Her father took out his prescription pad, wrote a few things, and tore off the pages. Then, he gave Lisa a towel, a washcloth, and one of his shirts. He told her to go into the bathroom and change out of her dress.
“I’m going to the pharmacy to get you some medicine, but I’ll be back soon,” he said. “Richard will be here if you need anything.”
He hurried away. Lisa went into the bathroom and locked the door. Moving slowly because she was so sore, she took off her dress. Bruises were already appearing on her arms where Sophie had grabbed her, and her scalp ached from Sophie pulling her hair. She turned on the shower and stepped under the hot water, but she couldn’t get warm even when her skin turned red from the heat.
She stood there for a long time until the smell of the trailer had been washed away. She could still taste the stench of Sophie’s flavored tobacco in the back of her throat, and it made her feel sick, but she couldn’t get rid of it. Finally, when she heard her father return, she got dressed and left the bathroom. Her father gave her a handful of pills, and she swallowed them without bothering to ask him what they were for. Then, he pulled back the comforter and she crawled into bed.
Before long, her eyelids began to feel heavy. She realized her father had given her something to make her sleepy. Closing her eyes, she began to drift away. In the darkness, she heard her father’s voice.
“Nora,” he said. “I wanted to let you know Lisa is with me. We’re going to spend the day together. Also, I’ve changed my mind about giving up my parental rights. I don’t want the girls to feel like I’ve abandoned them.”
His voice droned on, but Lisa was too drowsy to listen to him anymore. She yielded to the effects of the sedative he had given her, and gradually lost consciousness. Her last thought was that she hoped she would never wake up.
∞∞∞
Lisa stayed at the hotel for what seemed like an eternity. She spent her time huddled on the bed, counting the bumps on the ceiling or staring at the wall. She had horrible dreams whenever she slept, and sometimes when she awoke, she thought she was back in the trailer. Molly’s dead face never left her memory.
The pills kept her in a state of delirium and prevented her from thinking about what had happened, except in horrifying images that flashed intermittently into her mind. She couldn’t even begin to process her thoughts. Each time she started to come back to reality, her father gave her more sedatives.
Her mother visited her several times, and she sometimes noticed her parents sitting at the little table in the corner of the room, talking together quietly. Eventually, she gathered that they had agreed to postpone their divorce indefinitely, due to her mental deterioration. They were still going to separate, but it wouldn’t be official.
When she was finally allowed to return to her senses, she found herself in a different world. There was no more color and no more beauty; everything was dull and wearisome. She hadn’t spoken to anyone since her declaration of defiance to her father on the bridge. She no longer wanted to destroy herself, but that was only because she felt so helpless that she didn’t think it was an option anymore. Her only strategy was to exist with as little effort as possible.
Her parents seemed to think she would recover quicker in a familiar environment, so her mother took her home at the end of the week. As they drove along the beach, Lisa looked out the window and saw Molly’s house. The garden gnomes waited with cheerful faces, but Lisa knew Molly would never return. She felt like she should cry for her, but her eyes remained stubbornly dry.
When they arrived at the house, Lisa’s mother guided her up the steps and into her room. To Lisa’s surprise, her cell phone was lying on the bed. As she picked it up, her mother paused in the doorway.
“Josh apparently found your cell phone in the hospital lobby,” she said. “He brought it back the morning after you talked to your father. He’s been asking about you, and since I knew you were coming home today, I invited him to visit this afternoon. It will be good for you to see him again.”
She closed the door and left Lisa alone. Lisa looked at her cell phone. Josh had called her several times since her abduction. She didn’t bother to listen to any of his messages. She didn’t hold him responsible for what had happened to her, but there was nothing he could say that could make her feel better. She knew she needed to tell him goodbye, but she didn’t want to crush him.
When Josh arrived, Lisa went into the living room, feeling like an imposter. She just wanted to get the interaction over with as quickly as possible. Josh had brought her a large bouquet of roses, and although he smiled at her, she knew he wasn’t as ignorant as he was pretending to be. She was grateful he didn’t reach out to hug her. Ever since the ordeal, she hadn’t wanted anyone to touch her.
“Lisa, it’s wonderful to see you again,” said Josh. “I’ve missed you terribly. Should we go for a walk? It’s a beautiful day. Maybe we could spend the afternoon together on the beach.”
“No, I don’t want to go outside,” said Lisa. She couldn’t bear to see Molly’s house, even from a distance. Holding the bouquet, she sat down on the couch, hoping Josh wouldn’t sit down beside her. He looked like he didn’t know what to do with himself. His smile faded, and a hint of
