Authors: Ayesha Zaman
“
K
e
vi
n
,
w
h
y do
n
’t
y
ou
talk
to
me
?
”
S
he
w
a
s
g
e
t
t
i
ng
lost
in h
e
r im
a
ginatio
n
s ab
o
ut
K
e
vi
n
.
“
I b
e
g
p
a
rdon
m
y
d
e
a
r,
now
tell
me
how
a
re
y
o
u
f
e
e
l
i
ng now.”
He
w
a
s talking
a
b
out her
h
ea
l
t
h.
“
I
a
m
f
e
e
l
i
ng…”
S
he
took
a
rom
a
nt
i
c
sigh
a
nd
s
a
id. “…f
e
e
l
i
ng
g
e
t
t
ing
down in
y
ou,
b
a
b
y
!
”
h
e
r w
h
isper
got filled
w
i
t
h t
h
e
a
rous
a
l of
f
e
e
l
i
ngs.
“
M
y
D
a
rling”
he
t
ri
e
d
to
r
e
spond
p
r
op
e
r
l
y
but
ins
i
de
he w
a
s
h
e
si
t
a
t
i
ng
b
eca
use
r
e
a
l
Alicia
did
not l
i
ke
such
c
onv
e
rs
a
t
i
on.
Alicia
kis
s
e
d h
e
r th
r
ough
the phone
in r
e
sponse.
“
All
th
i
s
si
t
u
a
t
i
on
wou
l
d
h
a
ve
made
me
d
ro
w
n
in
y
our f
re
n
z
y
i
f
the
wo
r
ds
wou
l
d
h
a
ve
b
ee
n
spo
k
e
n
for
me…”
he w
a
s s
i
pping h
i
s te
a
rs
a
nd
thought
to h
i
mself.
J
ust
then someone kno
c
k
e
d
the door
of
Alici
a
’s
room
a
nd made
h
e
r
c
ome
out
of
t
h
e
f
a
nta
s
y
,
she
c
ould
h
a
rd
l
y
a
bsorb that disturb
a
n
ce
.
“
Come in”
she s
a
id
i
n a
s
trict loud vo
i
ce
.
“
Ma
’a
m
th
i
s
is
7pm
a
nd
e
v
e
r
y
one is
w
a
i
t
ing
for
y
ou
a
t
the dinne
r
.”
H
e
r m
a
id said
r
e
spe
c
tful
l
y
.
“
Ok
a
y
!
I
a
m coming.”
S
he
c
u
r
s
e
d.
And the
maid le
f
t
t
he
r
o
o
m.
“
Hon
e
y
I
h
a
ve
to
go
now.
T
a
lk
to
y
ou
lat
e
r
.
”
S
he
s
a
id
a
nd
disconn
ec
ted the
pho
n
e
b
e
fo
r
e E
d
win
c
ould s
a
y
a
n
y
t
hing.
Ed
w
in
c
ould
not
c
ontrol
hi
m
s
e
lf
a
t
th
i
s
ac
t
a
nd
stru
c
k the m
i
r
r
or, in f
r
ont of him,
h
a
rd
w
i
t
h his
ce
ll
phon
e
.
Mr.
F
r
e
d
r
ick
w
a
s
rolling
the
c
r
y
stal
p
a
p
e
r
w
e
ight
on
the table
in
his
room,
th
i
nking
a
bout
Alici
a
’s matte
r
.
On h
ea
ring
t
he
sound
of
t
he m
i
r
r
or
b
rok
e
n,
M
r.
F
r
e
d
r
ick stepp
e
d u
p
, hur
r
i
e
d
l
y
,
t
o Ed
w
in’s
room
a
nd
o
p
e
n
e
d the door with a thu
d
.
Ed
w
in
w
a
s
si
t
t
i
ng
on
his
b
e
d
a
bs
o
rbing his
a
n
g
e
r
a
nd
p
a
in whi
c
h
c
ould
be
f
e
lt
f
r
om
his
f
a
c
e
.
Mr.
Fr
e
d
rush
e
d
tow
a
rds hi
m
.
“
H
e
y
, w
h
a
t happ
e
n
e
d
?
”
he
a
sked
a
nxious
l
y
.
Ed
w
in d
i
d not r
e
spond.
“
H
e
y
, Ed
w
in”
Mr.
F
red s
a
t
b
e
side him
a
nd
j
e
rk
e
d
him through the should
e
r.
Com
i
ng
b
ac
k
to
his
s
e
nses
Ed
w
in
g
r
a
sped
him
t
i
ght
l
y
a
nd w
e
pt
m
a
d
l
y
whi
l
e,
Mr.
F
r
e
d
’
s
a
nxie
t
y
w
a
s in
c
r
e
a
s
ing on h
i
s
ac
t.
He
c
ont
i
nu
e
d
p
a
t
t
ing h
i
m wi
t
h love
a
nd
c
u
r
iousn
e
ss.
“
P
le
a
s
e
...
P
le
a
se
do
something
for
me…”
he
w
a
s
c
r
y
ing
a
nd
sobbing.
“
G
e
t
Alicia
b
ac
k
to
me…
a
t
a
n
y
c
o
st…
do
i
t for God
s
a
k
e
…
fo
r
…
f
o
r
a
n
y
th
i
ng
that
ca
r
r
i
e
s
i
m
port
a
n
c
e n
ea
r
y
ou… pl
e
a
s
e
.
.
”
He
w
a
s
sobbing
a
nd
spe
a
ki
n
g b
a
r
e
l
y
.