Chapter Six

 The lights came on in Wendy's room as her parents burst through the door.

"What is it?" exclaimed Mr. Darling, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes," whispered Wendy, out of breath from the adrenaline rush.

Quickly, she grabbed a soft black hat from the side of her bed and covered her bare head.

"Do you feel sick?" questioned her mom, rushing over to Wendy's bedside.

"No, I'm fine," Wendy answered, taking a deep breath. "I thought there was someone in my room. I felt them sitting at the foot of my bed." Her eyes scanned the space wildly, looking for any sign of Evelyn.

Wendy's parents exchanged a worried glance, which did not escape her notice.

"I know what you're thinking, but I wasn't imagining it. There was someone in here," she sighed, trying to convince them she wasn't seeing things. She didn't want anyone to think she was hallucinating.

"Has anything like this ever happened before?" her father asked. "You need to let us know, Wendy... We need to report any unusual side effects to the doctor."

"I'm telling you, I wasn't hallucinating!" Wendy exclaimed. "Nothing like this has ever happened before, and I've been taking the new meds for a long while now. There was someone in my room! I felt them sitting at the foot of my bed, and then I heard them say my name." She had never told her parents about the death pact Evelyn and her had made, and she wasn't about to tell them now. She knew they were looking for any reason to believe she was losing her mind, and telling them that she thought her dead best friend was visiting her from beyond the grave would have surely sealed the deal.

"Maybe you were dreaming?" suggested Mrs. Darling. "Sometimes when you begin to doze off, your mind can play tricks on you - especially when you're really sleepy."

Wendy considered what her mother had said. She didn't really believe she had been sleeping but figured it was probably the best solution, at least as far as her family was concerned, to what had just happened.

"Yeah, maybe..." agreed Wendy, happy to have found a suitable resolution. "I am very tired tonight."

"Mom?" they heard a small voice ask from the doorway. They turned to see Michael and John standing nearby, concern shadowing their faces.

"It's okay, guys. I just had a bad dream, that's all," Wendy responded, trying to sound convincing. She knew it was in her best interest to stick to the dream theory, or else her parents would be quick to make another doctor's appointment.

"I had a dream last week that I could not find my locker," offered John. "It was so realistic that when I woke up, I was confused to find myself in my bed and not running through the hallways at school!" Wendy knew John was taking her side in the matter, and she gave him a grateful smile.

"Do you want to sleep with Porkchop tonight so that you're not afraid?" Michael asked, handing Wendy his stuffed pig. He had received the animal as a present when he was a baby and had grown very much attached, refusing to give him up. It was a long standing family joke that he would have to share Porkchop with his wife one day.

"No, Mikey... I'm okay, really. It was just a dream. I'm sure I'll fall back to sleep with no problem," she said handing back his pig. "But thank you. I really appreciate that you are willing to share him with me," Wendy smiled.

"Alright then, how about you boys get into your PJs?" her mom said, getting up from Wendy's bed. "And you let us know if you need anything," she told Wendy and gave her kiss on the forehead.

Wendy laid back down so her mom could cover her up. "Thank you, but I'll be fine."

"Sleep well," her dad said, hugging her good night. "No more nightmares allowed."

Mr. Darling shut off the light and everyone left the room, making sure Wendy's door was opened just a crack.

Slowly, Wendy's eyes adjusted to the darkness. She looked around, but nothing seemed out of place. Her room seemed perfectly normal now and it was hard to believe she had been so freaked out just a few minutes ago.

But, if it was you Evelyn, I am not afraid... You just took me by surprise, that's all. You can come back, and I promise I won't freak out this time.

Closing her eyes, Wendy waited for her friend to make another appearance, but before she could help it, she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Wendy awoke the next morning with the sun, feeling better than she had in several days. Finally, she felt some sort of contact had been made with her friend, and it left her with a peace she hadn't known since Evelyn had passed.

"I'm not giving up on you, Evelyn," she whispered into her room, not knowing if Evelyn was still there or not. "I will wait for you to come back."

Putting on her robe and slippers, Wendy carefully arranged her hair on top of her head. She wandered downstairs and found her mom in the kitchen, making a pot of coffee. No one else had woken up yet and Wendy was enjoying the solitude this morning offered.

