“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say just when it comes to a car wreck that lands them in the hospital.” Vivien tapped her fingers on the table and studied her. Her voice softened. “You lost someone, didn’t you?”
How did she know?
Sue didn’t answer.
“You’re overwhelmed,” Vivien continued. “You don’t understand what’s happening to you.”
They weren’t questions.
“And why wouldn’t you be?” Lorna again reached for her, finally capturing her hand. “You’re so tired.”
Sue didn’t like the pity she saw on their faces.
“And hungry,” Lorna stated, letting go of her and standing. “I hope you like pork roast with a green pepper jelly glaze, lemon and parmesan asparagus, cheesy mashed potatoes, and homemade dinner rolls. We’re moving in, so I didn’t have time to make something elaborate for dessert, but there is chocolate cake.”
“My something-not-elaborate is me picking up tacos from a food truck,” Heather said. “Lorna’s not-elaborate is something that only took her an hour to cook from scratch.”
“It’s why she’s our roommate,” Vivien said.
“I heard that,” Lorna called from the other room.
“There are other reasons,” Vivien loudly amended.
“Yeah, your baking,” Heather added.
To Sue, Vivien said, “You have got to try her cinnamon rolls. I know that after forty, I’m supposed to watch what I eat because I can’t lose weight as fast, but, baby, buy me a forklift because I cannot say no to her cinnamon rolls.”
Lorna poked her head through the doorway. “I can do that. You want regular or chocolate chip cinnamon buns? I have the stuff to make both.”
“Oh, no, wait, stop, you don’t have to do that,” Vivien droned in a flat tone, clearly not meaning it. Then more enthusiastically, she added, “Chocolate chip.”
“Unless you prefer regular?” Heather said to Sue.
“No, I…” Sue shook her head. They acted like she was going to stay there awhile. The thought of putting anything in her mouth made her gag. “None for me.”
“You have to eat something.” Lorna came more fully into the room and placed her hands on her hips.
“I…” Sue looked at the ring box on the table but didn’t touch it. “I can’t.”
“Are you allergic?” Heather asked. “Because we can accommodate allergies, right Lorna?”
“Of course,” Lorna said.
Sue thought about lying, but these women were being nice to her. They invited her into their home, and even though they were a little strange, she had no reason to be mean to them.
Sue shook her head. “No.”
“Don’t like pork?” Vivien asked.
“No, it’s not that, it’s…” Sue continued to stare at the ring box. “Nothing tastes right. I think my mouth is cursed.” She frowned, tucking her chin a little as she drew her eyes to the floor. “And my nose.”
“Cursed?” Heather took the seat Lorna had previously occupied.
“It’s just a saying,” Sue tried to dismiss.
“My mouth is cursed is not a saying. You can’t judge a book by its cover is a saying,” Vivien said. “The grass is always greener on the other side is a saying.”
“Technically, I think those are clichés,” Heather said, “but you made your point.”
Vivien sighed and closed her eyes. She absently twirled the antique ring on her finger. “Everything you eat tastes like… like something else, something that makes you gag.”
“How…?” Sue used the last of her strength to stand and step away from Heather. The second she was upright, she regretted it.
“We believe you,” Heather said. “Whatever you tell us is happening, we will believe you.”
“Dinner is almost ready,” Lorna yelled from the kitchen. “I just need a few more minutes.”
They ignored her.
“There is a smell too,” Vivien continued. “A phantom smell that follows you?”
“You can’t know…” Sue shook her head. It was too difficult to concentrate. “What did you do to me? That ring—”
“Oh, hey, no,” Heather said. “Julia’s rings aren’t cursed. It came to you to be a guide because you need our help.”
“Help with—?” Before Sue could finish the sentence, the smell of Hank’s cologne surrounded her.
“What the hell is that smell?” Vivien pinched her nose and turned toward the kitchen doorway. “Lorna, is someone in there smoking fifty cigarettes?”
Sue coughed, covering her mouth even as she fell to her knees. The smell choked her, and it became hard to breathe. The air rasped from her lungs.
“Do you feel that?” Heather asked as she dropped to her knees beside Sue.
“It’s freezing,” Vivien said. “What do you see?”
“Nothing.” Heather took hold of Sue’s arms. “She’s cold.”
“Lorna,” Vivien yelled. “We need you!”
Sue fell onto her side. Heather tried to catch her even as she eased her on the floor. The woman stroked back her hair from her face.
“I brought dinner rolls,” Lorna said. “The food just came out of the oven, but I thought she could start on these. Where—Omigod, what happened?”
“She needs your help,” Heather said. “Transfer whatever she has into me.”
“And me,” Vivien said. “We’ll share it.”
“We’ll all share it,” Lorna corrected. “Try to make her comfortable.”
“I can…” Sue tried to sit up.
“Lie down,” Heather ordered.
Sue moaned. Her head hurt, and she just wanted the darkness to take her.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the women leaning over her. She frowned and weakly swatted her hand to get them away. They ignored her.
“Let her help,” Heather urged. “Lorna’s a healer.”
“I don’t need reiki or whatever you call it,” Sue protested, though the words sounded more like a mumble even to her own ears. The last thing she wanted was someone touching her, even if they claimed it was for therapeutic purposes. She was only vaguely aware that she was lying on the dining room floor in a stranger’s home.
“Stop fussing and let us help you.” Lorna touched Sue’s forehead and then reached for Heather’s hand. Lorna closed her eyes. Sue felt her skin tingle where the woman made contact with her.
After a few seconds, Heather covered her mouth and yawned. “I don’t know if I’m more tired or hungry.”
“Give me the hunger pains,” Vivien said. “I don’t mind having seconds.”
Lorna let go of Heather and grabbed Vivien, then placed her hand on Sue’s stomach. Sue couldn’t keep her eyes open. As the pain started to leave her, exhaustion set in.
Vivien grabbed her side. “Oh, fuck, that’s not hunger pains.”
Lorna instantly drew her hands away from Sue and Vivien. “What happened?”
Vivien lifted her shirt to show a bruise forming on her side. “I feel like someone just kicked the shit out of me.”