Stealing Time by Rebecca Bowyer (acx book reading .txt) 📕

first wave of drugs had been released: thecalmative.

Two... one... She tensed suddenly again,jerking slightly, and threw her head back. The second wave—thepoison—flowed through her system.

And then she was still.

And then she was gone.

Two uniformed figures appeared from behindto drape a white silken bag over the top of Langford and herchair.

“Be at rest forevermore,” intonedCynthia.

“Be at rest forevermore,” repeated thecrowd.

Varya forced herself to watch as theuniformed officers tipped the chair back and extended the handleswhich turned the whole structure into a kind of stretcher. Theylifted and carried her out of the open door. Varya held her breathuntil they were out of sight.

“I have to get back to work,” Varya mutteredto Connor.

Chapter seven

Varya relished her time with her mother and son evenmore than usual that evening. She watched the two from afar as theybent down to inspect a rose bush. Her mother’s steely hair glintedin the sunlight. It was always sunny there, no matter how manyseasons passed in Varya’s life. The air was always cool, with thatcrisp autumn freshness.

It was as though she looked upon the scenethrough a glass of water. The boy appeared to shimmer slightly ashe reached out to the thorny plant with an open palm; the olderwoman gently held his wrist and pulled him back, shaking her headwith a soft chuckle.

Varya missed her mother with a desperateache sometimes. She had been used to being able to call her anytime of day to ask for her advice. More often than not they endedup arguing—both women stubbornly sure that they were right—but whentheir conversation ended, Varya always felt clearer in her mind.Calmer, better able to do whatever needed to be done.

In between these now-daily visits, Varya hadtaken to having conversations with her mother in her mind, playingthe role of antagonist herself. But it wasn’t the same. She couldnever quite see things the way her mother did. Instead, herthoughts were muddied by dozens of shades of grey in between theblack and the white.

Varya smiled now as she watched her mother.Her son was well cared for there, among the spring flowers. Shetook a step forward and reached out her hand. The air rippled, likea gentle vertical wave. It felt akin to caressing a cloud and, asalways, she felt drawn to the shield between the two worlds. Movingcloser, she pressed her face into its shimmering aura and stood onthe borderline soaking up the miracle that was this opportunity tosee her son each night, as though he were still here. Her son.Varya stepped through and smiled, opened her arms.

“Mummy, Mummy!” The small boy ran to her. Hetripped and fell but he didn’t cry. There was never blood in here,no grazes, no bruises. Varya strode quickly to meet him as he stoodand brushed himself off.

“Kir, my baby boy. Come here.” She crouchedand picked him up, inhaling the scent of baby shampoo in hiseternally freshly-washed hair. She pressed her cheek against hisand tried not to cry. No more harm can come to him here. He issafe, she told herself.

Varya peered over his head at her mother,who was straightening up slowly and rubbing her back.

“I can’t stay for long,” Varya told her.

Elena nodded. “You need your rest. You’retired. You should use this time to sleep.” The words echoedstrangely, slightly tinny, as they always did.

Varya shook her head. “No. This is moreimportant than rest.”

Elena limped over and placed a hand onVarya’s cheek.

“And a cure is vital. But you must rest,allow your mind to wander and find a solution.”

Varya moved, just slightly, but enough todeflect the older woman’s hand.

“My mind must focus to find a solution,Mama. And I can’t focus if I’m asleep.”

Elena sighed and swatted dismissively at theair between them.

“Bah. You work too hard. Find your peace andwhat you seek will come to you.”

She hobbled past Varya, heading toward anearby park bench. The sound of her walking stick struck thepavement loudly, echoing in the silence. No joggers passed them inthis unearthly park. No parents walking with babies, nor dogstrotting alongside their owners. Even the birds were quiet. Elenasat, resting her hands atop her walking stick, and watched.

“What do you want to do tonight, littleone?” Varya asked her son.

“I want a guitar, Mummy. Can I have aguitar? I want to make music. I’ve seen pictures of guitars, but wecan’t find a music shop. We’ve walked and walked but there isn’tone. Where can we find one?”

“I’m not sure, baby boy. I’ll find out foryou, okay?”

Kir nodded vigorously. “Then we can go on aguitar treasure hunt. I like treasure hunts. We went on a puppy dogtreasure hunt today and I found five puppy dogs!”

“Is that so?”

“Yep. There was a brown one and a black oneand one that is called a Dalmartian.”

Varya laughed. “You mean a Dalmatian.”

“No, Mummy, a Dalmartian. He came from outerspace in his rocket ship I think, or a whizzing round saucer, I’mnot sure because he couldn’t talk but I did ask him.”

The boy peered up at her earnestly. Then hegave her a coy smile.

“But it might just be pretend, but I’m nottelling,” he whispered.

“Bah, flying dogs. That boy’s head is filledwith nonsense. It’s this place, Varya. It plays tricks with themind.” The old woman stomped her stick on the ground.

“I’d like to meet your Dalmartian one day,baby boy. You say hi, from me, next time you see him, okay?”

“Okay, Mummy.”

“I have to go now, sweetheart. I’ll be backsoon.”

The boy pouted. “You always go. You neverstay.”

“Mummy needs her sleep.” Elena appearedbehind him and took his hand.

“I want to go, too. I want to sleep, too.”Kir snatched his small, smooth hand out of his Nanna’s gnarled,wrinkled one.

“Aye. I wish you could, believe me.Following you around all day would exhaust me, if I could still begenuinely exhausted in this place.” Elena took his elbow and gentlytugged. “I think I saw a possum just before. Shall we check to seeif he’s still there?”

“Where? Where was he?”

Elena gestured vaguely off into thedistance. The boy moved with what seemed like lightning speed.

“‘Bye, Mum!” he yelled as he went.

Varya held her hand up in a silent salute.She exchanged a nod with her