A foxy tale: Episode 16

A collaborative serial by Jessica Perini and Catherin J Pascal Dunk

Wait up—did you miss Episode 1 / Episode 2 / Episode 3 / Episode 4 / Episode 5 / Episode 6 / Episode 7 / Episode 8 / Episode 9 / Episode 10 / Episode 11 / Episode 12 / Episode 13 / Episode 14 / Episode 15 ? Catch up first.

Episode 16

Marguerite Bagué wipes her brow as if to take away this nightmare. She spies a familiar
figure in the corner wearing a sunflower jumpsuit. She cannot see the person’s face as the
head is covered by a bucket. Why? She can barely question.

She walks over shakily. Hoping, praying. Over the last three hours she has had the horrible
feeling that her dear sister Celeste, missing from her brainchip signal for the first time ever,
was dead.

But now, seeing this familiar home-made jumpsuit, her heart hammers in her chest.
“Celeste, Celeste, darling…?” she asks tentatively, reaching for the bucket on the girl’s head.
Daring herself to lift the yellow plastic.

She hears a voice speaking from underneath the bucket. What does the girl say?
“This is…” she goes nearer. “This is my life now.” The voice is devoid of hope. This is her life
now.

Lack of hope and hopefulness clash.

Hope wins the moment. It IS Celeste’s voice! Marg’s heart soars as she lifts the bucket to
reveal her sister. Her elation is everything. She cannot believe her sister is alive. The dead
feeling inside, she thought it was forever, she thought it was the confirmation that her sister
was no longer here. She could not feel her. Could not sense her. But no.

No.

Celeste looks at her sister, mild recognition in her eyes.

The bucket is gone. She takes in a deeper breath, trying to absorb her new reality.

… TO BE CONTINUED …

Image from Pexels Free Photos.