Authors: Cassandra Cole
“You what?!” She dropped the book and stared at him.
“Are you telling me you don’t like the idea?” He seemed jokingly offended.
“No, no, it’s just…”
“Maybe not the way you had planned it, but we gotta rush it, because of the deadline, you see. Once we settle the whole affair, I give your father the money for his debt, and you can keep what you earned.” He raised his eyebrows, like a mischievous boy, waiting to be flogged by his grandma.
“You rascal!” She pretended to hit him, as they both laughed. “I thought you were just a Bunko artist, but I was wrong.”
“Yup, you were dead wrong, missy.”
That evening, as she was packing a few of her possessions from her family home, she stopped to look around. Her entire life was changing. Actually, it was already changed. So much, that she could barely recognize herself. Her father’s land was saved, her mother was happy with her choice in marriage, her father gladly agreed, and her younger siblings were given a fair chance in life. For them, things are going to be the same as before. Maybe a little better.
But for her, nothing would ever be the same. And she couldn’t wait to start on this new adventure with Gabriel.
The End
WILD WOLF by Ella Hart
Tracy looked up at the animal’s eyes and for the first time noticed the deep sea blue color. She felt a sharp pain seer through her and looked at her foot; she had been injured and could not run from it anymore. It moved closer to her and the fear was crippling. She rapidly took in her surroundings and knew no one would come to her rescue. She thought of screaming but gave up on the thought and felt hopeless. The animal was drawing nearer and she had no choice, she brought her knees closer to her chest and let out an ear splitting scream that partially deafened her.
Tears of despair and resignation rolled down her cheeks and she decided to try and negotiate with the animal. She stared straight into its eyes again and tried to speak but her throat was dry.
“Please don’t hurt me”, she said to it “Please”
The animal paused for a second and went on to stare at her, did it understand her? She looked at it more closely and paid attention to it; it had beautiful snow white fur but had a different shade of black that ran on its back. It somehow looked familiar to her but she knew she was clutching at straws. It moved closer to her again but Tracy did not feel the fear in her, it had been replaced with a calm and peaceful feeling. She nevertheless still hugged her knees to her chest well aware of the present fact of immobility.
It walked closer and closer locking his gaze with her all along and only stopped when it was literally in front of her face. Tracy feared for the worst but at the same time a calming feeling was taking over her.
“Wake up”, the wolf said.
All of a sudden Tracy’s world began to change; she was no longer in the woods running from a wolf with a bloody sprained ankle. She felt the strong stench of clinical antiseptic which forced her to open her eyes. Her environment was different; she was in a bed with a few machines attached to her body. Tracy tried sitting up but one of the machines started beeping ecstatically which confused her even more. A young man walked into the room with a clipboard in his hand.
“Miss Evans”, he called and moved closer to her. His half attention was on her and the other was on the machine “You are awake”
“Yes I am”, she answered and looked at the man strangely.
“I will be right back”, he said and walked out of the room, he was back momentarily with a team of both men and women who were looking at her in utter dismay.
“What is going on?” Tracy asked confused “Where the hell am I?”
Tracy got no answers from the questions she asked and went on to look at the people who had now circled her in a confused way.
“Miss Evans”, one of the men called.
“Yes”,
“What day is it?”
“June 24th”, she answered excitedly “I am getting married in about six months, why am I here where the hell is my mother and my sister Samantha. She was supposed to meet me for a dress fitting”
The man who was asking her all the questions looked at her blankly; he moved closer to the machines and carefully pressed a button. Tracy felt lighter and slowly drifted back into nothingness. She tried to stay awake but could not, all she could think about before finally succumbing to the haze of nothingness was the wolf in her dreams.
When Tracy finally woke up for the second time she was more than glad to see her mother seated next to her bed and looking at her expectantly.
“Tracy honey”, she let out when Tracy flickered her eyes and looked up at her.
“Mom”, she called out lazily and tried to seat up.
