Trapped in a Castle

by Katie Holland

  I hadn’t returned a note to Ellis after the one he’d given me on New Year’s Eve. To be honest, I was hoping we’d have already met in person. I decided that when I got home tonight I’d figure out something to make him and leave him a note. I was actually glad when I was done for the day since I’d decided to do something for Ellis he was all I could think about. I had trouble concentrating on work.

  On my relatively short drive home I was thinking about what to make him when out of nowhere the back of my car was hit hard. My head hit the steering wheel. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but they were just too heavy. Sleeping sounded like a good idea right about now and I closed my eyes.

  * * *

  “Eve, your back!” Jackson said, as he ran toward me. “I’ve missed you like crazy.”

  I ran to him as well because I’d missed him too.

  “I don’t care where you’ve been I’m just so happy you’ve come back to me,” he said, as his arms wrapped around me.

  I had to agree. I wasn’t sure where I’d been, but I knew I was home now.

  “Princess missed you too,” he said, at the same time I felt her little head rub on my ankle.

  I had tears running down my face. I was utterly thrilled to be back in Jackson’s arms, I just wish I could remember why I’d been away from him.

  He took my hand and we walked to the room with the fireplace. I sat on the couch and he started to make a fire. Princess jumped on me and curled up in my lap. Jackson had the fire going in no time and sat down beside me. He put his arm around me and my head automatically went to his shoulder. This was the perfect life. Not a care in the world and the person I loved most next to me.

  Jackson turned his head and laid a soft kiss on my forehead. “I love you Eve,” he said in such a tender voice.

  “I love you too Jackson,” I whispered back. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. This is where I wanted to be forever.

  * * *

  When I opened my eyes again I was staring at a white ceiling. I started to panic. I recognized that I was in a hospital and the last thing I remembered was falling asleep on Jackson. How long had I been here? What was going on? I started to sit up when I felt the pounding in my head. I put my hand to my forehead and felt a bandage. I was feeling around for the call button when my mom practically ran into the room.

  “Eve,” she said, as she came over to the bed and hugged me. “I’m so glad you’re awake. You gave us quite a scare.”

  “What happened? How long have I been here?” Even I could hear the panic in my voice.

  “Calm down honey. You’ve only been here for a few hours. You were rear ended on your way home from work. Your airbag didn’t go off and you hit your head on the steering wheel. You passed out and have been unconscious for a bit. It’s not like last time, I promise. Are you alright?”

  “I don’t know. I was back in the castle with Jackson while I was unconscious. So, I was freaked out when I woke up in the hospital again. Can I go home tonight?”

  “I’m not sure. I know that you don’t have a concussion which is good, but since you just woke up the doctor will want to talk to you. I’ll go get a nurse or someone.”

  Mom left the room and I was left to my thoughts. Jackson was so ingrained in my subconscious that I wasn’t sure he would ever leave. And honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted him gone. So, what if he wasn’t a real person, he was real to me. I closed my eyes and tried to hang onto the feeling of contentment I had while resting in Jackson’s arms.

  A few minutes later mom was back with a man that I assumed was the doctor.

  “Miss Caulder, I’m Dr. Anderson,” he said in a deep voice. “I hear you’re wondering if you can leave tonight.”

  I nodded.

  “Your x-rays don’t show any broken bones and no concussion. But since the airbag in your car didn’t go off when you were hit I’m going to keep you overnight for observation. Due to your previous injuries we just want to make sure that everything is okay.”

  He left the room and a nurse came into take my vital signs. She didn’t say much and quite frankly I was disappointed that I would have to spend the night. I wanted my bed and my cat. After the nurse left mom sat in the chair next to the bed.

  “I was so worried when the hospital called me,” she said. “It took me right back to last time. I’m just so grateful it wasn’t as bad this time.”

  “What happened to the driver that hit me?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure if she was arrested or not but I know she was texting when she hit you.”

  “How bad is my car hurt?”

  “It’s not great honey. The insurance company will have a look at it and let us know. Your dad has already talked to your boss and he said to take off as much time as you need.”

  “This sucks, you know that right? Do I have a target on me that says hit me with your car?”

  “It’s been over three years since the last one, I don’t think that makes you a target Eve,” Mom said smiling.

  “I know, I just hate this. I hate being in the hospital. I just want to go home and have a bath and rest in my own bed. What about Molly?”

  “Your dad is at your apartment and will make sure Molly has enough food and water until you get home.”

  “Okay, good. Tell him thanks for me.”

  “I will honey. Can I ask you something Eve?”

  “Of course, mom. What is it?”

  “Well when you woke up you said that you were back in the castle with Jackson. Is that something you still think about?”

  I was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out the right thing to say. I didn’t think mom would judge me, but I knew it wasn’t normal to keep thinking about something that didn’t really happen.

  “I don’t think about it or him as much as I used to. And occasionally he will pop into my dreams. It’s hard mom, that time seemed so real to me. I know it’s hard for anyone to understand but I was so happy there.”

  “It’s okay Eve. I was just curious. I’m going to go call your father and tell him what the doctor said. I’ll be staying with you tonight if they let me. Get some rest honey.”

