Bellman Tower

Chapter 9

I wrap my jacket around myself and walk over to the bench, sitting down. It's a particularly windy day today. I shiver and blow into my hands to keep them warm.

"Cold?"

I look up to see Jay. I nod, rubbing my hands and trying to stop my teeth from chattering at the same time. "Why don't we go to my house?" Jay suggests.

"Okay." I get up, "Let's go. I've been itching to see the twins, anyway."

"Honestly?" Jay frowns at me.

I giggle conspiratorially and shake my head, "Pulling your leg. But I did want to see them."

"Why? I was thinking they'd have put you off by now. It has been twenty four hours, hasn't it?" Jay looks thoughtful.

I roll my eyes and say, "Yes, it has but they're not as bad as you think, Jay."

Jay sputters, "What?! Did you actually say --- Whose side are you on?"

I roll my eyes again, "I'm on the side of freeing myself from Trevor!"

"Right." Jay clears his throat, "Back to the subject of putting Trevor to peace. You said you've talked to him?"

"Yeah, I talked to him quite a few times. He was a friend and I started trusting him along the way. I became dependant on our visits because he understood me in a way no one else did. Do you get me?"

"I think I do." Jay nods and then looks at me, "Can I ask you something?"

I shrug.

"How did your parents' death affect you, as a daughter?" Jay asks.

"I'm different. I'm someone else entirely. I don't... I can't sleep in peace, I dream the most horrible dreams about death. Their death, to be honest. I'm not a normal person, I never have been a normal person. I find myself now, so insecure. I guess I'm just yearning for mom to hold me or dad to squeeze my hand like he did all the time." I say, forcing the tears back. We used to be the perfectly happy family, everyone in the neighbourhood loved Mom and Dad. We would constantly have guests round for no reason at all and Mom was famous for her cooking. They were both adored and I've been told countless times that the neighbourhood grieved as if they'd lost their parents as well. Mom and Dad meant so much to so many people.

"Hey, do you know what?" Dad suddenly bursts, as we accelerate round a tight corner. "What?" I immediately respond, my eyes lighting up as they always do when Dad has a suggestion to make. Mom just rolls her eyes and sighs, "No more races with SUVs on the highway, John."

"Okay." Dad sighs, slumping his shoulders. I chuckle. Dad clears his throat, "Actually, I was thinking we should eat out. You know, save you the trouble of cooking us a late tea."

"Oh, right." Mom looks surprised that Dad has said something faintly sensible for once, "Yeah, we should. Do you know what I'm thinking?" Mom's face lights up as she turns to Dad expectantly. "Valentine's Day?"

"Exactly. That take out was amazing." Mom giggles and Dad gives her a wink. Hhhmmm. Seems as if the take out wasn't the only thing that was amazing. But let's just pretend I didn't see that. I look out of the window as Dad turns left. There's the sharp sound of air whistling and then I'm being pelted around the car, my body being twisted into strange positions. It's as if I'm flipping over... no, the car is flipping over. We forgot to put our safety belts on, that's why we're being thrown around like a rag doll in a cardboard box. I cry out in pain as a shard of glass lodges itself in my lower leg. I hear mom's screams and Dad's horrendous cries of agony as we roll to a stop... upside down. I feel a hot, sticky, liquidy substance running down my cheek.