When Lightning Strikes

When Lightning Strikes: Chapter 28

A/N: Hey guys! So this chapter is a little shorter than my usual ones, but I still hope you'll somewhat enjoy! I know most of you are sad that Aubrey's gone and it seems like there's less people commenting ... so I was wondering whether it's because she died? Just asking ... but I'm not going to change anything! If Aubrey's death has put you off this novel then I totally understand xoxo

Since the funeral, I hadn’t visited Aubrey’s grave. Honestly, I didn’t feel worthy of visiting her. What if she still hated me?

I sighed as I looked over my assignment. The professors at Mercer had heard about what happened (it was a small town after all), and had given their condolences. Some had even asked if I had wanted an extended week for my assignments. I had declined.

My friends always approached me with a new awareness now. It was quite frustrating actually. It was as if they were afraid to hurt me. I didn’t want them to be quiet and polite – I wanted them to be themselves. I missed the happy days, though I didn’t venture tell them that. Instead, I just kept silent.

Although I was following the same routine before Aubrey had passed away, it didn’t feel like my life was sewing back together. In fact, it felt the opposite.

The house felt haunted and empty. It was always so quiet. Every night I’d have the few same nightmares all over again. There were always images of Aubrey’s fragile body in her casket. There was the scene of our argument, where she had given me a chilling look.

The worst was a made-up scenario, where Aubrey would visit me and with narrowed eyes, tell me that she hated me. Then from behind her, everyone I loved would appear and say the same thing. They’d taunt me by saying it was my fault. Their faces would warp all together to produce a twisted image of Jason. He’d smirk at me cruelly and tell me he didn’t love me. I would wake up with a cold sweat in the early hours of the morning, gasping for breath and praying it wasn’t true.

My parents always gave me pitying looks whenever I walked into the same room they were in. They knew Aubrey and I had been fighting up until her death. I knew they desperately wanted to know what it was about, but both were too scared to upset me. Dad had been dealing with his grief by lying back in his armchair and listening to Jazz music. Sometimes I’d see a tear run down his cheek, but I wasn’t sure if it was just the light.

Meanwhile, mom was busying herself with chores, as it helped take her mind off the missing presence in the house. She’d also read her collection of classic books by the fireplace at night, though sometimes she’d mutter irately, “Not another death!”

I had been becoming increasingly worried about them. My parents were both the same. They couldn’t talk about their problems if it was a major one, but I knew somewhere down the track, they’d manage to move onto a new chapter of their life. They were a very strong pair.

I decided to pay a visit to Aubrey’s room again. My parents and I had decided that we would be keeping her room for now. We weren’t sure whether to leave the way it was. Mom had quietly suggested that we could change it when we moved on.

I sighed as I took in the perfection of her room. Even after weeks, her scent hadn’t faded. It invaded my nostrils and they flared. I couldn’t believe it was still here. It was a very delicate smell, one mixed with her Chanel perfume. I inhaled slowly. It was as if she was really here.

A framed photo I hadn’t seen before caught my eye. It stood on her dresser - a photo of us from the photo studio on my birthday. I traced the picture and smiled gently as I reminisced. As I did, the word ‘Jason’ caught my attention. It was a crumbled piece of lined paper, probably one which had been ripped out from a notebook. I frowned as I pulled it out from behind the bunch of items on Aubrey’s dresser.