversation. She felt Talia kiss her forehead then leave the room. Several moments later, the bed shifted as Charlie stood up. He squeezed her hand and promised he'd be back, he just needed a cup of coffee. She could hear the exhaustion in his voice and felt the familiar pang of guilt.

And sweet, sweet Carter. Even though she couldn't see her granddaughter's face, the baby's commanding energy filled the space around her. Some people could walk into a room and go completely unnoticed while others demanded to be seen, even if they never said a word. Carter's presence was strong and it fed the stillness of her soul. What she would give to open her eyes!

Enid wanted to shut everything off and just think about the baby. Oh how she missed her! How wonderful it would feel to hold her granddaughter in her arms again and rock her to sleep on the front porch swing. But she couldn't concentrate. Something was nagging at her. Enid tried to focus, tried to make sense of the impending sense of dread that had suddenly overcome her. Was it the fact that Carter had to see her this way, stuck in this never-ending stagnation inside herself? Was it something Charlie and Talia had said that her subconscious overheard?

Think, Enid. Think! What is it?

She retraced the steps since Talia's arrival. Charlie sat on the bed with Carter. Talia kissed her hello. The doctor stopped by, promising to return. Talia left because she had to meet Jackson.

Jackson...

The name alone made her skin crawl and she was unable to rub away the goosebumps that now crawled up her arms.

Why is Talia meeting Jackson? Enid screamed the question inside her head.

Pain began building in her chest as Jackson's face danced before her like a dangling carrot. The salt and pepper hair, the chiseled features, those piercing blue eyes. So familiar somehow... What was it about him that bothered her so much? He had the easy charm of any southern gentleman. He was polite and accommodating. But he'd stared at her while she struggled on the ground. Jackson didn't want to help her, his thoughts were written all over his face. And what was it he had said? "Some things just fall into place." What did that mean?

As long as she lived, even if only trapped inside her own body, Enid would never forget that look in his eyes. Jackson hated her. He hated all of them. But why?

He's not who he says he is...

Then who is he?

Enid felt sweat line her brows and her insides began to shake. Fear gripped her stomach in a tight hold and the beeping on the monitor above her head began to pick up its pace. His eyes... Jackson's eyes... She couldn't stop thinking of them, couldn't escape the memory of them staring down at her. So hateful, so evil, so...familiar.

Enid's eyelids fluttered as she fought herself in her sleep, her subconscious working overtime. Bits and pieces, fragments, trying to connect, trying to piece themselves together to create a thought that made sense.

His eyes, his eyes, damn it! What was it about his eyes? Why were they haunting her? Why wouldn't they leave her alone? What did they mean? She was so afraid! She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so much fear. It must have been when...

Realization rolled over her and the puzzle pieces began fitting together. Jackson's eyes, they were familiar, she'd seen them before. Only they'd been in someone else's face.

Steven...

How had she not realized it before? Jackson's eyes were the same as Steven's, so blue...so menacing... Was it possible?

Yes, something inside her knew it was. And it all began to make sense. The uneasy feelings she'd had when she first met Jackson, her senses warning her he was on his way. That subtle entitlement that clung to him like the expensive cologne he wore, the same as Steven. Jackson said he was in Florida writing a series of articles but he didn't really seem like the writing type. Something had always seemed off, now she knew with growing certainty she'd been right.

He's not who he says he is...

Enid's fingers gripped the knitted bed sheet beneath her until her hands balled into fists at her sides. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest and the vital sign monitor screamed overhead as everything clicked into place.

Jackson is Steven's father...

Enid suddenly found herself back in the long white corridor she'd been traveling down for days, but this time she knew exactly where she needed to go. She began to pick up the pace until she broke into a run. Along the way, she passed all the people who'd stopped by to visit her as she lie in the hospital bed; her parents, her sister, Emily, the old man down the street. Their images blurred before her until they blended together forming one giant mass. As she approached the end of the hall, a bright light shown through nearly blinding her. She raised her forearm to shield her eyes. She couldn't stop now, there was no time to waste. She needed to warn Charlie.

In her bed, Enid's fingers pulled at the tubes holding her in place; first from her arms, then her nose and mouth. As she drew in a deep breath, her first real breath in days, her throat felt as if someone had lit it on fire. 

Enid emerged from the stillness she'd been trapped in and let out a blood-curdling scream.

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Hello and thank you for reading Secrets and Lies! If you enjoyed this chapter please consider leaving a vote/comment.

Looks like Enid finally made her way back! I knew all along she was too strong to let go. Hopefully she'll be able to reach Charlie in time. 

I'm hoping to have the next chapter up around Tuesday, in the meantime, enjoy your weekend and thank you to those of you who have signed up for my email list! The link is on my profile page if you care to join. Subscribers will be notified of giveaways and will have the first view of the new cover of Strawberry Wine once it's released!