New Moon at Mellow Ville

Chapter 1

ONE.

A white rectangle fell on the floor when Jess opened the window. Then she climbed in.

It was a large room, and on the other corner Old Mrs. Perry was sleeping soundly. Jess tip-toed to the empty left-side of the bed, picked up the empty pillow, and tip-toed to the old lady's side. Then she pressed the pillow on the old lady's face and leaned her body to put her body-weight on her face.

Mrs. Perry awakened suddenly. The weight on her face was too much to even budge. Her old hands grabbed the air, her legs struggled inside the sheet. Burning exhaustion rushed in her head. Her throat involuntarily shuddered for air but pain was all it could breathe. Her limbs fluttered and slowed.

Then suddenly she became as still as the room's silence.

Jess got back on the floor, and put the pillow back where it belonged. Then she wiped the tears from Mrs. Perry's wrinkled face, caressed and smoothed her messed hair, closed her eyes and  pulled the sheet up to her shoulder.

Then she went back to the window and climbed out.

++++

Beams of sunlight shot through the leaves and poked in Jess's eyes. She wasn't shocked to find herself waking up in the forest.

Last night was a black image. It was like she closed her eyes on her bed, saw the black for one second, then opened her eyes in this forest. She felt exhausted, and thought she hasn't slept at all. But the sun right above her head begged to differ.

Her head was hurting as if she's having a hangover. This has never happened before, she thought. She pressed her temples, got up and brushed her pajamas.

She knew the way back, so she started walking, against the trail of her footprints, without noticing that behind her the trail had continued deep in the woods.

TWO.

When Jess got to her house, standing outside her yard she realized everything was too quiet, and there were many cars parked around her house.

"Hey Jess!" Someone shouted from a distance. Jess turned and saw Alex coming towards her on his red cycle. "Hi Jess. I –" He was out of breath. "I—I was just passing – I am, I am so sorry about your Grandma."

Jess only looked at his face, waiting for him to explain exactly 'What' about her grandma. When he didn't, she suddenly realized she was in her pajamas. That made her feel embarrassed.

Jess didn't say anything. Alex kept standing in silence, then thought he should leave and started on his cycle and went away.

"Okay, that was weird," Jess said.

She opened the white wooden gate and walked on the brick path between the lawn to her door.

When she was halfway there, the cloud shadows darkened the atmosphere.

With each step she took the atmosphere got darker and darker. Suddenly, cold winds blew and her pajamas fluttered. A cold numbness was growing in her head.

She moved faster.

Now, the cries of pain were coming from afar. She started to run. The light died to black in the corner of her eyes. Cold waves of black winds rushed at her from all directions.

She leaped to her stairs. A freezing black wave passed right by her making her hair fly as she landed on the stairs. Blood was pounding in her head making her feel dizzy.

She turned around and saw the wet green lawn, and the colorful cars gleaming in the hot sunlight.

She ran inside her door and all the faces turned to her. Her cheeks flushed red with shame. There were many gentleman and ladies neatly dressed, and present in her house, and they saw her in these clothes! Oh, what shame you have brought on us. Everyone was looking at her in surprise, and she couldn't stand it.

She rushed up the stairs with tears in her eyes. Mrs. Perry took leave of the room and followed her daughter. The maids followed the mistress.

"Darling, wait!" Mrs. Perry said grimly. Jess stopped at the faint whisper of her mother's voice down the corridor. She turned around and stood with her face down. She squeezed her hands, anxiously waiting for the slap.

But when Mrs. Perry came about her, she hugged her daughter and said in her ear "I'm sorry, Jess."

Jess was surprised, but she dares not speak before mother has finished.

"Gramma passed away," Mrs. Perry said. Jess's eyes widened with shock. Then Mrs. Perry left.

As soon as Jess closed the door of her room, she sunk in against it, crying hard. She loved her Gramma more than anything in this world.

Later, she found out that Gramma passed away in her sleep and that scared her. What if one day she goes to sleep and never wakes up? For a week after that she couldn't sleep.

Next evening, she was sitting in her lawn, looking up at the flowers. Alex was passing by her street. He was looking at her, then at the road. At her, then at the road.

When she saw him, he instantly looked at the road, as if he hadn't noticed she was there.

She rose her hand and held it to wave if he sees her. Then almost incidentally, he saw her and she waved, with a little smile.

He waved back and then stopped when he saw her coming.

"How are you?" She said from behind the white fence.

"I am...okay," he said, looking down.

She was also looking down. Both stood in their places, looking down for a moment.

"Miss Boots wore her red boots today," he said. She smiled a little.

"Alex?" she said, looking down.

He looked up at her. Her pink cheeks, her cream-white skin, and her golden hair seemed to be glowing. His cheeks turned red.

"What d'you have in that brown bag?" Jess said.

"Cookies— My mom made them. These are the chocolate ones that you like. I brought them—"

"For me?" Jess asked still looking down.

His cheeks were hot red now, and he looked down to hide that. Looking down he rapidly nodded.

She smiled, but then held her lip from smiling too wide. But she did, and then she looked up at him.

He stretched out his hand, holding the brown paper bag right above the fence. She took it, and with a finger tucked her falling hair behind her ear.

He didn't need to look up to tell how happy she was. He could feel it. "I was, I was just walking around. It's just..."

After a moment she said, "Just what?"

"Nothing, nothing. It's just...you shouldn't. It's..."

"It's all right," she said.

And the way she said it made him believe that it really was.

"It's just, everyone's sad," he said. "Jim's grandpa, Ellie's grandpa, Steve's grandma... also passed away...with your grandma."