Kalliope 2014.pdf May. 2014 | Page 112

Slowly, she takes more shaky steps in my direction, following the path that Pea and I have been taking for years. Now she is finally close to me, so close that I can see the pores on her face oozing the poisoned stuff. Now she has nothing to grab onto, and so she collapses. Sobbing loudly, she reaches an extended hand toward me, and grabs onto my leg. “Please,” I feel her. Shit, I feel everything. How am I cold? How can I see my breath in front of me? How does she see me? How can I feel the unevenness of the earth under my feet? How is she touching me? The past few times I’ve been at Command Central I’ve been far too distracted by my buddies to read it, but I am still sure of one thing. This was certainly not in the Handbook. What do people in situations like this do? Think, Derek. Think. I muster up all of the movies I’ve seen and scan my head looking for what to do in situations of peril (this is not as easy as it must seem. I’ve spent most of my time with those under the age of seven, and much prefer watching Looney Tunes). If she can touch me, maybe I can touch her? I bend down to her slowly and extend a hand towards her wet shoulder. I move slow, partially because I feel like a bomb could go off when we make contact, and partially because if I can feel, I don’t want the first thing I feel to be alcohol-laced vomit. I make contact with her shoulder, instead of passing through like some kind of ghost, and I feel the fresh puke squish under my fingers as I squeeze both shoulders to pull her up. She’s heavy, but I’m strong, and I get her to a standing position. I drape one of her useless arms around my broad shoulders and let the other flop in front of me as I act as her crutch. Slowly, I help Pea’s mother back home. It takes a while, seeing as I’m walking for two, but eventually the shithole is back in view. Pea isn’t in the window anymore, but the lights are still shining. My muscles ache (I ache!), but I manage to stumble up the steps. As soon as I hit the top one, the creakiest of the bunch, I hear a small scuffle inside and Pea’s at the door, opening it for me in a flash. 110