DOUBLE TROUBLE

19. Rock bottom

"ANOTHER CASSAROLE"
Ellie breathed out, placing the dish on the kitchen counter while her mother sat next to her, looking at tons of papers. "Do these people know how to make anything else?" Ellie mumbled.

"Be nice. They're trying to show their support" Elizabeth snapped. "God" She rubbed her forehead.

"What's wrong?" Ellie asked, her forehead creasing as she eyed her mother.

"With the burial and the service and the workers and everything it's gonna cost thousands of dollars. We're gonna be broke" Elizabeth stressed. They had never struggled with money before. Mark and Elizabeth both worked fine jobs and made something of themselves. Without the second paycheck from Mark and all the money to the funeral, they would be struggling with money.

"Maybe I can work somewhere. I'm old enough and-" Ellie's words were cut off by her mother who lifted her finger up to silence her.

"No. You barely survived the accident and I'm not risking you getting hurt. The doctor said you need to rest" Elizabeth argued as Ellie sighed. "How are you feeling? Anymore headaches?"

"A little bit but it's better" Ellie spoke.

Elizabeth nodded. "Have you replaced your bandage this morning?" Elizabeth asked, eyeing the girls bandage on her forehead.

"Yes mom. I'm more responsible than that." Ellie said as a knock came from the door. "I'm assuming another cassarole" Ellie said with an annoyed smile as she went to the door.

And sure enough, it was. It was one of her neighbors telling her "I'm sorry for your loss" Like everybody else.

Ellie hated how people spoke about her and looked at her with sympathy. Yes, her father died. And? She doesn't want to constantly be reminded of it. She just wants to move on. It's all everybody talks about.

And she was also worried. She was worried for her mom and her financially. Which was a werid feeling she's never felt before. She always had things, she never had to worry. She started to understand the people on the cut a little more as she picked the skin around her nails in stress, her mind spiraling.

Mark stared at his daughter who's eyes widened more by the second. "Dad!" Mark quickly looked to the right of him to see a red car crash into them, knocking both of them out

The memory haunted her. Playing over and over again in her head like a movie film. Over and over again. His face, his dead body haunted her brain. She couldn't escape it. She can still see his body. That's all she could see of him. She couldn't remember all the happy memories with him anymore. It all seemed unreal. Fake.

She couldn't escape it. It was like she was in an enclosed box, forced to remember against her will. Her wrists and ankles were tied by ropes to a chair, her eyes forced to be taped open while she watched a movie that had the same tragic ending.

Tears burned Ellie's eyes. "Dad? Dad! Please wake up! Daddy, we gotta get out"

Ellie couldn't save him. If only her arm was tall enough to grab him. If only she didn't argue in the car and he didn't pass the red light. If only she never called him. If only she never went to the party. It was all her fault. She killed him. She belonged behind bars. Why wasn't she in a cell for her actions?

She murdered someone. What was wrong with her? She murdered her father. And her brain made sure she never forgot it. It was crawling up her spine, making goosebumps form on her skin as a one sentence wouldn't leave her brain. Whispering over and over again. "It was all your fault"

"Ow" She winced as she looked at the finger she was just biting, seeing blood dripping. "Fuck" She whispered as she got up and went to the bathroom, opening the mirror cabinet and grabbed the small box of band-aids and grabbed one and put it on her finger as another knock came from the door. "Jesus Christ"