Her bedroom was pitch black when the noise woke her, something between a whimper and the cry of a wounded animal. She reached for the light switch, nothing.

Shit.

The ice storm of that evening had taken its toll, the power was out again. The awful keening repeated from the other side of the bed. She reached for the electric lantern on the floor. Clicking it on, she found Gail, fully dressed in her uniform, lying ridged on the other side of the bed, her hands clenched into white knuckled fists at her sides. Although Holly hadn’t been expecting her, they had been sharing a bed so often lately that Holly hadn’t even stirred when Gail arrived. She had given Gail a key and an open invitation, but never expected the first time she used it would be like this. This was alarming!

Gail whimpered, screamed a wordless howl, and shouted “NO!” her eyes open, and blankly staring into space.

Holly touched her arm gently and spoke in a soothing voice, “Gail, Honey, wake up, you’re safe…”

“Don’t touch me you freak!” Gail cried out, “No! No, no, no, no, no!” She chanted as she scooted backwards as fast as she could, and ended up falling off the bed.

“Oh my God! Gail! Are you ok?” Holly panicked, jumped off the bed, and rushed around the other side.

Gail was wedged in the corner between the bureau and the wall, hands gripping the air in front of her like a gun.

“Don’t come any closer or I’ll shoot!” Gail yelled, looking past Holly with a vacant stare.

Holly crouched down, placing her hands on Gail’s cheeks.

“Gail, it’s me. Wake up!” She pleaded

“I warned you!” Gail snarled “I don’t want to have to kill you. I don’t. I don’t. I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!” She was crying now.

“Come on Gail!” Holly prayed shaking her by the shoulders

“I don’t want…” Gail’s eyes focused “Oh my God! Holly!” She gasped launching herself into Holly’s arms, burying her face into Holly’s neck with a sob.

“It’s ok Baby, it’s ok.. you’re here now, you’re safe..” Holly comforted.

Gail sobbed uncontrollably as Holly pulled her onto her lap and held her tighter. She waited. Gail’s sobs turned to whimpers, her whimpers into sighs as her body began to relax into Holly’s embrace.