Free Doubt by Anne-Rae Vasquez Page A

soft.
    “Cristal, is it something you saw?” Harry asked.
    “Leave her alone,” she could hear Kerim snap. “Can’t you see she needs to rest?”
    “Is she okay?” Gabriel asked.
    “She’s just faking it,” Joanna said.
    If she could have lifted herself up, Cristal would have gone over and slapped the witch in the face. But her arms felt like concrete blocks; her legs were stiff and she was unable to move them.
    “Can you try to take a sip of water?” Dr. Saeed asked softly in her ear.
    She felt someone lift her upright. Her body leaned back against someone as she took a deep breath. Kerim? His cologne enveloped her nostrils. She started gasping and her eyelids snapped open.
    “She’s awake!” Gabriel cried out.
    She looked up and saw Kerim on his knees. He was holding a small vial under her nose. The fumes overwhelmed her senses.
    She raised her arm and pushed it away from her face.
    “What is that?” she managed to say.
    “Mr. Biker over here thought he could wake you up with his emergency backup bottle of cologne,” Joanna answered.
    Gabriel knelt down beside Kerim. He looked up towards Joanna who was standing behind them.
    “It worked, didn’t it?” Gabriel said.
    He turned to Cristal.
    “Kerim said that back in Istanbul, they always use cologne to revive people who faint.”
    She took a deep breath. Her head was becoming clear again. She struggled to sit up by herself. She noticed that it was Harry whom she had been leaning against. He was staring at her, and his gaze was filled with deep concern.
    “Are you okay now?” he asked.
    “I’m better,” she replied, “but the room is still slightly spinning.”
    She put her arm out and grabbed Kerim’s shoulder to steady herself. He reached out and held her.
    She stood up, feeling lightheaded. Then she swooned, feeling her legs get weak. Harry, Kerim, and Gabriel jumped up. Each one of them held onto her to keep her from falling forward. Harry eased her back onto the couch.
    “You need to rest,” Dr. Saeed said, as he kneeled down in front of her.
    He flashed a light into her eyes.
    “Your eyes are dilated. You need to lie down and put your feet up.”
    He helped her lie down while Kerim put a pillow under her feet.
    “Everyone, give her some space. She needs air,” Kerim said.
    Her eyelids felt like weights were forcing them shut.
    “Come on, everyone. The meeting is over,” he added.
    She could hear people moving away.
    “Dr. Saeed, I need to talk to her,” Harry whispered, a few feet away from her.
    “Kerim is right. She needs to rest. We can talk to her when she is better,” Dr. Saeed replied.
    “I’ll stay with her. When she’s stronger, I’ll take her home,” Kerim said.
    Was he beside her?
    “I think I should stay with her and you should go,” Harry responded.
    She heard shuffling and more whispering. Using what little energy she had left, she managed to speak.
    “Kerim, don’t go.”
    “She’s delusional,” she heard Harry say.
    “You heard her,” Kerim said. “I’ll take her home. No need for both of you to stay here.”
    “Harry, why don’t we move the meeting to my office? We can check on her in an hour or so,” Dr. Saeed said.
    She heard more shuffling, and then there was silence.
    She was in a white room. Around her there were walls made out of clouds. She noticed that in her hand was a paintbrush covered in red paint. She turned around and one wall was covered in red with streaks of white clouds in between each stroke. The clouds started to move, bending the lines, and forming a picture. She put the paintbrush down and moved towards it. Each step she took was as if she were floating. Weightless. Free.
    “Cristal,” a voice said.
    Her eyes widened. The picture was coming to life.
    “Don’t be afraid.”
    It was changing shape and moving towards her.
    “Dad?”

Chapter 12
What Is This All About?
     
    CRISTAL EYES SNAPPED OPEN and darkness surrounded her. The dream was still clear in her mind. But was