The Bone Forest by Sarah Cooley

Author:Sarah Cooley [Cooley, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

When Aria awoke, she had regained some control, but she felt muffled as if she were behind a thick, invisible curtain. She watched the world through a pinhole. Her body moved according to her brain’s commands, but they were slow, like she was a glitchy character from one of the video games Noah had taught her to play. She scratched her sharp nails, long and slow along her right arm, but felt nothing.

The hunger remained constant now.

Alessa left early. She’d listened to the girl depart but had no desire to move. Maneuvering her body felt like operating a slow, heavy puppet. She could dictate the movements and arrange her limbs, but her consciousness was just watching from the back seat, along for the ride. She eventually dragged herself from the bed and watched Alessa pause at the edge of their property and look back.

Aria knew Alessa saw her and watched until she was gone. Something about Alessa walking too close to the forest’s edge made Aria nervous. She imagined pale, gnarled hands darting from between the trees and dragging Alessa into the earth, her mouth filling with dirt.

Aria turned to the mirror, standing so close that her nose almost brushed the glass. Puffs of steam from her breath fogged her reflection.

Crack!

Her open palm connected harshly with her cheek; she gritted her teeth on impact but the tiny burst of pain that lit up her jaw finally made her feel connected to her body. However, briefly, it kept Aria present. She did it again.

Slap!

And again.

SLAP!

Aria glared at herself, at the shadow of the girl she used to be. Bloodless skin, thin as a rail and, despite the strength behind her blows, the pain barely registered. It felt no worse than being pinched. All that mattered, however, was that she felt something. That she could still feel at all. It gave her a small sliver of hope.

She thought of Noah, and the pain in his eyes when she turned away from him. It was the only way to ensure his safety. Aria didn’t trust herself around anyone anymore.

But something he said stuck out to her.

Maybe I can help find the pieces of you that you’re looking for.

Her memories were the key. She didn’t know what they would tell her, but if she didn’t fit the pieces together soon, there was a chance she might stay lost forever. Talking about them with Noah helped set them free and loosen the tangles of time and memory in her brain, but they were slippery and hard to hold on to. Aria looked at her desk, and the piles of notebooks and papers sitting on it.

She knew it was a longshot when she grabbed pen and paper, but it didn’t stop her from sitting cross-legged on the floor and getting to work. If the memories were tangible, if she could hold them, then she might be able to make sense of the timeline. And maybe–just maybe–it would open her mind to new memories.

Soon, torn shreds of paper with furious scribbles on them surrounded her.

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