ARRvol34 master reduced - Flipbook - Page 44
with the wind. He was on the porch, throwing himself against the
door. Lucy sighed. All of these men were so disappointing.
“He wants to get in,” Michael said without looking down. He was
chewing on his bottom lip again. By now it was swollen and flayed.
“I’m sure he does,” Lucy agreed, “but that’s not our problem anymore.”
Michael ran his hands through his hair, chewed on his lip some
more.
“But the rain… I remember it. Cold and empty and endless. Everything out there reminds you of the life you used to have, and the
rain just comes down and washes it all away. It’ll drive him mad.”
“There’s nothing we can do,” Lucy turned to him, exasperated. “We
have to worry about ourselves now, don’t you understand? We have
to pray for the rain to stop. We’ll all find what we’re looking for
when it stops.”
“What are you looking for?”
Lucy pressed her lips together and studied the teapot, frowning.
She knew what she was looking for. She had always known.
“This time,” she whispered, so soft that Michael could barely hear,
“I’m going to make my Mommy proud.”
36
Michael watched the other visitors crawl back into the darkness
towards their faraway rooms to wait for another day, another visitor.
He stood carefully and made his way to where Lucy stood, digging
around for a packet of chamomile tea. He took the broken teapot in
his hands and traced the cracks.
