"Oh. No. No." Amelia dropped the shell onto the sand.
An intense painful itch grew from the barb buried deep in her hand, and burned all the way up her arm. She whimpered. The shell had been so pretty. Completely harmless. Or so she'd thought.
She cradled her hand against her chest. She could hear someone panting.
The itching, burning pain crept down her leg. Amelia took a step forward, and it took all of her strength not to collapse to the ground. She dragged in a breath, the constriction in her chest felt like elastic bands, squeezing. She realised the person panting was her.
Must. Not. Panic.
She grit her teeth, and focussing only on slowing her breathing and getting to help, she limped up the tropical East Timorese beach. She put one foot in front of the other until she came to the path that led to the Maubara orphanage. Breathing became harder with each step along the path, and when the glaring white walls and red tin roof of the orphanage came into view Amelia tried to call for help. It was impossible to pull enough air into her lungs to get the words out.
Must. Not. Panic.
She made it to the cool dusty porch, and grabbed the cord of the bell used to call the children in from lunch. Then sank to the ground as its chime reverberated in the still air like a death knell.
"Amelia, what is the matter child?" Clara Eisenberg appeared at the door, and was on her knees beside her in a second.
"Shell... my hand..." wheezed Amelia. "Can't. Breathe."
This could not be happening.
The creeping numbness settled over her shoulders and crept towards her heart.
"A pretty shell? Gold coloured, with black and white? You stood on it then picked it up?"
Amelia nodded - that was exactly what she'd done - she rested her head on the rough cement and concentrated on trying to breathe. Clara shouted in Tetum – the local Timorese language - to the orphanage staff. Her voice had become distant, and Amelia could not follow what she said. Grey spots appeared at the outer edges of her vision.
"I'm calling your father." Clara's face swam close.
"No," gasped Amelia. It'd be the end of everything.
The world faded to black.
YOU ARE READING
Misconception
AdventurePregnant with no memory of the father, or indeed how the whole catastrophe happened... Amelia Dubonnier has decided to love her baby and get on with her life. Mick never thought the most unforgettable night of his life would happen when he was...
