Dad was in his study. The door was shut so tight it might as well have been a rat trap. I paused outside but I heard no signs of life from behind the door. I felt light and floaty. The hallway was swimming in my vision. In the kitchen, I chugged down three glasses of water in quick succession. The cold water gurgled and sloshed in my stomach before settling. A slight headache I hadn't paid much attention to lessened its grip.
Feeling better, I rolled my stiff shoulders. All my aches and pains were now clamouring for attention. My leg muscles burned. I was becoming acclimated to the continual internal cold feeling. That probably wasn't good but I couldn't think about that now. What was I going to say to Grace? I was sorry I’d hit her but also not nearly ready to forgive her.
Almost 4:00pm. Amy's bus would be in soon. I should try and sort things out with Grace before Amy got home at least. The last thing Amy needed was to be piggy-in-the-middle again. I put four large potatoes in the oven to bake and covered steaks in marinade, ready to grill later. Deciding that I really couldn't put it off any longer I went to see if Grace was home. Pausing outside her bedroom door, I knocked tentatively.
"Busy!" She didn't sound annoyed, just distracted.
"G-Grace? It's Muh me. Kuh can we talk?"
"What do you want?" She opened the door just enough to stick her head out but kept a firm hold on the door handle.
"Suh sorry. About eh-earlier I m-mean." I swallowed hard, staring at the floor. Tried to forget I was still angry with her. And hurt.
"Why are you apologizing? Did you break something of mine? You didn't borrow my stereo did you?" She glanced behind her. Reassured that it hadn't been moved she looked back at me. "What have you been doing? You smell like rotting vegetables and you look like you've rolled down a hill!"
The transparent sincerity of her tone threw me. She didn't remember anything. Nothing at all. I glanced at the scabbed over bite mark on her lip.
"Wuh what happened to your lip G-Grace?" Talk about déjà vue. For a moment there was a flicker of memory, then her eyes glazed over again.
"What are you on about?" She touched her lip, then jerked her hand away. "Ow! I guess I bit it somehow. So what are you apologizing for? Hurry up I've got stuff to do."
"Eh-earlier. On the muh moor. W we had a fuh fight…."
"Gremlin, I haven't been out of this dump all day. Do you really think I spent my day wandering around Arm-pit and the countryside? Since when have I been a big nature fan?" She laughed at me.
"We were both o-out there. You s-saw Huh Huh Haze…" I may as well have been trying to run up a wall. The more I reminded her the less she remembered.
"I haven't seen him since you mouthed off at him the other day. At least Amy apologized. Is that what you're on about?"
"Nuh no! Earlier on the m-moor…" I pressed my hand against the door, as if by getting into her room I'd somehow crack open the locked cache of memories in her head.
"Enough. I haven't got time to stand here and go senile while you try and spit out whatever game you're playing. I haven't been out today. End of." She shoved back against the door, forcing me back a step.
"G-Grace your hair!" I cried in a last ditch attempt to get through to her.
"What? I got it cut two weeks ago. And I've brushed it, which is more I can say for you. Try personal grooming sometime, Gremlin."
"G-Grace it's duh darker! I sw-swear!"
Grace rolled her eyes. "Honestly? That's the best you've got? It's the same colour it's always been. Dad would have a mare if any of us dyed our hair. You know that." She flicked a strand of dark-honey toned hair. "See. Same as always. Now go away." She shoved the door hard and I was thrown back. I heard the bolt slide to on the other side.
"But Grace you had l-light b-blonde hair…" I whispered.
"Emlynn?" Amy's face appeared, pale and frowning, at the top of the stairs. "What was that about?"
I Belong to the Earth (Unveiled Book 1) Page 19