I Think I Just Got Your Family Killed

Chapter 7

Heather's Point Of View

I turned to Frank who now had the death grip on my arm. Same as Gerard.

I just laughed, "I told you it was know to break down, but you did not listen."

Frank just took at harder grip on my arm, it really hurt, but I let him. Was he really this scared?

 I grabbed his hand, for the first time in a very long time my voice was gentle, "It will be okay. You will be fine, after all you have me. My friend said it only took three seconds to come back alive. Why don't you count with me?"

His grip started to loosen, "One. Two. Three..."

We waited a couple of seconds more, but nothing happened. This time I let the worry in. No, this was not right. It was supposed to start. My grin slipped off of my face and my stomach was being clawed by fear's icy grip.

"Ray, are you okay back there?"

I felt a small amount of relief as he responded, "Yeah, I am fine."

The intercom creaked back on, "You will have to leave the ride on the ladder we just put up for you. Youngest children first."

I stared with fearful eyes at the ladder they had attached to the ride. It did not look as sturdy as I would have hoped.

I gulped with pure terror, mortal terror, "Is anyone younger than fifth teen?"

No answers.

A man who obviously worked at the park appeared on the top of the ladder, "Okay, you there, fifth teen year old. You may go first and seeing that there are no other children your friends can come next." As he helped my out of my seat and onto the ladder I grabbed Franks hand. Frank went down next, right above me. As I started to climb down the slightly shaky ladder, I was forced to let go of Frank's arm.

Then, during the moment I was letting go of his hand I did not have three points of contact, like I knew you should. And sure enough, something terrible  happened. My feet went out from under me and I felt myself plummeting to the ground. When I was sure that I was going to fall to my death I felt my arm yanked out of its socket. As my body flew back into the ladder I screamed in pain, but quickly grabbed it. I looked up to see Frank. He had saved my life.

Franks Point Of View

I stared at Heather as she grabbed onto the ladder. She was obviously is great pain, with a dislocated shoulder and she had been slammed into the ladder extremely hard. But at least she was alive. I grabbed her, lifting her in front of me so I could put my arms around her on the sides of the ladder. It made it completely impossible for her to fall off. My fear was now totally gone, after seeing her fall I felt the need to be the brave adult.

"Hey! That is not safe. Youngest first." The park officer said.

"I will tell you what is not safe! This amusement park, this ride! Did you see her almost fall off just now?" I was furious, how dare he say I was not being safe? Heather almost died.

It was weird how much the thought startled me. After all, she was an annoying brat I did not know too well. But she defiantly did not deserve to die.

The park officer shut up, luckily.

As Heather and I shimmied down the ladder together I got a glimpse of her arm and guilt pooled in my stomach. I had left red gouges in her arm where my fingernails had been and there were bruises flowering around them.

"Did I do that to you?" I asked, ashamed. I gently put my hand on her arm to show her what I was talking about.

She just shrugged, or at least tried to with her dislocated shoulder, "It is fine. I was scared too, if I cared I would have stopped you."

I still felt bad, but I was relieved she was not angry with me. She was acting so out of character, but guess that is what happens when you have a near death experience. Or maybe she had changed? I wish. But maybe, just maybe...

We climbed down the ladder slowly and uncomfortably. I probably could have let her go down by herself and she would have been just fine. But I did not want to. I was scared for her, it felt strange. So, we made our slow and painful descent.

Well, painful for her. I was surprised she had not started crying by now. She was one tough girl.

As we reached the bottom she surprised me, pulling me into a large hug.

"Thank you for saving me, Frank. Thank you so much." She whispered while hugging me.

Heather's Point Of View

The words tingled on my lips. I had not said them, in years. Many years. Heather does not thank people. Or should I say did?

I felt someone else join in on our hug. It was Gerard. Next, Mikey. After a few minutes Ray appeared too. We probably looked like fools. Standing there, hugging, when all that had happened was a ride broke down. But none of us cared one bit. We were just so glad to still be here, living, breathing, walking. Not dead. Like I had almost been. The thought terrified me.

Frank decided to take my moment of kindness to his advantage, "Why are you like this, Heather? Why do you treat people the way you do?"

Maybe it was the fact that he saved my life. Maybe it was the adrenaline pumping through me, clouding my thoughts. Maybe it was the look of hope in his eyes. Or maybe it was just the fact that I had held it in long enough and could not hold it in a second more. But something made me answer his question.

I told them the story about my brother getting his chocolate bar, how my parents taught me to use and abuse others. To climb the chain of power using hate.

"Change." Frank whispered to me. If only it was that easy. Nothing was ever that easy.

"I can't. It is what I have left of them. I would feel like I was letting go of my family. The things they taught me are all I have left." I whispered sadly. It was all I had left. And I was not ready to let go.

The looks of sadness, pity, and remorse that filled their faces almost made me cave. But I couldn't. What I could not bring myself to admit to them was that I had grown into the person I was today. The darkness and evil had weaved itself into my being. And I had no clue how to get it out.