Stitch (7 page)

13. Connection

Laying on her stomach with her face pressed into the pillow, Alessa squeezed her eyelids together, but to no avail.  The relentless drumming in her head had kept her awake the better part of the morning, and the bright light creeping in her bedroom window was only magnifying the sharp pains surging through her skull.  All she was asking was for a couple more hours of sleep.   She knew she was just delaying the inevitable; eventually she would have to face the debacle of the night before.  But maybe not quite yet.

She closed her eyes for a few more minutes, but it was no use.  Until she got some water and food in her system, Alessa would never get comfortable enough to fall back asleep.  Covering her head with a blanket to block out the sun, Alessa blindly reached out from her bed, groping the floor for her backpack.  She withdrew the half-empty bottle of water from the night before and tossed the covers from her face with a groan.

She sat up and took a tentative sip.  Her mouth had been seized by a dry, sour rot, a taste which mingled unpleasantly on her tongue with the plasticky lukewarm water.  After downing the remainder of the bottle, Alessa lay back in bed and draped an arm across her eyes.  She’d known last night that she was going to regret all that beer, and she’d been right.

Alessa cringed as her memory of running out on Nikhil surfaced, the flush returning to her cheeks as she recalled his dismayed expression.  How could she ever explain her behavior in a way that didn’t seem absurd or ridiculous?  He would never understand.

She was glad, though, that she’d decided to go to the library last night.  Knowing that the ghost was Isaac Mason had at least answered some of Alessa’s questions, and she no longer felt the same compulsion that she once had.  If Isaac had lost his entire family in some tragedy, it certainly explained why he hadn’t moved on, and as long as Alessa understood where he was coming from, she thought she would eventually be able to peacefully coexist.  She just needed to figure out how to block out the feelings he incited in her, and then she’d be able to ignore Isaac during their little encounters the same way that he always ignored her.

Alessa fetched the box of cereal from on top of the fridge and tumbled back into bed.  She would have preferred something hot and greasy, but unfortunately dry corn flakes were the best she could do without slogging to the cafeteria.  She munched away, breathing slowly, staying as still as possible to avoid jolting her aching head.

She lay back down after consuming a satisfying amount of cereal and felt immediately relieved.  She was able to take a 20 minute nap and felt significantly better when she woke up again.  Not back to normal yet, but better.

Being a Sunday, Alessa could at least stave off any possible encounter with Nikhil by staying in her house for the day.  She was sure Janie wouldn’t mind bringing back some real food from the cafeteria whenever she ventured over that way, so Alessa decided to stay put and focus on getting some work done, namely an upcoming term paper for her ethics class.  Despite the sustenance and rest, though, she still felt gross.  She needed to brush her teeth and shower before she could even think about being productive.

Alessa felt disoriented when she finally got out of bed and headed to the bathroom.  Her equilibrium was off, and she felt like she was wandering in a daze.  This hangover couldn’t wear off soon enough.

When she got to the bathroom, she found that both showers were occupied, and neither of them had freed up by the time she'd finished brushing her teeth.  She decided to swing by Janie’s room to wait.

Janie was awake, barely.  She had been half-dozing, watching an old movie on her laptop in bed when Alessa entered.  She scooted over to make room for Alessa to sit adjacent to her.  “Morning, sunshine.  You look almost as good as I do.”  Even with a hangover, her sarcasm was unrelenting.

Alessa just moaned in response and rested her head on Janie’s shoulder.

“I know, I know.”  Janie patted Alessa’s leg sympathetically.  “Do you want to talk about what happened with you last night?”

Alessa moaned again.

“It seemed like things were going well with Nikhil…” Janie prodded.  “Why did you freak out?”

Rousing her head from Janie’s shoulder, Alessa released a long sigh.  “I don’t know…  We were about to kiss, and then I looked up and all I saw were Isaac’s eyes, and I just couldn’t go through with it.”

“Isaac?  The ghost?”