  Mom left the room and that left me alone with my thoughts. My goal for the next five years was to stay out of any hospital unless I was visiting someone or having a baby. I’d had enough of hospitals. As much as I tried not to think about Jackson he was always there. All I wanted out of life was to be that peaceful and content again. I closed my eyes and let Jackson fill my head. Just for tonight I’d let myself be back in the castle and happy in Jackson’s arms.

  Chapter 21

  I spent the next few days recovering at home. Mom came by with food and to check on me every day. The bump on my head was getting smaller and the bruise was turning a nice shade of blue. I spent most of the time reading or watching movies. I had three beautiful bouquets of flowers on my coffee table. The one I already had from Ellis, one from mom and dad, and the last one was from the people I worked with wishing me a speedy recovery. It smelled like a florist’s shop in my apartment, I loved it.

  I took a week off work and I was ready to go back. I still didn’t have a car to drive as my insurance company was having trouble with the texting woman’s insurance not wanting to pay out the claim, even though it was clearly her fault. So that meant that mom was picking me up and taking me home. I didn’t mind as I liked the company.

  I also hadn’t heard from Ellis since my accident. I’d left a thank you for the New Year’s Eve horn the day after I’d received it but nothing from him. Maybe he was out of town? I’ll admit that I really looked forward to a note or box outside my door.

  Today was Friday, but we were closed for inventory, so I had the afternoon off. Mom and I had decided to go see a movie. We ended up going to a comedy and I laughed so hard my sides hurt. After the movie we went for coffee before she dropped me off at my apartment.

  My face broke into a huge smile as I got to my door. There was an envelope sitting in front it. I picked it up an
d hurried to get inside to read it.

  Eve,

  I hope you’re free tonight. I would like to invite you to my place for dinner. It’s time we met face to face. If you can make it, please just knock on my door around 7:00. If not please leave me a note to let me know. I’ll be checking my door. I really hope to see you later.

  Ellis

  The first thing I did was text mom to call me when she got home. After the accident there was no way anyone in my family would even touch a cell phone in the car. To say I was happy was an understatement. I felt like jumping up and down. I looked at the time, it was just after 4:00. That gave me almost three hours to get ready.

  I went to my closet to try and figure out what to wear. Should I wear a dress? A skirt and blouse? Something I’d wear to work? I just didn’t know. It had been years since I’d been on a date, I was nervous. As I was going through my clothes my phone rang, it was mom.

  I didn’t even say hello when I answered. “Mom, he wants me to come over for dinner tonight.”

  My mom let out a little squeal on the other end of the phone. “That’s wonderful Eve. I’m so excited for you. What are you going to wear?”

  Despite my nerves I had to laugh. “I have no idea. I’ve been staring at my closet hoping the answer will come to me. I thought you might have some advice.”

  “Well, what are you most comfortable in?” she asked.

  “Jeans,” I answered.

  “Then wear jeans. It’s just dinner at his place, not a fancy restaurant. Put on a nice top and call yourself ready.”

  Mom always seemed to make my life simpler. “Thanks mom.”

  “Any time honey. Call me when you get home. I want to know how it went. Love you Eve.”

  “Love you too mom.”

  I hung up feeling a little less nervous. I decided to have a shower since my hair was easier to work with when it was wet. I took a few extra minutes to just let the water flow over me and calm me down. I hoped I didn’t make a fool of myself and do something embarrassing. I had a tendency to do that when my nerves got the better of me.

  After I dried off, I left the towel on my hair and put on my fluffy robe. I went back to my closet to find the shirt I wanted to wear. I finally settled on a light pink V-neck sweater that had a little bit of sparkle to it. I laid it on the bed and went back to the bathroom to finish my hair. I’d never been one of those girls that spent hours on my hair and makeup. I put a bunch of mousse in my hair and scrunched it with my fingers and added some hairspray to keep the fly-always to a minimum. I had naturally wavy hair but that also meant it usually tried to go frizzy on me.

  Once I was satisfied with my hair I put on a little bit of makeup. I didn’t own much. A little bit of mascara, eyeshadow, blush and lip gloss and I was done. I looked at the bruise that was just barely visible on my forehead. I didn’t have anything to cover it up with, so it was just going to have to be a bruise, I hoped Ellis didn’t notice. At least the bump was gone.

  My hair was done and so was my makeup. That just left me getting dressed. It was only 5:30, I still had an hour and a half before I went across the hall. I decided not to get dressed yet and instead I went to the kitchen and started making a quick cookie recipe. At least I wouldn’t go empty handed.

  An hour later the cookies were done, cooled and packed up for Ellis. I went back to my room to get dressed. I put on my favorite pair of dark jeans, the pink sweater and a cute pair of silver ballet flats. I still had twenty minutes to wait. I was driving myself crazy. I was both excited and nervous. I took some calming breaths like Dr. Grey had taught me when things were getting overwhelming. When I was done I felt better.

  I gave myself a pep talk. “Just be yourself Eve. Don’t talk too much. Be prepared for anything. This is a step forward.”

