Free The Phantom Limb by William Sleator, Ann Monticone Page A
Authors: William Sleator, Ann Monticone
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His head began to nod. It was only nine thirty in the evening, but heâd had a long and eventful day. Maybe if he went to bed now he could get up early and concentrate on his homework then. He undressed, turned off the overhead light, and got into bed. He tried to read a little more, but his eyes kept slipping shut. The book dropped out of his hand. He fell asleep with the reading light on.
And then he had a dream. He was in Veraâs room at the hospital. But the room had no window. A fire was burning in the wastebasket. Bright flames jumpedfrom the wastebasket and ran up the curtains next to the bed. Vera was lying in the bed, asleep. She was drugged again. Isaac remembered the little girl he had seen in his mirror box dream and the way she had seemed to be preparing to start a fire.
In his dream, Isaac tried the door. It was locked. Someone had started the fire and then locked them in the room.
He looked up frantically. On the blank wall he could see the Menger sponge. He pushed his hand against the wall. His arm went through it easily. He could go into the Menger sponge! The room there would be smaller, but it would not be on fire. He had to pull Vera into the Menger sponge and out of the burning room.
He lifted Vera out of the bed. She was as light as a feather. He slung her over his shoulder and moved toward the wall, one arm holding her, the other held in front of him. His arm went right through the wall. They were going to get out!
But when Veraâs leg touched the wall, it wouldnât go through. Isaac had access to the Menger sponge, but Veraâs inert body didnât. Vera was trapped in the room. He couldnât save her. He felt the flames against the back of his legs. Veraâs hair was engulfedin flames now. He pushed her against the wall again and again, but she couldnât fit through it. They were both going to burn to death.
At that moment, he woke up. Luckily, he managed not to scream and wake up Grandpa. He lay in his bed panting, still filled with the horror of the dream.
The nightmare had been bizarre and terrifying. But it still meant something. It was telling him, with more force than ever, what he already knew: he had no time, and he had to act now.
He was wide awake and anxious. He knew he wouldnât be able to get back to sleep. He looked at his watch. It was four thirty A.M. He had to make a plan for using the spiral aftereffect. He had to do it today, after what he had just seen in his dream. He had to use the spiral aftereffect on whoever had put in the amputation orderâDr. Ciano or whoever was responsible. He had to get to the hospital.
Where, he figured, more trouble would be waiting for him.
Isaac skipped breakfast and went directly to the hospital. He didnât see Candi at the nursesâ station. It must still be the night shift. He went to Veraâs room and found that she was sleeping. He wanted to getout as quickly as possible, but he felt he should stay and try to learn more. He began washing his hands. He thought he heard muffled footsteps. But before he even had a chance to look, he was jabbed again, and darkness slammed down on him.
This time he woke up soonerâhe was still in the elevator. This one wasnât so small. It was big enough to hold a gurney. He struggled to sit up and look. He could see that the button for the basement was lit. When the elevator doors opened, the orderly pulled the gurney into the small dark corridor he hated so much.
âWhatâs happening?â Isaac asked, his voice rising in panic. After the endoscopy, he knew this was going to be torture.
âMRI,â the orderly said, not explaining what that meant. âHere we are.â
The door that said MRI led to a suite. In the first room the orderly, who was tall and strong, helped him off the gurney and motioned to a desk. The woman behind the desk handed Isaac a form on a clipboard.
Isaac threw the clipboard to the floor.
His head began to nod. It was only nine thirty in the evening, but heâd had a long and eventful day. Maybe if he went to bed now he could get up early and concentrate on his homework then. He undressed, turned off the overhead light, and got into bed. He tried to read a little more, but his eyes kept slipping shut. The book dropped out of his hand. He fell asleep with the reading light on.
And then he had a dream. He was in Veraâs room at the hospital. But the room had no window. A fire was burning in the wastebasket. Bright flames jumpedfrom the wastebasket and ran up the curtains next to the bed. Vera was lying in the bed, asleep. She was drugged again. Isaac remembered the little girl he had seen in his mirror box dream and the way she had seemed to be preparing to start a fire.
In his dream, Isaac tried the door. It was locked. Someone had started the fire and then locked them in the room.
He looked up frantically. On the blank wall he could see the Menger sponge. He pushed his hand against the wall. His arm went through it easily. He could go into the Menger sponge! The room there would be smaller, but it would not be on fire. He had to pull Vera into the Menger sponge and out of the burning room.
He lifted Vera out of the bed. She was as light as a feather. He slung her over his shoulder and moved toward the wall, one arm holding her, the other held in front of him. His arm went right through the wall. They were going to get out!
But when Veraâs leg touched the wall, it wouldnât go through. Isaac had access to the Menger sponge, but Veraâs inert body didnât. Vera was trapped in the room. He couldnât save her. He felt the flames against the back of his legs. Veraâs hair was engulfedin flames now. He pushed her against the wall again and again, but she couldnât fit through it. They were both going to burn to death.
At that moment, he woke up. Luckily, he managed not to scream and wake up Grandpa. He lay in his bed panting, still filled with the horror of the dream.
The nightmare had been bizarre and terrifying. But it still meant something. It was telling him, with more force than ever, what he already knew: he had no time, and he had to act now.
He was wide awake and anxious. He knew he wouldnât be able to get back to sleep. He looked at his watch. It was four thirty A.M. He had to make a plan for using the spiral aftereffect. He had to do it today, after what he had just seen in his dream. He had to use the spiral aftereffect on whoever had put in the amputation orderâDr. Ciano or whoever was responsible. He had to get to the hospital.
Where, he figured, more trouble would be waiting for him.
Isaac skipped breakfast and went directly to the hospital. He didnât see Candi at the nursesâ station. It must still be the night shift. He went to Veraâs room and found that she was sleeping. He wanted to getout as quickly as possible, but he felt he should stay and try to learn more. He began washing his hands. He thought he heard muffled footsteps. But before he even had a chance to look, he was jabbed again, and darkness slammed down on him.
This time he woke up soonerâhe was still in the elevator. This one wasnât so small. It was big enough to hold a gurney. He struggled to sit up and look. He could see that the button for the basement was lit. When the elevator doors opened, the orderly pulled the gurney into the small dark corridor he hated so much.
âWhatâs happening?â Isaac asked, his voice rising in panic. After the endoscopy, he knew this was going to be torture.
âMRI,â the orderly said, not explaining what that meant. âHere we are.â
The door that said MRI led to a suite. In the first room the orderly, who was tall and strong, helped him off the gurney and motioned to a desk. The woman behind the desk handed Isaac a form on a clipboard.
Isaac threw the clipboard to the floor.