Chapter Three: dream
It made sense that Jack wouldn't remember. David rarely spoke of Anna unless he needed advice or had to turn down an invitation to do something with the boys. He navigated through the streets without thought. He stared at himself through the glass shop windows, watched his pale face and the gaslight behind him. Stress and panic wore on him, and it showed. Sighing, he started walking home once more.
He trudged up the stairs to the apartment, mind racing with thoughts of Anna, of the day's strange occurrence, of his apparent insanity. He remembered entering the apartment at a different time, a few months ago.
He opened the door for her, and when she stepped in, immediately she smiled.
It was at the time in the relationship in which he wished that she met his family. She got along quite well with both of his parents, and she and his sister bonded instantly. She was the first girl David brought home, and his mother was sure to try very hard not to like her. When they walked in the door, his mother had a dour look on her face, mouth pinched in a firm downturn. Though she quickly changed to a polite smile and handshake, it was not enough to save everyone from seeing it.
He strode through the door, casting a dirty look at his mother. Though he was clearly upset by his mother's determination to disapprove, his lover took it calmly and was as cheerful as possible.
"Lovely to meet you, ma'am," she said, shaking hands and grinning. "We would have been here a bit earlier, but I had to work a few extra hours; you see, I need the money."
As she made her way to the other members of the family, stopping to curtsy to Les, who laughed, David hugged his mother, whispering in her ear, "Please, be nice." Esther gave a scandalized look. He returned with a raised eyebrow and turned to greet the rest of his family.
Mayer ushered the pair further inside the apartment and bade them to sit at the dinner table. "Esther has cooked something special for you two." Anna sniffed the air.
"It smells wonderful. You really didn't have to go through all of that trouble, though."
Esther smiled and said, "Nonsense. You're our guest." Esther meant that, David knew. She may not have wanted her son to be involved in a relationship yet, but Anna was still a guest, and he knew she would treat her as one.
Upon his entrance, Esther greeted him with a kiss, but her face fell when she pulled away. "Now, what's the matter, David?"
Mayer looked up from the newspaper. "Awful late, aren't you? Your brother came in nearly an hour and a half ago." He turned a page. "There's still soup on the stove and bread on the counter."
He ducked away from his mother's concerned glance and headed into his room, insisting on tiredness.
Les, who began selling his newspapers with Boots at the beginning of the previous month, was already sleeping soundly in his bed. David hadn't realized that he was so late. He undressed and yawned. He was exhausted and drained, but he didn't want to sleep. Mind clogged with fragmented thoughts and distorted memories, he thought it would never rest. Yet, somehow, his eyes closed soon after his head descended upon the pillow.
He was sitting on her mattress in her apartment, forearms resting on his legs, head bowed despondently. The grain of her wood floor was faded with age, but it swam before him, and he fell into the sea of its pattern, sitting in the knots with hands pressed against the loops surrounding them. The loops closed in on him, and he choked with surprise and confusion. He was drowning. He could hear music, the faded tinkling sound of his mother's favored music box, stale notes carried in a gust of whirling wind.
His head felt a sharp pain and then throbbed dully. He put his hands over his face and leaned forward in dizziness. "David?" A voice asked, sound clear but quiet and tone uncertain. His head snapped up quickly with a sharp intake of cold air and his eyes slowly focused.
"Anna?" He gasped in disbelief. And there she was, still pale and dirty, but wearing a dress he'd never seen before. It was clearly bright and clean and white underneath the blood. Blood was smeared all over the dress and her body was covered with small cuts. "What happened? Who did this to you?" She smiled faintly and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She held a small gold locket in her hands. They were trembling. "I'll be fine; don't you worry," she said. "I love you, David." What could have happened? His mind and body shook with the thought. "Anna... A-anna... are you... are you alive?" "Yes, I'm fine," she said, this time more insistent. She sighed. "I only have a short while. David, I know you're probably mad at me for not explaining everything, but... I just couldn't bring myself to tell you. I want to come back; I really do. But things can't ever be the same between us."
"Why not?" He asked desperately. "Where have you gone? Why is everything disappearing?"
"I'm surprised you're not mad at me," she said calmly. Her tone changed to one of infinite sadness. "David, how long could I go on loving someone who doesn't even exist?" His heart sunk as she said those words. She bit her lip, as if what she said were a painful mistake. Shifting uncomfortably, she glanced at a spot to his right that he couldn't see. "I need to leave now... I'm sorry."
"Wait, what? Why do you have to go?" He asked, panicked. But as he spoke, she disappeared.
He awoke an hour later, sweating on his bedroom floor, blankets twisted tightly around his legs. His head ached from a bump on the back. It was just a dream. But he couldn't help but think it was a sign.