TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "GROAN"

Time for Tuesday Tales again. Welcome! This week the word prompt is "groan." We have another episode of "Midnight in Central Park." Scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales. Thanks for stopping by. 

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Words flew at me like tiny knives, razors cutting my skin, but none sunk into my brain.

“Apartment.”

“Tonight.”

“Tomorrow.”

“Sleep.”

“Mrs. Fleming.”

I nodded, gripping my small duffel, holding it close. I had no idea where I was or with who. Although my stomach was full, my heart felt empty. Like a scarecrow, hollow inside, I leaned against the wall to keep from falling down.

“This way.” A woman I’d never seen before tugged on my sleeve. I followed her into a bedroom. “Go to bed. You can skip school tomorrow. Goodnight.”

I thanked her, undressed and fell onto the mattress. My head spun. I groaned. Who sped up the world? Why were things moving so fast, but I felt like I was walking underwater? I couldn’t feel anything, but I felt everything. That doesn’t make sense. 

“Everything always looks better in the morning.” Ma’s favorite expression ran through my head. But that wouldn’t be true tomorrow. Ma would still be gone and I’d still be in limbo. I closed my eyes.

I started awake in the middle of the night. I had a dream. Snake, the Ape Man, and that dumb statue were chasing me through the park. My undershirt was drenched. I pushed to my feet and wandered into the kitchen. I needed water.

A man sat at the kitchen table. “What’s wrong?”

“Water?”

“Sure. Sit.” He filled a glass and handed it to me before he sat. I gulped it down, draining the glass in seconds.

“Tomorrw, things will be better.” He looked at me.

“Really? How? Will my mother be alive again?”

“Well…no. But…”

“Yeah. I get it. No. Things will not be better tomorrow.” I pushed to my feet and headed back to the bedroom.

“They will. You’ll see.” When I turned to look, he shot me a half-smile.

Tomorrow the nightmare becomes real. And there would be no statues to save me this time.

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