by Erin Danzer
* * *
Six hours later, Ronnie was back in her room surrounded by her parents and Andi when Dr. Manchester returned to her room. He held a stack of X-rays and a manila folder. He grinned as he stopped next to Ronnie’s bed.
“You are a medical miracle,” he declared. Ronnie’s eyes widened.
“What?” she asked, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Other than your elevated body temperature, your blood count being a little high, and dehydration, you’re perfectly fine. Drink plenty of water and get some rest.”
“Does that mean I can go home?” She was anxious to get into her own bed. Even though her parents had brought her a change of clothes, she missed her yellow walls and white comforter. Plus, her room didn’t smell like a closet full of disinfectant.
“Yes. I see no reason to keep you any longer. But, I want you to come back if you start feeling dizzy, the ringing in your ears gets worse, or any new symptoms emerge.” He looked up at her parents, who anxiously watched him. “Keep an eye on her for the next few days. Anything happens, bring her back immediately. Some reactions to electrocution take time to be seen.”
Her mom emphatically nodded, her blonde hair bouncing around her head. “Yes, of course, doctor. If there’s anything, we’ll bring her back. We’re just so thankful she’s okay.”
“I would love to run more tests on her,” he began.
“No!” Ronnie yelled. The doctor chuckled.
“I know you want to get home,” he said to her. Ronnie nodded, feeling sheepish for yelling, but she really didn’t want to stay here another minute longer. Dr. Manchester opened the folder in his hands and pulled her parents aside to have them sign her release papers. She turned her head and grinned at Andi, who looked groggy as she grinned back.
“You could have gone to sleep,” Ronnie told her. Andi shook her head.
“No way. I didn’t want to miss anything. How can I spread it around school how you’re a medical miracle if I fall asleep and miss something?”
Andi giggled when Ronnie reached out to punch her shoulder, which only made her friend laugh harder because Ronnie still felt a little weak.
“All right, girls, that’s enough. Let’s go home,” her dad said. Ronnie grinned at him as he helped her climb out of the bed. Once on her feet, Ronnie took a step forward and was happy she didn’t wobble or fall over. Confident she was perfectly fine, she reached for the hoodie her parents had brought back and slipped it over her head. Now that her body temperature was finally lowering to something resembling normal, she felt cold.
Half an hour later, Ronnie walked into her kitchen and sighed with relief. Surprisingly, the house had only taken minimal damage from the storm and lightning strike, though the smell of burnt wood clung to the air. She wrinkled her nose and waved her hand in front of her face. Andi giggled, catching Ronnie’s attention.
“What? It reminds me of a campfire,” Andi told her, her eyes two pools of blue innocence.
Ronnie rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Let’s go to bed.”
“Before you go up, do you plan to go to church later this morning?” Ronnie’s mom asked as the girls started out of the kitchen. Ronnie nodded. “Are you sure?” The woman’s brow creased with concern.
“Mom, I could have died tonight. I think I need to go to church and thank the gods for sparing my life,” Ronnie pointed out.
“Oh, well, if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure, Mom.”
Ronnie and Andi said good night to Ronnie’s parents before heading towards Ronnie’s room. Ronnie forgot to turn on the light as they reached the stairs and started up. A faint rustling sounded from the stairs and Ronnie paused mid-step. Something was there in the shadows, slithering down the steps. Ronnie leaned forward and willed her eyes to see into the darkness, determined to find out what was there. Andi was at the top before she realized Ronnie stopped.
“What?” Andi whispered and the rustling stopped near Ronnie’s feet. Her heart pounded as she jumped back. Something was definitely there! She tentatively reached her hand out towards the step in front of her, images of some monster biting it off flashed through her mind. She sighed and tried to relax when she only felt cool air.
“N-Nothing; I heard nothing,” she stammered, her face a little pale as she glanced up at Andi, and continued climbing the stairs. Ronnie’s eyes darted all around as she prayed whatever it had been wasn’t following her. She reached the top landing and pushed Andi towards her bedroom.
“That face says there was something; what’s going on?” Andi insisted. Ronnie shook her head.
“There was nothing there,” she repeated. Maybe if she said it enough times, she would believe it. Andi sighed.
“Okay, well, if something shows up, let me know. I don’t think I’ve had enough excitement tonight.”
Ronnie flipped on the light and sighed when she found her room the exact way she left it when they went downstairs to watch the movie. Relieved that something in her life was still normal, she settled under the blankets on her bed.
“Would it be okay if we kept the light on tonight?” Ronnie asked.
“Of course,” Andi readily agreed. Ronnie smiled at her, grateful to have her as a best friend. Most people would have teased her about being five-years-old again and afraid of the dark. Ronnie thanked her and pulled the blankets up to her chin. She was almost asleep when she heard Andi whisper,
“You just want to go to church tomorrow so you can see if I’m right about Billy.”
Ronnie giggled but didn’t reply. She didn’t need to say anything; Andi already knew she was right.