Oppression Read Online Free PDF

were locked on her face. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but I was waiting for it to happen. Her expression could have meant anything—a blank stare somewhere between concern and amazement.
    “What?” was all I could say.
    “It’s gone.” She searched my eyes for answers.
    “What’s gone?”
    She took my hand and turned it over with a gasp, pulling the evidence close to her knee for comparison. Aside from the smeared blood, the skin on her knee was flawless. She licked her hand and wiped the surface clean just to be sure. Nothing. I ran my thumb over the skin of my palm, but not even a scar remained.
    Betsy’s footsteps gave warning of her approach, so we hid our bloodstained skin and tried to look busy.
    “Hey girls, how are you doing?” she asked from the doorway.
    “Good,” we said in unison. She was too distracted to notice our robotic responses or the immense tension in the room.
    “Good. Listen, Anna, I called your mom. She is on her way over to pick you up. I need a night alone with Ellie, okay? Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble,” she said reassuringly, and she turned to leave.
    “Do you think she knows?” I asked worried.
    “No,” Anna answered confidently.
    I knew there was no hiding the fact that I had caused the healing. Anna knew me too well. She knew what I was thinking before I spoke.
    “Look, I didn’t know that would happen . . .” I said, trying to find the words that would save my friendship, words that would make me look like less of a freak, but she stopped me.
    “I won’t tell, Elyse,” she said with earnest eyes. “Ever.”
    All these years later I was still sharing my secrets with Anna, and before I knew it, I was dialing her number.
    “You think maybe I’m being conned?” I asked after telling her about my day.
    “Maybe,” she answered, “but all he’s really roped you into is a date. He didn’t ask for money, right?”
    “No. Neither did the girl, but he knew my name. They both did.”
    “Elyse, you just moved in above the place he works. Of course he knows your name. The landlord is probably his boss.”
    “What about the girl? How would she know?”
    “She’s probably his crazy stalker ex-girlfriend.”
    I thought about it. “I don’t know. He said they were following me. You know, my parents kept me in hiding for a reason.”
    “I doubt they were hiding you from a young guy that works in a coffee shop,” she laughed. “I think you should go. You’re just coming up with excuses. I never understood why you were so opposed to dating.”
    “You know why.”
    She paused. “Well, you know I don’t agree with you.”
    “What if the guy wanted to get married?”
    “So you marry him.” Her voice spiked as though the answer was obvious.
    “Eventually he would find out about my age,” I argued. “We wouldn’t be able to grow old together. What about kids? I don’t even know if I can have kids.”
    “Why do you always have to play it out to the very end? Dating isn’t getting married, Elyse. What’s the harm in having fun?”
    We’d had this conversation before, but Anna never let things go. Did she not understand the most obvious reason? What if I fell in love? What would happen when I outlived him? It would be more than heartbreaking to watch him grow old and die while he left me behind trapped in a time warp. It would destroy me. If there was even a chance, why risk it? I didn’t want to talk about death with Anna, though. I didn’t want to face the fact that I only had fifty years with her at most, and then I’d be alone. My heart felt heavy thinking about it.
    “I’m not going,” I concluded.

4.
    AS SOON AS I got off the phone with Anna, I changed my mind. She was right. Dating didn’t mean a lifetime commitment. Why not have fun? All morning I dwelled on the details of the night before, paying no attention to the logical warnings of my conscience.
    When four o’clock rolled around, I let myself get ready. I took an extra long