Whispers in the Dark (15 page)

Out of nowhere, someone grabbed me from behind and swung me into the lockers. I hit
my head hard when I fell to the floor. Two figures grabbed me by the arms and started
dragging me down the hallway. “Nooooooo!” I screamed out.

They threw me against the wall, knocking the breath out of me. I felt myself start
to lose consciousness, but I could see someone walking up to me. It was Isabelle,
with a knife in her hand.

“Isabelle, no! Please!” I begged her.

Without saying a word, Isabelle stood over me with the knife.

“Isabelle, please. Don't! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,” I tell her. “I didn't know that
Christy was pregnant. I swear I didn't. What I did was wrong, and if I could go back
to that time, I would, so I could make things right. Not only for me and Christy,
but for you. I would make things right for you, Isabelle.”

She raised the knife in the air. I didn't have any strength left. My heart was racing,
and I was shaking uncontrollably. I closed my eyes and waited for her to thrust the
knife into me.

“It was my fault,” I said, as I started to lose consciousness. This was it. All those
panic attacks had taken a toll on my body. I couldn't control it anymore. “It was
my fault. I was selfish. You deserved someone better than me. I should have been
there for . . . for . . . you.”

I felt Isabelle's soft hand touch my face. “Breathe. Just breathe,” she said. “Breathe.”

I started taking deep breaths. Deep, deep breaths. I looked up and saw Isabelle standing
over me. I continued to breathe deeply.

Isabelle lowered the knife as tears filled her eyes. “All you had to do was be there,
and I could have been here.”

“I should have been,” I repeated, gaining consciousness.

Isabelle shook her head, then said, “But it's too late now.”

“No, it's not too late. I'm here now,” I assured her. “I can be here for you now.”

“No. You can't,” Isabelle said, shaking her head.

“I can, Isabelle. I'm here now.”

“No. Be there for Robin,” Isabelle advised. “She needs you now. There are a lot of
evil spirits coming to her. Both of you, get out of this school and don't ever look
back.”

Isabelle's words sank deep into my heart. “Okay. But what about you?”

“Just take
care of her so she can get some help,” Isabelle said. “I have a family now.”

I looked past Isabelle and saw a hallway full of the spirits of different students.
Students of all ages, ethnicities, young and old, who had come to the school. Isabelle
stepped away from me and allowed me to get up. Looking at the faces of all the students
brought tears to my eyes. I understood now what Denise meant when she said that those
spirits who are left behind roam to places they couldn't go while they were living.

I turned to Isabelle and hugged her tightly. “I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I love
you.”

“I love you, too,” Isabelle said, quietly. “And I'll always be with you.”

My grip on Isabelle loosened as I realized that no one was there. I turned around
to see all the students, but the hallway was empty. Just as quickly as everything
had happened, it was over.

I limped slowly down the hallway to the exit doors. I walked around the building
and saw Justin, Greedy, Raven, and Robin standing there waiting for me. Everyone
ran toward me except Robin, who stood silently.

“Adrian, what's going on?” Greedy asked. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, what happened?” Justin asked.

I didn't say anything right away. I thought of how this whole situation happened
because of my selfishness.

“Greedy, I'm sorry man. I—”

“Aw, man, don't worry about that,” Greedy interrupted.

“No, listen to me,” I demanded. “I was selfish, and I was only focused on what I
had going on. I'm gonna do whatever I can do to help you, but next time, talk to
me, and let me know. Y'all my boys, and y'all have to keep me in check. All right?”

“All right, man,” they both agreed.

My heart was still heavy, thinking about Isabelle. Isabelle's words echoed through
my mind. I walked over to Robin and embraced her. “It's okay,” I tell her.

I turned around and looked back at the doors I just came out of. I saw Isabelle standing
there, smiling. Then she turned and walked back into the school.

Chapter 13

T
hat night, I lay in my hospital bed listening to the monitor beep and thinking about
everything that happened. I didn't press charges against Robin. Instead, I called
her adoptive parents and told them everything. They immediately had Robin admitted
to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation. I was pleased, knowing that she was finally
going to get the help she needed. The hospital had already released Lea, and she
sat by my bed now, caressing and holding my hand.

My grandmother always used to say that the choices we think are small, aren't so
small, because in the end, all of them count. I had no idea that a choice I made
years ago would come back and affect me and those around me so deeply.

I promised Lea that we would start over, in a new city, and I kept that promise.

We decided to move to south Florida. I finally told Lea about my panic attacks and
promised her that I would find a counselor to help me through it. I let Greedy stay
in my grandmother's house until he got back on his feet. Denise said she would help
him and get his application to the right person at the school. Justin agreed to look
after Greedy, and to keep an eye on the house.

As we drove to Florida, my heart was heavy, thinking about Isabelle. I felt a void
like I never felt before. I wish I could have spent more time with
her and gotten
to know her better, but I was content with knowing that she was where she wanted
to be.

Epilogue

R
obin is sitting in the activity room of a psychiatric hospital, reading a book.
The activity room is full of other young people. Some of them are watching television,
some are playing board games, and others are being assisted by nurses. A young girl
walks over to where Robin is sitting.

“Hi,” the young girl says to Robin.

“Hi,” Robin responds.

“I'm Dawn.”

“Hey, I'm Robin,” Robin says, uninterested.

“What are you reading?” Dawn asks.

Robin holds up the cover of the book for Dawn to see. “
The Absolutely True Diary
of a Part-Time Indian
. Is that a good book?”

“Yeah, it's pretty good,” Robin tells her.

“You know, no one really reads in here,” Dawn tells her.

Robin doesn't say anything. She continues to read.

“I guess you're one of the quiet ones, huh?” Dawn asks.

Robin still doesn't say anything.

“So, why are you in here?”

“It's a long story, and I really don't wanna talk about it,” Robin tells her, and
continues to read her book.

“Oh, okay,” Dawn says. “So, have you tried to escape yet?”

Robin looks up at Dawn. “Escape?”

“Yeah.”

“No, why?” Robin asks.

“Well, I know a way out of here, come on,” Dawn says, urging Robin to leave.

“But I'll get in trouble,” Robin tells her.

“No, you won't. You're new here,” Dawn explains. “There are some new nurses here
who wouldn't even notice that you're gone. So come on.”

“No, that's okay. I'm fine right here,” Robin refuses. “I really don't want to get
in any more trouble.”

“Robin, come on,” Dawn pleads. “Do you really want to spend the next couple of years
in here?”

Robin thinks for a minute, and looks around at the other people in the activity room.

“They're going to give you medicine and shots every day. It's meant to calm you down
so you won't get crazy, but you won't be the same once you take it,” Dawn explains
to Robin.

“But I'm not crazy,” Robin tells her.

“They don't know that,” Dawn says. “Look at how everyone in here is acting. You'll
be just like them.”

Robin looks at a girl who is playing chess by herself. She then looks at a guy who
is mumbling and laughing to himself. Robin thinks for a moment, then closes her book
and says, “Okay.”

“Good, follow me,” Dawn says, leading Robin. “And if they find you, they won't do
nothing serious. They'll just give you a warning. Everyone has tried at least once.”

“Okay,” Robin agrees.

“Oh, and when we get out, you have to do me a favor, okay?” Dawn asks.

“Okay.”

Dawn smiles as she leads Robin down the hallway. A dark shadow follows.

The End