Karen D. Badger - Yesterday Once More Read Free

relax, hoping to stop the painful contractions in her stomach. Soon, her breathing returned to normal.
    Jordan closed her eyes. There was a thunderous pounding in her ears. She remained face down in the grass as the twilight descended around her. She could feel warm blood flowing from her nose, but curiously, she felt no pain.

    Some time later, Jordan opened her eyes and realized that night had fallen. The reddish-gold glow in the distant sky had been replaced by utter darkness. A chill had set in, and the night air cooled her skin. She was shivering. Now, Jordan felt pain. As she awkwardly lifted her head, she fought against the terrible ache in her neck and looked around her. It was too dark to see.
    The skin on Jordan’s face felt tight. As she reached up to brush the sensation away, she discovered a large swelling on her cheek. She winced at the awkward and uncoordinated movements of her hand.
    What happened to me? Where am I?
    Suddenly, Jordan heard a sound. She tried to control her ragged breathing as she fought to distinguish the familiar sounds of crickets and critters from the unusual noise that had caught her attention. She listened carefully as the noise returned. “Sally? Sally! Where are you girl?” The noise was louder this time. Jordan lifted her head and caught a small movement to her right. “Sally?”
    Jordan braced her hands on the ground and tried to push herself up, but she was only able to lift her shoulders before she fell back. “Oh, my God!” she said as a wave of pain rushed through her head.
    Desperately worried about her horse, Jordan rested her forearms on the ground and lifted her upper body off the grass. With all her strength, she dragged herself to the fallen animal. She reached out to touch Sally, who released a long, painful whinny, and then stopped breathing. Jordan froze.
    “No!”

    “Jordan! Jordan, wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”
    Jordan sat up abruptly, panic-stricken and disoriented. She was bathed in sweat, her hair plastered to her forehead. It took several moments for her to focus on the person in front of her.
    “Kale?”
    Kale sat on the edge of Jordan’s bed and cupped the side of her face with his palm. “You had the dream again, didn’t you?”
    Jordan nodded. Tears spilled onto her cheeks.
    Kale opened his arms. He held Jordan close and rocked her. “You know, you really should see someone about these dreams. They seem to be coming more and more frequently. How long have you been having them now?”
    Jordan lowered herself back onto the pillow and reached for Kale’s hand. “I had them all the time when I was a kid. They started right after the accident, and they continued pretty regularly right up until I left for college. They’ve only come back since I’ve been home again—since Mom and Dad died and left the house to me.”
    Kale grinned to lighten the mood. “Maybe it’s the house. Maybe there’s a ghost calling to you.”
    “Get out of here!” Jordan said. She pushed hard on Kale’s shoulder. He threw himself backward, eyes wide, pretending to flail. Jordan tried unsuccessfully not to laugh. “There’s nothing wrong with this house. It’s a great house. I grew up here.”
    “No, nothing’s wrong with the house,” Kale agreed. “You’re right, it’s great. It just seems odd that the nightmares only happen here.”
    “I’m sure it’s because this is where the accident happened. It’s a hard memory to shake.” Jordan was interrupted by the sound of the oven timer. “Oh, goody, it sounds like dinner’s ready. I’m starved.”
    “Oui, Mademoiselle. Allow me to escort you to your table,” Kale said in a poorly faked French accent.
    Jordan took his hand. “Oui, oui, Monsieur.” As she swung her legs over the side of the bed, she felt a tug at her back. “Oops, Forgot to unplug. Do you mind?”
    Kale unplugged the solar charger and tucked the wire back into Jordan’s pants.
    “Merci. Now, garçon, to my table.” Jordan