“Yeah, I went to the library last night and confirmed that it’s him.  Isaac Mason, 17 years old when his family died in 1917.”  Alessa dropped her hands in her lap definitively.  Looking at Janie, she qualified, “At least I think.  The records aren’t exactly exhaustive.”

“That must have been a sight.  I’m sure the library staff appreciates having inebriated students stumbling through the stacks in the middle of the night.”

Alessa laughed in agreement, then remembered that she’d wanted to ask Janie about what had happened to Nikhil after she left the party.  “Oh, I wanted to tell you, on my way to the library I saw Nikhil in trouble with campus security.  His nose was bleeding like he’d gotten in a fight or something.  Did that happen here?”

Janie looked surprised.  She thought for a moment.  “I don’t think I saw anything.  After you left, Nikhil stormed out and Josh went to follow him.  I don’t think I saw either of them again after that.”

“Sorry.”  Alessa couldn’t believe she’d managed to ruin Janie’s night as well.

Janie shrugged.  “Eh, it was fun while it lasted.”  After a moment, Janie closed the lid on her laptop and set it down on the bed.  “I
really
don’t feel like doing work today.”

“Me either,” Alessa agreed.  Too bad she had that paper to tackle.

“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Janie asked.

“I was going to shower and then attempt to get started on my ethics paper, but the showers are all full.”

“Well, there’s always the bathtub upstairs.”  Alessa knew Janie was half-joking – with only a tub, the attic bathroom was rarely used – but Alessa considered for a moment.  A bath might be just what she needed.

“Hmm… I might actually go do that,” Alessa replied.

“I was kidding.”

“I know.  But I could use a little detox, plus it will give me an excuse to put off work for another hour.”

Janie reflected, and nodded her head.  “Good point.  Maybe I’ll take one after you.”

Alessa smiled.  “I’ll let you know how it is.”  With that, Alessa rose from Janie’s bed and headed for the attic.  She swung by the bathroom on her own floor to grab her towel and toiletries then climbed the small staircase to the attic level.

There wasn’t much on this floor besides a locked storage space and the small bathroom.  Stepping inside the tiny room felt like going back in time, as it was the only lavatory in the house that the university had decided not to modernize.  The bathroom was very simply furnished with just the big white clawfoot tub in the center of the room, leaving only a few feet of space to maneuver on each side of the basin.  A matching pedestal sink was positioned across from the foot of the tub, the same height as the brown chair rail molding.  One glass and bronze wall sconce affixed to the ivory wall above the sink provided a dim light, but on the outer wall running alongside the bath, a high round porthole window set in a dormer shed plenty of sun across the black and white mosaic tile floor.

Alessa draped her towel over the side of the tub and opened the faucet.  At first the water ran a little brown – sediment accumulated from disuse – but after a few moments, it was streaming in clear and hot.  She plugged the drain and prepared to wait.  As the bath filled, Alessa stepped around to the other side of the tub to peer out the window, her foot nudging something as she did so.  She looked down and found a half-empty box of bubble bath.  Well, apparently she wasn’t the only one who used this bathroom.

She shook some of the bubble bath powder under the running water.  The scent of lavender filled the room and a fluffy white foam floated to the surface of the water.  The window began to fog from the heat flowing from the tap.  When the water reached the halfway point, Alessa closed the faucet and stripped off her clothes, tossing them in a heap in the corner.

She touched one tentative toe to the water and immediately withdrew.  It was
hot
.  Steeling herself, she plunged the full foot into the water.  It seared initially, but after a moment her skin adjusted.  She stepped her other foot in and slowly lowered herself into the water, exhaling as she went.  Again, the pain only lasted a few seconds before bliss overcame her.

Alessa sighed deeply and leaned back against the tub, sinking lower in the water until only her face rose above the bubbles.  She closed her eyes, listening to the muffled underwater sounds that filled her submerged ears.  It’d been years since she'd last taken a bath and she couldn’t in that moment remember why – showering was a poor substitute indeed.