“Careful honey, the doctor said you would feel slightly dizzy”
“Doctor?” Tracy asked confused and looked at her mother. She pressed a button at the side of her bed that pulled her up in a sitting position “Where am I mum?”
“Sweetie, are you hungry? Can I get you something to eat?”
The mention of food made Tracy realize how hungry she was and she nodded in her mother’s direction. She walked over to the button right behind her and pressed a bell. One of the men who walked into the room when she awoke earlier strolled in with a tray of food and placed it in front of her.
“Eat up dear”, her mother encouraged and went on to set up her food.
“Mom”
“Yes my dear”
“What‘s going on?”
“Eat up dear”, she encouraged “I will not tell you on an empty stomach”
Tracy looked up at her mother and knew she was right, she would not tell her what was going on until she abided by her rules. She took the first bite of her food and it all felt different. Her mouth was quiet dry and the food felt like lead.
“I called your two sisters”, her mother explained as she stared at her and loved every bite of food Tracy indulged in “Samantha should be here in a minute but Lisa is in court and should be here at the end of the day”
She was just about to ask her another question but Samantha, her younger sister, threw the door open and walked in.
“Tracy, you’re awake”, she exclaimed
“Of course I am awake”, Tracy answered “Why is everybody talking about that”
Samantha ran over to her and locked her in a tight embrace; she then pulled back from her with tears of joy swelling up in her eyes.
“Mum hasn’t told you?”
“Told me what?”
The room grew silent for a minute as both exchanged knowing looks.
“I knew she would avoid the subject and leave all the heavy lifting to me”
“Would someone in here tell me what the hell is going on?” Tracy asked “Samantha, I have not yet forgiven you for not showing at the dress fitting.”
Both Samantha and Tracy’s mum shared a confused look before looking at Tracy again. Samantha walked over to her bed and took her hand in hers.
“Tracy”, she said gently “You were in a comma for the last three months”
Tracy looked at her closely and looked at her body before looking up at both of them. She saw the tears form in her mother’s eyes as she walked over towards her and gave her a warm hug.
“I thought you would never wake up”, she said and held her tighter.
“Come on mum do you want to send her intro another comma?” Samantha said and walked over to them. She gently pushed her mother aside and took her place.
“Now who wants to send her into another comma?” Tracy’s mother snapped back at Samantha.
“Looks like some things are still the same”, Tracy commented and referred to her sister and mother’s constant bickering “Where the hell is Ted?”
They both resumed the initial awkward silence they were in before Samantha broke it down to her about her comma.
“Exactly how long of a memory loss are we talking of here?” Samantha asked her mother.
“The doctor said 6 months”
“6 months?” both Tracy and Samantha asked in unison before staring at each other in shock and turning her attention to her mother.
“Why the hell are you looking at me, this is not like her misplacing her school bag and me finding it every other time”, she protested and gave them both a challenging look.
Tracy was just about to ask her next question but the door swung open and in walked her elder sister Lisa. She was clad in a black fitting skirt suit and walked over to Tracy.
“Tracy you are finally up” she said.
“I am”, Tracy answered “It is good to be back I guess”
“Have the two of you already gotten on her nerves?” the question was directed at both Samantha and their mother.
“Of course they have”
Tracy let out a deep breath and relaxed in her bed; she looked at her family and could not help the tears that rolled down her cheeks.
“Honey”, her mother was by her side in a second “Are you Ok? Are you in any kind of pain?”
“I’m fine Mo m”
Tracy tried to catch her breath as she went on to cry, her mother rubbed her back as soft sobs escaped her.
“I am so sorry for taking you guys through a lot on my account; it must have been so hard on you”, Tracey said.
“The important thing is that you are alive and here with us”, Lisa answered and gave her a warm hug.
The four women all went on an emotional roller coaster in the hospital room and indulged in the happy moment. They were however interrupted with a knock on the door and a doctor walked in with a smile plastered on his face.