  I repeated that until it was time to meet him. I grabbed the cookies and my keys, walked the few steps across the hall and knocked. What greeted me on the other side of the door was something I was totally unprepared for and I was completely stunned.

  Chapter 22

  I stood there staring at Ellis and I’m sure my mouth was hanging open. I was shocked.

  “Eve … Eve … Eve are you okay?” he was saying to me, but I couldn’t make my mouth move. He waved his hand in front of my face to get my attention.

  “Eve is everything alright?” he said, in a voice that finally snapped me out of it.

  “Uh … yeah, sorry, I’m okay. I apologize for staring, but you look like someone I used to know. Someone that I thought I’d never see again. Wow, what a terrible first impression I’m making,” I said trying to lighten the mood.

  “As long as you’re okay you can stare at me any time you like. Please come in Eve,” he said and smiled at me.

  I tried to quickly gather my thoughts and act like a normal human being, but my head was going a million miles an hour and my heart was racing. Ellis could have been Jackson’s twin brother and the smile he just gave me was all Jackson. I know none of this made any sense unless I was in a coma again, but I didn’t think that was the case.

  Ellis led me to the kitchen and I gave him the cookies. His apartment was very similar to mine. I needed to say something, so I didn’t look like a total weirdo.

  “It smells great in here. What are we having?” That sounded normal right?

  “Thanks. I made my famous lasagna.”

  “Famous huh. Well I can’t wait to try it. Can I help with anything?”

  “Everything is ready, but would you mind pouring the wine? There’s a bottle chilling in the fridge.”

  I went to the fridge and found the wine and filled the two glasses he had on the counter. I was trying to enjoy myself, but I couldn’t get my mind off the fact that Ellis looked so much like Jackson and Jackson had never been a real person. Mom was just going to love this.

  I took the glasses of wine to the table as Ellis took the lasagna out of the oven. It really did smell good. He brought the salad and bread to the table.

  “Let’s let the lasagna cool off for a bit while we have our salad,” he said, and motioned for me to sit down.

  We sat, and Ellis put some salad on his plate and handed it to me. I added some to my plate and tasted it. He made a good salad. Nothing was said for a few minutes. It was awkward, and I knew it was my fault. That meant I needed to fix it.

  “Ellis, I’m really sorry for making this strange. I was so excited to meet you that I had to call my mom earlier to calm me down. And when you opened the door I got the shock of my life when I saw you. It’s a long story and I’ll tell you if you want to hear it.”

  “Eve,” he said, as he reached out and held my hand, “I’ll listen to anything you want to tell me. I already find you interesting.”

  “You might not feel that way when I tell you why I’ve been staring at you.”

  He just shrugged. “Let me get the lasagna and you can tell me about it while we eat.”

  I was nervous about telling him, but I felt that if I explained why I was being weird it would help. Either that or it would go horribly wrong and I’d have to move. All too soon he was back with the rest of our dinner. He put some on my plate and I took a bite, it was really good. I hope he accepted what I had to say because I wanted to eat more of his cooking.

  “So …” I started to say but I was having trouble finding the words. I was fidgeting and I’m sure I looked nervous. I’d only told mom, dad, my brother and Dr. Grey the entire story, I wasn’t sure how to start.

  “It’s okay Eve, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I can see this is difficult.”

  “No, I want to tell you, it’s just that I’ve never said most of this out loud to anyone that wasn’t family. Just over three years ago I was in a terrible car accident. I was in the hospital in a coma for eight months. Then I went to a long-term care facility for just over a year to learn how to use most of my body again.”

  “Oh Eve, that must have been awful.”

  “It wasn’t great, but I learned
to be strong and what I was capable of. But that’s not the important part of this story. I need to tell you about what happened while I was in a coma. This is the part that might have you asking me to leave.”

  “I doubt that very much,” he said.

  “Just wait,” I told him as I thought of exactly how to tell him about what had seemed so real to me. “So, I went to bed one night and woke up in a castle. What I didn’t know at the time was that I was in a coma. When I woke up in a strange place I panicked. I searched everywhere and couldn’t find a way out. After a while I calmed down and started a methodical search. Long story short, I ended up with a kitten, lots of books, and no way out. It sounds silly when I say it out loud, but everything seemed so real. I was hungry and tired just like real life. I cooked food and could feel the sun shining in the windows was warm. The fire in the fireplace crackled and smelled like a fire should. Princess, that’s what I named the kitten, was soft and purred a lot. If I stubbed my toe it hurt. Everything felt real. The strange situation slowly became normal and time lost all meaning. So, several weeks passed and one day I heard another person there. He appeared to be in the same situation as me. He went to bed and woke up in the castle as well. It took a few days, but he finally realized as I did that we were trapped there. We got to know each other, became friends and eventually we fell in love. His name was Jackson and you could be his twin brother. That’s why I seemed so shocked when you answered the door. Imagine my surprise when I see you for the first time and you look like someone who only existed in my coma induced haze. So that’s my strange, but true tale.”

  Ellis just sat there looking at me after I finished. Did he think I was crazy? Was he kicking me out? The longer he sat there the more nervous I was getting. I was about to get up and leave when he smiled at me. A real smile that I didn’t think meant he thought I should be committed.