Decrease

Wednesday - September 15

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Claire's slumber is disturbed when she hears the sirens blaring. As she stretches her arms, she lays her hand upon my pillow, grabs it, and brings it to her nose to smell my scent. She begins to cry. After a few moments, she returns my pillow to its place, pats it, and gives it a kiss. Wiping away her tears, Claire pulls the blanket away, stands, and stretches toward the ceiling. She looks around the bedroom, and realizes that there's absolutely no place to set up a nursery. She takes a deep yawn, which becomes interrupted by a knock on the door. Startled, Claire puts her robe on and opens the door.

"Good morning, my dear," says Aunt Ruth, as she carries a tray of juice, toast, and cereal into the bedroom, setting it on the night stand. "Did you sleep well, my dear?" Aunt Ruth asks, as she removes the breakfast items from the tray.

Rubbing her eye with one finger, Claire replies, "I think I did, Aunt Ruth." Claire walks to Aunt Ruth and places her hand on her arm, saying, "Aunt Ruth, you don't have to fuss over me. I'm perfectly capable of making my own breakfast. I should be the one making your breakfast. Staying with me means more than anything else. Especially, with this... this..." Claire fades away before completing her sentence.

Aunt Ruth takes her arm, and with a bright smile says, "Be chipper, dear. Better days are soon ahead. Now eat your breakfast before the milk turns your cereal into a disgusting bowl of mush. I'll be in the kitchen."

Claire smiles at Aunt Ruth, softly saying, "Thank you." Aunt Ruth returns to the kitchen.

Not feeling too hungry, Claire decides she'd better eat before Aunt Ruth becomes suspicious. She takes a sip of coffee first and releases a delicious "um" sound. Surrounding her palms around the warm cup, she closes her eyes and reminisces over the event of seeing her parents again. Claire was devastated when her parents were supposedly killed in a tragic freak accident while in Chicago for a Population Control Administration Conference seven years ago. Now, seeing them again, she wonders how could they possibly let themselves be known since Gerald, Raymond, Daniel, and they are suppose to be deceased. It was easy for them to disappear, but will it be just as easy for them to reappear? Claire is puzzled by everything that's been happening.

Grabbing a piece of toast, Claire walks over to the bedroom window and notices for the first time that not one person is sitting, standing, lying, or even walking on the street or sidewalk. "It's a ghost town," she says. Taking another bite of her toast, Claire giggles and says, "I finally get a wonderful view without people in it."

Claire goes back to the night stand to take another sip of coffee, and then decides to eat. She picks up the cereal bowl, and commences to enjoy the small feast Aunt Ruth prepared for her. Realizing she's hungrier than she thought, Claire devours the cereal within seconds, bringing the bowl to her mouth and tilting it to engulf every last morsel of cereal and milk. Joyously satisfied, Claire picks up the glass of orange juice and quickly drinks it as if it were a chaser. Rubbing her hand over her lips, she puts the glass on the table, and feeling completely full, lets out a small belch. She drinks some more coffee, and then decides to take a shower. As she heads to the bathroom, she begins to feel dizzy. She goes back to sit on the bed, and after a few seconds, her stomach begins to churn. Suddenly, Claire vomits on the bed. Trying to stand, she vomits some more. Becoming scared, she yells out, "Aunt Ruth! Help me! Aunt Ruth!"

Aunt Ruth is in the kitchen when she hears Claire yelling. Throwing down the dish towel, she rushes to the bedroom to find Claire sitting in a pool of vomit and crying frantically.

"Claire, darling, what's wrong? What is it?" asks Aunt Ruth, as she tries to pull Claire up and away from the mess that she heaved.

Claire grabs Aunt Ruth's arm, and says, "Help me, Aunt Ruth. Please, don't let..." Claire stops speaking.