Jioni opened her eyes and stared above at the gaping hole in the ceiling. With the sun beaming straight overhead, the day was already halfway over. Her arm shot in pain, sending aching spikes from her shoulder to her wrist. The same hurt soon followed to her eye. Jioni clenched her teeth and groaned. Then the pain went numb. As she lifted her body, her damaged arm delayed in motion; it felt rough on her fingers. She sighed but shook off the dread and put her flannel back on.
“Before I even think about finding that brochure,” Jioni said while lifting her sleeve. “I should probably see Emmitt.”
Without hesitation, she hopped out of her hammock and headed for the door.
Her mind floated— Emmitt, he wouldn’t know what to do, maybe, possibly, possibly not. Jioni paused. But right now he’s the best and only option.
As her palm reached the handle, she slammed the door hard this time and made sure it shut—which It did. The small victory made her morning a bit brighter. She jumped over the steps just as she did yesterday but swayed right while landing.
