Shoot me down

chapter 13

Chloe stood up from her seat in the church and steadily walked to the front. She began, "Beca was... incredible. She was so different, so new. Every time I saw her it was so refreshing and made everything bad go away." She took a few moments to breathe deeply, and then continued, "She saved my life in so many different ways. I loved her with all my heart. No, I love her with all my heart. Because the last thing... the last thing she said to me..." Tears began to spill out her eyes and Aubrey perched on the edge of her seat, ready to take over. However Chloe continued through the tears, "She said to me 'I'll still look after you'. So that's how I know... I know that she is still here with me," her voice began to break, "She is never going to leave me, and I don't want her to. She made me happy, and I love her."

On those last three words, her tears became uncontrollable and when she finished she put her hand over her mouth to suppress the sobs. Aubrey was up within seconds and put her arms supportively around Chloe as she guided her back to her seat. "Are you okay?" she whispered, and Chloe nodded. Then, Aubrey returned to the front with a piece of paper in her hands. She read out, "I know that I wasn't Beca's favourite person, but we were becoming close. And like Chloe said, she was refreshing." She paused for a moment and then looked back down at the paper she was holding. She took in a deep breath and then read out a poem Chloe knew Beca loved.

"Angels looked around a garden, and found an empty place. They then looked down upon the earth, and saw your precious face. They put their arms around you and lifted you to rest; their garden must be beautiful – angels always take the best. They knew that you were suffering, they knew you were in pain, they knew you'd never ever get well on earth again. So they closed your weary eyelids and whispered, "Peace be thine." Then they took you up to Heaven with hands so gentle and kind. It broke our hearts to lose you, but you did not go alone. For part of us went with you, the day the angels took you home."

As she finished Chloe couldn't take it anymore and ran out of the church, sobbing. Aubrey instinctively followed as the service continued, and found Chloe collapsed on the floor outside the doors. She sat down next to her and cradled her in her arms. Chloe shook and sobbed into her best friend's shoulder, and felt selfish when all she wanted was Beca. In front of them someone coughed, and Chloe raised her head to look at who wanted their attention. She jumped when she saw standing before her was her father with a violent look in his eye and he said, "I'm here to finish what I started." Chloe began screaming and kicking out trying to fight the man before her, but felt arms pinning her down and restraining her.

She clenched her eyes shut as she kicked out, until she heard someone say her name. Chloe opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight before her. "Was it the nightmare again?" Beca asked, still restraining Chloe by the shoulders. Chloe nodded and continued crying. Beca pulled her up into a tight hug and said, "You need to stop thinking about it. I'm fine, I'm still here. Your dad's been in prison for 6 months now and he's not getting out any time soon." Chloe buried her face in Beca's neck as the tears eventually subdued. She shook in fear and clutched onto the smaller girl, not wanting to ever let her go.

Eventually, Beca pulled away and flicked on the light. She looked over and saw Chloe sitting there drenched in sweat, still shaking even though the nightmare was over. "Come on," she said encouragingly, "Let's get you into some new pyjamas." Chloe allowed Beca to take her by the hand and pull her out of the bed and towards the wardrobe. Beca pulled out a fresh pair of shorts and a vest top and handed them to Chloe. She didn't mind when Chloe changed in front of her – she was used to it by now. These nightmares were happening several times a week, each time requiring a change of clothes. Chloe had spent every day in hospital with Beca, and when she was finally released Chloe insisted she came to live with her. It didn't take much convincing before she accepted, despite the fact that it also meant moving in with Aubrey. But even Aubrey had been uncharacteristically welcoming and she felt a lot happier in that apartment.