Chapter 4--Stay With Me....If Only For A While

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  • Dedicated to Jeremy George
                                    

Chapter 4

"Marcie, have you lost what's left of your mind? You met her at the door?"

"I don't see what the problem is, she's a grown woman, not a child."

"The problem is that she just lost her mother. Surely you remember the woman you look just like?"

"She's not a child Maggie and you need to stop treating her as such."

"She may not be a child but you didn't have to do it that way. It was cruel"

Shayla laid with her eyes closed and kept her breathing even so that she could continue to listen to the voices around her. She wasn't sure what they were talking about, or if they were talking at all. Maybe it was all in her head. That was something she considered until the memories of the diner and the woman outside the magic shop crashed down on her. Her eyes flew open and met four pairs of eyes and the familiar wallpaper of her living room.

She met her mother's doppleganger's eyes and shot off the couch with a scream. "Get out of my house!"

"Now sit down and stop acting like a child." The woman called Marcie commanded, her eyes blazing with irritation.

Shayla shook her head furiously and ran to the hall closet. She wrenched the door open and locked herself inside.

"Shayla-"

"NO! Get out!" Shayla roared in refusal.

"Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out...." Shayla began to mutter to herself. She felt like she was sitting back on that curb outside her mother's home.

"Maybe y'all should just go. She needs some time. Attacking her isn't going to bring her around anytime soon." Dillan's voice drifted through the door and Shayla couldn't help but feel grateful to him.

She heard many more mumbles and complaints drift through the door but did her best to ignore them. She started to rock back and forth in an attempt to sooth herself.

After about ten minutes a knock nearly drew another scream from her lips. "Shayla? You can come out now. It's just me here. Dillan."

She stared at the doorknob for another minute before she decided he might be telling the truth, after all, he did get rid of them for her. She stood up slowly and pushed the door open. Before she came out completely though, she peeked around the door and into the living room to be sure they were all gone.

"They really are all gone Shay. There are a few of those coven members outside doing some kind of chanting, but I told them not to come inside." Dillan reached his hand out hesitantly as if he was worried she'd reject it again.

"Thank you." She replied and instead of taking his hand, she collapsed into his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder and began to sob. He put his arms around her in a clumsy hug and patted her shoulders awkwardly.

"Why don't you go lay down and let me make you some tea." He offered and took her hand to lead her to her bedroom.

Shayla let him lead her to her bedroom and tuck her in. She listened as he puttered around the kitchen and tried to make some sense of the night's events. Why did that woman look like her mother? Who was she? Why did Earl and Maggie know her? Did this town know more about her than they let on? These questions and more swirled around in her head and began to give her a headache. She glanced up as Dillan made his way to her bedside with a steamy cup of tea in hand.

"Here. It's chamomille tea. Now tell me what freaked you out back there. None of this makes sense." Dillan instructed and handed her the cup of tea to sip on. She took a small sip and tasted the honey he used to sweeten it. She smiled at him and decided she could tell him the truth. He did get those people away after all.

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