Alessa’s body relaxed completely, the warm water loosening every ounce of tension from her muscles.  Her headache subsided into the background as she breathed deeply and luxuriated in the soothing aroma of the froth hovering below her nose.

After a while the bath started to cool slightly.  Alessa slowly peeled open her eyes, thinking of adding a little more hot water to prolong the experience.  As her eyes adjusted, she thought she saw something out of place at the foot of the tub.

It was a hand, ever so faint, draped over the edge of the basin.  Alessa stared, disbelieving, as the hand slowly materialized, stretching into a strong muscled forearm, a rolled-up white shirtsleeve, an elbow, a shoulder, a long narrow torso.  Within a matter of seconds, there was Isaac in full form, sitting on the edge of the tub in his usual brown trousers and boots.  He was facing away from Alessa, his fingers dabbling in the water behind him without disturbing even a single ripple on the surface.

Alessa felt the familiar mix of emotions – panic, sorrow, and that ever-present magnetic pull that she just couldn’t seem to shake.  She sat transfixed, staring at his apparition.  He glanced towards the doorway every so often as if he were waiting for someone, his bright blue eyes lazily wandering across the wall in front of him to pass the time, lingering occasionally in the direction of the door.  Alessa held still, waiting patiently for the image to fade, as she knew it soon would.  She felt more in control than she had the last time, less unnerved, merely curious instead of overpowered.  She was overcome with sympathy for this boy who had lost everything.

Isaac inclined his head toward the water, a few light brown locks of hair falling forward to obscure the blue of his eyes.  He drew his fingertips from the water and extended his arm in the direction of the faucet, his head following the trajectory of his reach.  As his view scanned across the head of the bathtub, he did a quick double-take.  Alessa wondered what might have caught his attention.

She watched as his eyes widened and his mouth gaped, the same mixture of astonishment and apprehension flooding his expression that Alessa had felt so many times before.  It was only then that she realized what he had seen.  It was unmistakable – he was looking directly at Alessa.

As Alessa locked eyes with Isaac, all the old emotions came raging back, more powerful than ever before.  She felt a crushing desperation to reach out to him, to clutch his hand as tightly as she had in that horrible dream and never let him go.  She sat up slowly, never dropping her eyes from his, mustering all of the courage she possessed to inch her arm through the foam in his direction.

She could see him start to recoil as he understood what she was doing, but then something stopped him.  He sat motionless, waiting, staring at her with anticipation, his chest rising and falling with each rapid breath.  Alessa’s fingertips closed the gap between them, now only a hairsbreadth away.

And then, suddenly, he was gone.

14. Reversal

Isaac sat down on the edge of the tub listening to the splash of the water as it spilled from the faucet into the basin.  Steam warmed the chilly room as it rose from the bath and he breathed deeply, enjoying the respite from the long, cold winter they’d been enduring.

Isaac glanced at the door wondering when his sister, Josephine, would come upstairs.  She had made a muddy mess of herself helping him in the stable with the horses.  By the time they’d finished, she was shivering violently from head to toe and Isaac had offered to run her a bath to help her warm up and clean off.  At almost ten years old she was more than capable of doing it herself, but Isaac liked to coddle his little sister in the few ways she would allow.

Jo was a bit of a tomboy, more interested in riding horses and playing outdoors than pampering herself.  She was Isaac’s constant companion, following him wherever he went and always wanting to be part of the action, even when she was too small to keep up.  No one could blame Isaac if he'd been annoyed by her insistence on tagging along, but instead he found her enthusiasm endearing.  She was almost like the brother he’d never had, but with a genuine sweetness that no boy could ever hope to match.  There was no one in the world he loved more, and so he’d been glad to have this small opportunity to care for her by drawing a warm bath to ward off the winter’s chill.

