Between the Perennial Blooms || Paul Lahote

Eight | Violet

"[His] bones are fortressed like matchsticks, [his] veins running on gasoline. Both are only waiting for the flame to light them up."
—r.m. | excerpt #71

• • •

"Wake up!" A frantic voice muttered, whispering closely in Bailey's ear. "Bay, wake up!"

Groggily, Bailey did as told, opening her eyes slowly that were no-doubt bloodshot and swollen after having cried herself to sleep. She blinked over at the clock perched beside the lavender lamp atop her bedside table. 4:27 a.m., it read. Bailey moaned. "Bells," she grumbled sleepily, burrowing further under her warm covers as she clutched one of her many white pillows tightly to her chest. "'M too sleepy to get up righ' now."

An exasperated sigh sounded throughout the otherwise quiet room and the soft hand of her older sister yanked back Bailey's yellow duvet roughly. "Get up, Bailey-Wren. There's something you need to hear!"

Slowly forcing her petite body into an upright position, Bailey yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as best she could with her fists. Her right hand unfurled to ruffle her golden curls softly, and she failed to staunch the yawn that escaped once more for good measure. "What is it, Bells?"

"Jacob came to see me." She stated, effectively gaining Bailey's full attention as her spine straightened noticeably.

"He..." her red eyes fluttered down to stare at her hands as she played with her fingers bashfully. "He did?"

Bella nodded, a combination of both pity and sorrow rushing through her as she took notice of Bailey's tear-stained cheeks and red-bitten lips. "He climbed through my window a few minutes ago to try and explain why he did what he did earlier today..." her voice trailed off at the recollection of their shared pain, and she flashed Bailey a sympathetic smile when she winced. "He tried, Bay, but- but he said he couldn't -like physically could not speak the words out loud- and told me that I already know the reason and that you might not realize it at first, but you do too!"

Bailey's head was spinning, the fog from her sleep having induced her mind into a slow haze that struggled to make sense of Bella's near frantic words. "Bella, I-"

"Something happened in the woods that day, didn't it? That day you fell? Jacob said you couldn't have just magically made it back to the truck -that you weren't alone, even if you didn't know it at the time. But you do know, don't you? You saw something strange when you were out there. You saw something you weren't expecting to see."

"Bella, I don't understand!" Bailey exclaimed. "What are you talking about? What is Jay talking about?"

"Just get up!" Bella insisted instead, tossing Bailey the white summer dress hanging across the back of her desk chair to throw on over the underwear she had opted to wear to bed. Then, upon noticing Bailey had made no move to follow other than blinking up at her sister bewilderedly, Bella groaned. "Lift up your arms," she demanded, and with an abashed gasp, Bailey flailed as her older sister pulled the cotton fabric forcefully over her head. A pair of socks were shoved onto her feet soon after, which were then followed by a firm tug on her un-bandaged arm, and Bella held her in a tight grip as she pulled her down the stairs and out the front door.

"Bella-"

"C'mon!"

"But where are we-" Bailey cut herself off when a squeak suddenly escaped her lips as her wool-covered feet slipped across the cold, dew-laden grass. Her knees hit the ground, dress caught beneath them, and she gasped as she was yet again yanked upward and pulled toward Bella's truck.