Chapter 16: Chapter 16
Opening the back door, she said, “Here you go, kitty,” expecting to feel him rub against her leg as he darted out into the fall evening, but there was nothing. “Tiger?” she called. Turning around and finally opening her eyes completely for the first time, she didn’t see him anywhere. “That’s odd,” she muttered, wondering what the noise might’ve been that woke her. She pushed the door closed, not bothering to lock it. No one ever broke into anyone’s house in Reaper’s Hollow, and shuffled back toward the bedroom, thinking she wasn’t getting up again if Tiger asked before the sun came up. Even though the next day was Saturday, she’d be up in enough time to watch Saturday Morning Q, and Tiger could wait until then to do his prowling.
Still half asleep, Sandra entered her bedroom, her eyes glued on the floor as she pushed the door closed behind her, leaving only a crack for Tiger should he decide to make an appearance. Turning toward the bed, she looked up, and froze. In the center of the room, near her bed, a dark shadow loomed, towering well over six feet. At first, she thought she was seeing things, like a dark floater had caught in the center of her vision. It appeared as if all the light from the room was sucked into the inky blackness, and she couldn’t fathom there was actually anything there, but then, she noticed the hand, and her heart caught in her throat.
It was clear to her then, as he beckoned her forward, the paleness of his hand contrasting in the darkness of his cloak, who he was and what he wanted. The scythe he held in the other hand was also a giveaway—of the dead variety. “Who… who are you?” she said, quietly, though she didn’t need to ask.
His voice filled her mind, and if his lips moved, she couldn’t see as they were surrounded by the blackness of his hood. “It’s all right, Sandra. I’m here to take you home.” His voice was sweet, sincere, calm, reassuring.
At sixty-two, Sandra still felt young, despite her bad hip and the gray hairs. She was lonely, though, so very lonely. If it wasn’t for Tiger, she’d spend most days without speaking to anyone at all, except for herself. Even though the thought of passing on hadn’t been a consideration up until this moment, something in the tone of his voice made her believe now was as good a time as ever.
Yet, she hesitated. Who would take care of Tiger? What if they didn’t find her for days? What if she lay in a heap on the floor of her home for weeks and the rats got to her?
As if he sensed her conflict, he said quietly, directly into her wavering mind, “Come along, Sandra. Paradise awaits.” She didn’t move, still unsure of the situation. Slowly, with his free hand, the one that had beckoned to her, he reached up and pulled the hood off, revealing his face. Sandra gasped. It was not at all what she was expecting, and yet, she couldn’t help but smile. His green eyes, so deep, so kind, she couldn’t help but walk toward him, reaching for that hand, the same one that had gestured for her before. He reached for her, and her knees folded beneath her, falling to the floor, still entranced by the most beautiful face she’d ever seen.
“Okay, class, if you will go ahead and put away your notebooks, it is time for music!” A quiet round of “yays!” filled the classroom as twenty-two students slipped their science notebooks into their desks. “We will line up at the door whenever you are ready.” Ru waited for all of the students to show her they remembered her rule and were going to be able to walk down the hallway quietly, in an orderly fashion. Everyone looked ready except for Ira. He was having a little bit of difficulty this morning, and she could see him self-stimulating because he was struggling. His arms were moving back and forth rapidly, but he was smiling at her, and she knew he was doing the best he could. Smiling back at him, she said, “You may line up.”
Twenty-two children stood, pushed in their chairs, and politely walked to the door. She was so proud when they courteously let others in front of them with no pushing or arguing. Most of the time it took at least a month for her students to get these routines and procedures down, but this time, it was happening much more quickly. It was only the second week of school and they seemed to be pros. Ru smiled to herself. It was going to be a good year.
“You can get in front of me, Ira,” another student, a sweet girl named Naomi, said, and Ira happily got in line in front of her. He didn’t say thank you, but Naomi didn’t seem to mind. Most of these students knew and loved Ira, having been in class with him before.
“All right, Jake,” she said signaling to her line leader, “you may proceed.” The students began to wind their way down the hallway, and Ru walked alongside them near the middle of the line until they reached the music classroom.
Mrs. Jenkins, an older woman with thick glasses, stood outside of her door, ready to welcome the children in. “Good morning, Ms. Roberts. This is quite a class you have here.”
“Thank you,” Ru said, not able to control her smile. “They are amazing. It’s going to be the best year yet.”
Mrs. Jenkins welcomed the kids in, and they each took a seat on her colorful carpet, except for Ira, who wandered over to the percussion area and tried out a few instruments before his classmates reminded him where he was supposed to be.
Quietly, Mrs. Jenkins leaned over to Ru and asked, “How is he today?”
“It’s been a good day so far,” she replied, nodding. “He’s a little over stimulated, but he’s taking care of it himself.” Even as she said the words, she noticed Ira rocking back and forth. “I actually have his IEP meeting right now, during my planning period.”
“Oh, okay. Well, let me know if there’s anything I can do in my classroom.”
“Thank you,” Ru said, nodding and letting Mrs. Jenkins get back to her kids. Ru hurried back down the hallway to grab the things she’d need for Ira’s meeting.