He unbuttoned his sleeve and rolled it up to the elbow, dangling his fingertips in the water behind him.  While he waited for the tub to fill, he studied the image in the large mirror in front of him reflecting the round window on the opposite wall and the expanse of dry midwinter fields beyond.  In a matter of weeks, it would be time for the farmhands to plow the long rows and sow this year’s crops, a prospect that Isaac was dreading.

He’d lived in this same house on this same farm for almost as long as he could remember, and yet he’d never quite felt at home here.  As much as he loved his family and appreciated the successful business his father was prepared to leave to him, something about staying here just didn’t feel right to Isaac.  Not to mention, he couldn’t imagine anything more dull than another year of farming.

Isaac thought perhaps moving to the city might soothe his restlessness.  There was so much going on there these days, so much progress passing them by at Mason Manor – new technology cropping up seemingly every week, revolutionizing the way people live.  Isaac felt that if he could be a part of improving other people’s lives, maybe it might ease the guilt he felt over abandoning his family, as he knew he one day surely would.

But for the moment at least, he was stuck here, watching plants grow.  His only respite was the occasional mischief stirred up by Jo, and more recently, the mysterious manifestation he’d been seeing around the house.

Her appearances had started a couple months ago and never lasted more than a few moments.  He would get a glimpse of a striking dark haired woman who always seemed to disappear around a corner before he could reach her.  He’d called out to her, but to no avail – she didn’t seem to hear him.

At first he thought that perhaps she was a new servant, but when he asked his mother if she’d hired anyone recently, she replied that she hadn’t.  In any case, the woman certainly didn’t dress like any servant – or any
one
– that he’d ever seen.  Isaac still wasn’t quite sure if he was just stir-crazy and imagining the whole thing, but regardless, the presence had made the long winter much more interesting than in previous years and he was grateful at least for that.

Isaac glanced at the door once more and wondered what Josephine had gotten into now.  The bath was nearly full and if she didn’t come soon, the water would cool.  Isaac thought perhaps it would be best to finish filling the tub once Jo was ready to get in so that it would still be hot when she did.  He decided to close the tap while he waited for her to arrive.

Withdrawing his fingers from the water, Isaac reached back for the faucet handle, his long arm stretching across the tub.  As he swung his head around toward the tap, he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye by the head of the bathtub.  He looked back and – registering what he’d seen – immediately froze in place.

It was the woman, closer than she’d ever been before, and she was staring directly at him with shapely eyes that were greener than the richest of jewels.  She sat in the tub, her head cocked curiously to one side, regarding him with narrowed eyes.  Her expression conveyed a cross of marvel and what looked like concern.

Isaac’s heartbeat quickened and he fought the urge to run.  He stared back at the presence with wide eyes, his chest pounding as he gripped the rim of the tub ever harder.  She was quite possibly the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen, but at the same time, the strangeness of the situation was more unsettling than anything.

Suddenly her expression changed.  Her emerald eyes widened to match his and she locked her gaze directly onto Isaac’s.  She sat forward and he could see her hand reaching from below the water towards his own.  For a moment he cowered, dismayed at the prospect of those translucent fingertips mingling with his own.  But then he noticed the anguish stamped across her face, and he knew he couldn’t leave.

Slowly the ghostly fingers inched nearer and nearer, her eyes never dropping his gaze.  Thoughts raced through Isaac’s head faster than he could process them – he’d never experienced anything so thrilling.  He sat motionless but inside he was churning, his emotions a whirling eddy in a ferocious gale of anticipation, awaiting the crescendo when their fingertips would meet.  She stretched toward him, nearly touching…

And then she was gone.

The apparition faded in an instant and Isaac let out a heavy gasp.  He didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath.  His heart was still pounding as he slowly pried his fingertips from the edge of the tub.  What had just happened?  He could barely think – he felt almost dizzy.

He was certain now that he was not imagining the presence, or if he was, that his mind was well beyond the hope of repair.  He honestly didn’t know what to think anymore.  Isaac was impatient to learn more about this ghost – or whatever she was – but he had no idea where to even start.