"Good morning," welcomed her mom, looking up from her task. "How did you sleep the rest of the night?"

"Better then I have in awhile," she grinned back. "What's for breakfast today? I'm hungry."

Mrs. Darling's face lit up. "Whatever you want I will make," she came over and gave Wendy a long hug. "Why don't you sit down at the table and I'll get cooking?" she suggested and handed Wendy the morning paper.

Wendy got to work leafing through the paper, looking for the crossword puzzles. Since she had started homeschooling, she learned to enjoy reading the current events and had grown fond of word games. It helped to engage her mind and fill the emptiness of the day.

"How's bacon and eggs? Or does that seem too heavy...?"

"Actually, it sounds perfect," Wendy said, her stomach rumbling in agreement.

Mrs. Darling took a deep breath as she pulled the ingredients out of the fridge. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you hungry, it's been awhile," she chuckled to her daughter. "So...about last night," she hesitated, "did you have any more dreams?"

"Nope. I slept like a baby," Wendy answered and began to fill in the crossword.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Darling set a plate full of food in front of Wendy just as Mikey made his way into the kitchen. "Wendy!" he exclaimed and ran up to hug his sister.

"Geez, Michael! You act like you haven't seen me in a month," she laughed and hugged him back.

"You're hungry today?" he asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Clearly she had everyone worried with her lack of appetite.

"Yes I am, and I'm going to eat all of my bacon, so don't think you're getting it," she teased.

"Never fear, I have enough bacon for everyone," Mrs. Darling said, and she playfully struck a heroic pose.

"You did not just do that...." Mikey sighed, rolling his eyes at his mother's stance

"We're too old for superheros, Mom," laughed Wendy.

"Nonsense! You're never too old for superheroes," Mrs. Darling grinned, enjoying the relaxed moment.

Before long, John and Mr. Darling joined them for breakfast.

"It feels like forever since we all ate a meal together," Wendy's dad said, taking a big bite of eggs. "I like it."

Wendy shook her head, "Don't talk with your mouth full, Dad. It's disgusting!"

"Do you want some more, honey?" Mrs. Darling asked.

"No, I'm good. I don't want to overdo it," Wendy said, looking back to the crossword puzzle. Her involvement with the family had everyone in a good mood. It had been a long time since Wendy had had a good day and it brightened everyone's spirits.

After breakfast was finished, Mr. Darling and the boys dressed and then left to start their day. Mrs. Darling busied herself with her latest article, leaving Wendy to do her school work.

Wendy spent the rest of the morning working on homework, and then decided to settle in and enjoy a few chapters of a book. She had always enjoyed reading for fun, but had not felt like doing much of it lately. 

She was determined to make this a good day, and that meant spending time doing things she enjoyed. She didn't feel like working on her mural today and desperately needed a break from obsessing over Evelyn. Since her little paranormal experience the night before, she decided Evelyn was working on visiting her. The least she could do was relax and wait for it to happen.

A couple of hours later, she got up to take her midday medications and have a quick lunch with her mom. She was still full from breakfast so she didn't eat much, settling on a modest salad.

"I do have an errand to run," her mom said while cleaning up the dishes. "Do you feel up to coming with me?"

"No, I don't think so. I'll just stay here. I'll be fine - you go ahead."

Wendy's mom made out a grocery list and left to get the shopping done before the boys made it home from school. Wendy figured she would use the time to take a shower, and wandered upstairs to her bedroom to change out of her pajamas. She rarely left the house during the week so she didn't see a need to dress up everyday, but reminded herself that today was going to be a "normal" day and that meant taking a shower and changing out of her pajamas.

Opening the door to her room, she immediately noticed that something felt different, like it had the night before. She couldn't quite understand how she knew, but it felt like someone was in her room...watching her.

A cold chill went down her spine as she walked deeper into the room. Looking around, she expected to find Evelyn waiting for her.

"Evelyn...?" Wendy called out quietly.

It was then that she noticed the white tiger lily lying on her bed.

Finally, a real sign from her Evelyn...or is it? And how will the gift make Wendy feel?

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