Turn me Upside Down

Chapter 13: New year, New troubles

Most nights had been rather lonely; Nancy was busy with Steve, Jonathan had family to deal with including an all new possible stepfather (of whom you approved of), and Eddie had proven to be difficult to get outside of school. That being said, Nancy had made herself a frequent presence at your house, helping out with cleaning and other mundane house activities while gaining the approval of your mother. Did the poor woman have to know that most of the sleepovers consisted of you consoling a crying Nancy as the death of Barb hit her over and over again? The parents of your late friend were insistent on having dinner with her, understanding that the mourning period for a lost friend was long but still wanting to talk with her. The minute detail that always leads to Nancys emotional derailment - Barbs parents still think that shes missing, that was the story after all.

Nightmares were a constant issue but with Will having it worse on all levels, you kept your mouth shut. Pride kept you from confessing to Jonathan or Nancy, shame crept up every vein in your body, trying its best to wiggle its way to your heart to grow stronger. One would think that after facing a monster like the one you had, nothing else would have scared you again and you were proven wrong once again.

Mija, when I said drive I meant actually speed up not go slower than the pedestrians, your mother complained, patting the middle compartment with one hand while the other was clutching onto the grab hands of the car. The night lights along with your headlights were the only thing to keep the streets illuminated.

Ma, no hay nadie. Stop worrying because I will crash if you scream into my ear one more time, you tensely replied, the words barely making it out of your throat as they tried to bypass the natural feeling to swallow down your nerves. With both hands latched onto the steering wheel and right foot ready to slam the brake when ready, you were driving down the street at a steady fifteen miles per hour. Sure, an old man had stared at you driving rather weirdly, but when he noticed your eyes already moist with fearful tears, he called it a night.

Making the slowest right turn at the upcoming bend, you drove down the central road of the town. Only the few stores that left their outside lights on illuminated the night as you drove past nowhere close to the speed limit. Your eyes naturally roamed towards the darkest corners that you could afford to pay attention to without losing concentration. It was a mind game at this point; a taunting reminder that a monster had once used these dark corners to catch your friend and an innocent child in the middle of the night. Taking lives was not the only crime being committed - It left guilty consciousnesses behind as well. Despite the constant night terrors your mother had babied you through, there was no solid reason you could provide for her.

Mija, eyes on the road, your mother whispered, choosing to ignore your tearing eyes and loosening her grip. The somber melody of Los Terricolas played as the backdrop to your one-sided mourning. It tore you apart from the inside out to not tell your mother what has been the root cause of your nightmares. Why were you terrified to take out the car on midnight rides to practice your skills. Some nights your terror surpassed the warnings given to you, but then observing your mothers own dark circles and clearly exhausted body ready to sleep - you kept quiet once again. Silence was the temporary solution to both of your problems, and that would be fine as long as a somber song played in the background.

I think thats enough for tonight. Our street is just around the corner anyway, your mother said after a half hour of continuous driving. There were a few close calls where you panicked at the sight of another car driving on the other side of the road, but she managed to reel in mind. Please do not hit a curb on the way in. You would have to be deaf to not have heard her silent praying as you pulled into the driveway and parked the car. It was the least dangerous aspect of the whole ordeal but here she was acting as though you not only hit a curb but also caused a car crash. Her pointer and middle fingers were crossed on both hands as she held her head down, chin resting closely on the rosary hanging on her necklace. The calming face of the Virgencita silently mocked you as you waited for her to calm down.