“I believe in miracles”, he said before walking over to Tracy and checking her vitals.
“How soon can we have her discharged doctor?” Lisa asked and was hovering over the doctor’s shoulder waiting on an answer.
“I would like to keep her here for a few more days of close observation and monitoring”, he started “She should be ready to go home in two days, in the mean time I would like you to avoid giving her news that may make her too scared or ecstatic”
“Ok doctor”, Samantha answered.
The doctor then turned to Tracy and gave her a warm smile before looking at her vitals a second time.
“I believe my congratulations are in order” he smiled “I was praying you would wake up before you get into your second trimester”
Tracy fed the doctor a blank stare at the same time simmering on his words. She widened her eyes as the words finally registered and looked at the doctor confused.
“Wait a minute I’m pregnant?”
The doctor looked at Tracy’s family and from the look on their faces knew he had spoken too soon.
“I will be back to check on you later” he said and left the room.
“So much for the exciting news, huh doc?” Samantha mentioned as the doctor was leaving the office.
He left them all with an awkward silence with no one knowing what to say next.
“So what would you like to have for dinner?” Lisa asked “I know how much you loved those burgers down at Murphy’s. Would you like me to get you those?”
“Stingy Lisa is offering to buy you a burger?” Samantha pointed out in a sarcastic tone “I should get myself knocked up and in a comma too”
“Stop it you two ….can’t you keep it civil? Your sister just woke up from a comma”
“Mom come on this is Lisa offering to pay for something, if you ask me it is as important as waking up from a comma”
“Could someone please tell me what is going on?” Tracy interrupted what she knew was about to be a huge argument between her mother and two sisters. None of them could look her in her face and she could feel in the pit of her stomach there was something not right at all.
“Samantha?” she called out to her sister and waited expectantly for a reaction.
“Lisa, mom”, she went on to look at all of them with raised eye brows.
“You tell her”, Lisa said and nudged Samantha in her ribs.
“No, you tell her”, Lisa protested “I am already buying her supper”
“I will tell her if you buy us all supper?”
The look on Lisa’s face after this comment was hilarious; she looked at Samantha with disgust but nevertheless gave in.
“Ok,” she said “One burger each, no extra fries”
“With a coke?”
“Don’t push it Sam”, Lisa snapped back “Now get to narrating”
Samantha nodded her head and slowly started walking towards Tracy’s bed. She sat next to it and took her hands in hers before looking back at her mother and Lisa. They both gave her an encouraging smile before going on.
“Tracy”, she started and cleared her throat “Tracy you broke up with Ted two weeks before the wedding”
Tracy’s mouth went dry for a few seconds and she took in a deep breath and looked at the ceiling up ahead.
“Go on”, Tracy said and prepared herself for the worst “You were involved in a car accident after the break up and that is how you ended up here”
“Does he know I am pregnant?”
“Well”
“What do you mean well?” Tracy asked shocked.
“He knows you are pregnant but is not sure if it’s his”
“Who else’s could it be then?”
The room assumed the initial awkward silence it had before Samantha started narrating the story.
“Tracy you ran off with a man after calling off the wedding”
“A man? Who?”
“Samuel”, her mother cheeped in “And I sure as well thank God you do not remember him. He was bad news and not good for you.”
“Mom”, Lisa exclaimed.
“She has to know the truth”
“Remember what the doctor said about shocking and ecstatic news?”
“Who is this man you are talking about?” Tracy intervened before they all started arguing again.
“It is someone you met three months before the wedding at a coffee shop”, Samantha went on to explain in the gentle tone “You just had a fight with Ted and he was available, one thing led to the other and here we are.”
“Do you remember him sweetie?” her mother asked and moved closer to her bed. Tracy could not help but notice the hopeful look that accompanied this question.
She tried to scan through her mind bit couldn’t really draw a picture of him.
“Three months before the wedding you say?”