Before today he’d never even been able to capture her attention, and then once he finally had it, he’d missed his chance.  Why hadn’t he said something?  With her startling green eyes locked on his face, he’d forgotten he had the ability to speak.  He lamented his own inaction; in all likelihood, he’d never get another chance like that.

Isaac heard Josephine’s ungraceful clomping up the attic stairs and tried to compose himself.  He hadn’t said anything to Jo about the presence for fear of frightening her.  She rounded the corner into the tiny bathroom with an energetic leap and nearly knocked Isaac into the tub.  He leapt up to regain his balance.   “Whoa there!  Since when are you so eager for a bath?”

Josephine beamed up at Isaac with big brown eyes and an eager grin.  “Ma said I could bring the cat inside to play after I’m done.”

Isaac couldn’t help returning her innocent smile.  The anxiety he’d been feeling a moment ago melted away.  “All right, I’ll leave you to it then.  You should run the hot water a bit longer before you get in to warm it up.”  He headed for the door and mussed her tangled blonde hair on the way out.

Isaac made his way down the narrow attic stairs to his study on the second floor.  He sat in the plush burgundy armchair by the fireplace, the only warm spot in the room.  He ran one hand briskly through his hair then rested his elbow on the armrest, pondering his recent encounter. 

He wasn’t sure what to make of the presence.  He supposed it might have been some sort of ghost but he didn’t know how he might go about confirming that theory.  He scanned the heavy bookshelves lining the wall for ideas.

Most of his collection was composed of thick leather-bound volumes on science and engineering, along with the requisite books about history and philosophy.  He had only one work pertaining to ghost stories, but it was clearly a work of fiction; he didn’t suppose it would be much use in unraveling the mystery of the presence.  His eyes skimmed a row of science fiction novels, and one spine imprinted with the words “time machine” caught his attention.  Perhaps she was a traveler from a distant future?

Sighing, Isaac realized that his speculation was hopeless.  Until he could find a way to communicate with the woman, he’d never understand how she came to be.  He stood and paced back and forth in front of the hearth.

This situation with the apparition was just one more brick of frustration to add to the growing wall that stood in the way of his starting his life.  Even from his earliest childhood, Isaac had never been able to shake the feeling that he just didn’t belong here, that something important was missing from his life and it was somehow his own fault.  He’d always been obedient – studious, hardworking, kind – but yet he never felt like it was enough, never felt like anything he did could truly justify his own existence.

Isaac had never understood where these feelings of inadequacy had come from – his parents had never been anything less than loving and proud as far back as he could remember – but he’d harbored this discontentment with himself as long as he could remember.  And now he was nearly a grown man, and every passing day saw him more and more eager to break free of the family farm and prove himself out in the world.

But at the same time, the thought of leaving his loved ones behind left his resolve wavering.  And now this presence – and his ardent desire to learn who she was – was just one more thing tying him to Mason Manor.  He didn’t know how he’d ever disentangle himself from his current life enough to pursue what he knew he needed to do.

Isaac paced to the window, the frosty bite of winter pressing against him through the glass.  His breath fogged in a small circle on the windowpane as he looked eastward out over the property, in the direction of the city.  This many miles away he couldn’t see the dense array of golden lights emanating from apartments and restaurants and offices, but he knew they were there, twinkling in the evening light.  Isaac wondered what else he might be doing now if he were there, instead of in this solitary house on his family’s vast estate.

The floor creaked in the hallway as Josephine descended from the attic and headed to the first floor.  Isaac dismissed his wandering thoughts and turned his attention back to the presence.  He wasn’t sure how to proceed in uncovering more about her, but he was fairly certain that he wasn’t going to trigger any epiphanies sitting in his study.

Isaac wondered if perhaps Jo had seen the presence as well.  It was said that children were often more attuned to supernatural experiences.  Maybe she had seen the woman but neglected to say anything, figuring that she’d just be scolded for making up fanciful stories.  Isaac turned towards the door, intending to follow Jo downstairs and find out whatever she might know.