Chapter Twenty-Six
“So before this you had no musical abilities whatsoever?” Tatie Nai asked as Keith sat down at the dinner table, having already heard the rough story from Nolan whilst Keith had been out.
“None whatsoever,” Keith nodded, smiling up at her. “It smells good,” he said as the crazy haired woman put a dish of baked potatoes down on the table.
“Thank Nolan,” Tatie Nai winked as Maria came out of the kitchen, a frown on her face.
“I got kicked out,” she complained. “I was only going to get a drink.”
“You’re not allowed in the kitchen,” Nolan called after her. “You blow things up!”
“Do not!” Maria called over her shoulder, padding over to the table and taking a seat next to Keith, an air of defeat about her. “Tell him I don’t Tatie! Tell him things don’t just spontaneously combust around me!”
“Well.... They do honey,” Tatie Nai admitted. “You get that from your father,” she smiled. “Wonder where that devil went....” she sighed, turning to retrieve more food from the kitchen, to set the table.
As if on cue, Klem began yelling for them to come.
“What is it this time?” Keith garbled, rubbing his forehead. “It’s giving me a headache.”
“Somebody’s having mood swings,” Maria teased, grabbing his hand and tugging him up. “Let’s go see what me Pa wants,” she mimicked his accent. “M’ria!” she laughed, guiding Keith down the hall.
“What is it Daddy?” Maria called, following the sound of his voice.
“In here! Quickly now! M’ria! He’s awake!”
“Who?” Keith asked, stopping in the doorway, his eyes widening.
Klem was standing over Ryden’s bed, a smile full of relief on his face.
“Ryden!” Maria and Keith exclaimed, rushing over to his bedside, hanging over his face, red with fever.
“Who is there?” Ryden asked, his eyes open, but out of focus. His vision was blurred, and he could only make out the rough shapes of three people over him. The smallest one he assumed to be Maria, but he could not be sure without hearing a voice.
“It’s me Ryden,” Maria said, taking his hand, which he had attempted to lift, but was having trouble keeping it up for long. “Maria,” she said softly. “We’re all here, at my house, everybody is safe.”
“Thank goodness,” Ryden sighed. “I can’t feel my left leg, what happened?” he asked.
Maria and Keith exchanged glances, Klem staying silent from just behind them, allowing him to speak to the people he knew best first.
“You don’t remember, do you?” Keith frowned, taking both Ryden’s and Maria’s hands in his, frowning.
Blinking furiously, Ryden’s vision was slowly adjusting. “Remember what?” he asked, now able to vaguely make out their most prominent facial features, able to roughly guess where their lips and noses were.
YOU ARE READING
Falling Up
Mystery / Thriller*sequel to Ashes* Sharon has remembered her name, but is still no closer than she was to finding out what happened to her friends, Joshua and Markl, who think they finally have a lead on what Alice wanted them to get for her... but Alice has other t...
