Claire & Theo

21.

It was one in the morning and Claire was wide awake. She was a night owl every day, since sleep was never her priority. If she slept, she feared having nightmares to haunt her for the rest of night. The most she would sleep is an hour or less, it was crazy how she functioned.

There was a jazz number being played on the old vintage radio that she bought when she was younger. Jazz comforted her, something about the blues think about how her life can be meaningful. There was a certain richness to every rhythm and note in the music. At the most, it made her feel alive.

She got up out of her bed and swayed to the music not missing a single beat. She loved every moment of the sounds filling her ears. It took control of her body as her white gown flowed with her to every step. She closed her eyes and imagined that she was in her happy places.

She twirled in the gardens of pink roses.

She stared at the city of stars from up above.

She danced in the castle of books.

She fell into the arms of Theo.

Her eyes fluttered open at the thought of being in Theo's arms. She hugged herself thinking of what that would feel like. It felt as if the dream was burning her in many ways. She shook away the image of Theo and left her room.

Claire suddenly wanted to explore the house, there were 5 levels of her grandparents' family home, which made it possible for fifty bedrooms. She remembered that her mother's room was at the top where the terrace was built just for her mother. Her mother gave her dark memories of the trauma that she went through...

Maybe Claire knew she was ready to approach the topic again to finally get over it. What if she reminisced about her mother to finally forget the pain that drowned her.

She gripped the staircase railings tightly and walked upstairs gradually with courage. She believed that she could do it, so with no pauses, she kept going.

When she made it to the end of the hallway, she knew where her mother's younger self was. All hidden in that room that revived the feelings of what it was to be loved.

I must do this, Claire thought to herself.

Then her mind went blank, pushing her out of her shell. She walked faster right in front of her mother's door. The door creaked open when she turned the knob slowly... bringing her painful memories.

"My sweet baby!" Claire's mum ran towards her and picked her up.

"Mumma!" Claire squealed with laughter.

"Sonia, be careful. You're pregnant for goodness's sake!" her father showed up from behind smiling.

"Oh, stop being such a bother, I'll be fine!" she kept twirling Claire in her arms.

"Fine, I'll stop being a caring husband for you." her father rolled his eyes playfully.

Claire loved her parents so much. They made her days happier. When something bad happened, they were always there together to help. She needed them and she would never let anyone take them away from her.

"Claire, honey we must go for a checkup for your mumma now. We'll be back in a jiffy, all right?" her father said as he took her out of her mother's embrace.

She pouted, "I want to go too!"

Her father looked worriedly to his wife standing next to him holding her stomach, "It will be a little hectic for you there..."

He didn't want to stress out his wife since Claire was a bit scared of doctors, taking a nine-year-old kid who whined a lot could be slightly bothersome. Stressing a pregnant woman was not the best idea.

"I want to go!" Claire's eyes started to water a bit.

Her father tried to speak but her mother cut him off, "If you promise not to freak out around the doctors, then we can take you."

Claire thought for a moment, "Okay, I promise."

Her mother smiled warmly at her, "Okay, let's go then."

Claire held her mother and father's hands, putting her placed in the middle of the happy family. They got in the car ready to leave for the hospital only to be doomed.

Everything was fine until Claire could hear her mother's screams in the car and her father panicking trying to stop the car... but he lost control when the car flipped over. A speeding wreck hit them pushing them into a nearby ditch in the woods.

Burns, screams, and then came torture...

Claire opened her eyes and there not so far stood someone, not something, staring at her.

"Help!" she cried.

The person came closer and helped her out and when she asked him to save her parents, he didn't... he only took her farther away in the woods.

The last thing she heard was her crying mother and the last thing she saw dead was her father staring at her as she was taken away.

Claire sobbed harshly and fell to her knees next to the ajar door. She could smell the faint scent of her mother's rosy perfume and the unheard laughter's of her father.

Her eyes were closed shut and she feared what would happen to her if she witnessed it. Maybe her bravery gave her nothing.

Then, she felt a hand wrap around her arm gently, "I can help."

Claire turned her eyes and her breathing turned slow and then she opened her eyes slightly, "Gran?"

"I'll help you, come on." She helped Claire get up and walk her into her mother's room.

She sat her on the bed softly and then switched the dim lamp on. Claire looked around curiously trying to remember every part. The beige walls with nirvana and rockstar posters were slightly peeling off, the vanity desk still had the same bottles of perfumes that her mother loved, and the vintage record player in the corner next to the shelf full of records, DVDs, and books.

"You know she loves you deeply." her grandmother spoke quietly.

"I know Gran, I know." she whispered.