Chapter 15

I’m in a field surrounded by flowers. Warm sunlight beams down on my face. I twirl around and see flowers for miles in each direction. A calmness washes over me as I lay down onto the lush grass and close my eyes.

When I open them, I am no longer in the field. I am in a room, laying on a bed with an IV attached to my arm. I start to panic as my mom rushes over, shushing me and saying everything is okay.

I look around and realize that I am at the hospital. There is a burning pain in my throat, and I feel like I have been hit by a truck.

My whole family surrounds me. My sister hugs me with tears streaming down her face. “I’m so happy you’re alive Rachel!” she whispers in my ear without letting go.

“What happened?” I manage to get out. My voice is hoarse, and it burns to talk.

“You were attacked” my dad explains barely containing his anger. “Mr. Whitmore broke into your room and tried to strangle you.”

I vaguely remember his face in the darkness. So full of rage.

“I stabbed him!” Jane chimes in. “I heard a noise coming from your room, so I ran and got a knife from the kitchen. When I ran into your room, he was on top of you! I stabbed him as hard as I could in his back.”

She looked so proud of herself. “It made him let go of you. He was flailing his arms around trying to pull out the knife, so I pushed him through the open window! He fell right out and landed in mom’s garden!”

“She saved your life Rachel” my dad says proudly, wrapping his arm around Jane.

“Dead?” I ask, amazed that my sister had fought off a grown man trying to kill me.

“No, he’s alive” my mom responds. “Jane was screaming at the top of her lungs for us to call police. They came right away.”

“Good” I whisper in relief.

My mom holds my hand and I can see tears streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry we didn’t believe you honey. We should have tried harder to make sure Mrs. Wheeler was okay.”

“Why did he attack her?” Jane asks dad, and I am curious too. It doesn’t sound right that the choir director at church would hurt an old lady.

“Don’t know.” My dad replies, shrugging his shoulders. “She is being discharged today, maybe she will tell us.”

“Get some rest honey” my mom tucks me in under my covers and softly brushes my hair to the side with her hand.

“When can I go home?” My throat burns with every word.

“The doctor wants to monitor you overnight” Jane chimes in “but don’t worry sis, I’ll stay and watch over you!”

“Thanks Jane”

Jane really came through for me. We may fight every day, but I know she will have my back when I need it. She saved my life!

Safe in bed, I give into the overwhelming exhaustion. With relief I close my eyes and drift off into a deep sleep.

I dream of being in my room. Wrapped up in a blanket on my chair, watching the snow fall outside. The streetlights come on and the neighborhood is quiet and empty. I look over at Mrs. Wheeler’s house and see her in the window. She smiles and waves. I wave back with a smile on my face. Life is how it is meant to be.