~SPECTORTOME~ Wattys 2016

Chapter 10

The trip was not as short as I thought it would be, but I wasn't worried. Women can take a long time shopping. I had just borrowed some clothes from Richard since we were almost the same size, and found that I had brought my spare pair of glasses, but must have left them in the car. It felt good to be able to see again. I still hadn't bled through the wrappings on my back and arm, so I was as close to normal as I'm probably going to get.

At 8:00 am, the store was due to open. Apparently the boys knew how to run it because the store opened and people came in. It was obvious that they knew what they were doing too, since people can and went quickly. By the time noon came around, Mrs. Jacobs wasn't home and I was very worried.

"Hey, can you help me?" A boy asked, poking me.

"I can try, but I'm new here," I admitted to him, "what do you need?"

"I'm looking for this book. Here, it's Samuel Sewall's Diary," He looked up and shoved a piece of paper in his pocket, "I need it for class, but it isn't anywhere. This is the only bookstore that I haven't been in within the city limits."

"Oh, well, let's go look for it, shall we?" I suggested, immediately scanning the room since we were in the middle of it. I soon found Richard. Leading the distraught boy to my new fake brother, Richard and the kid took one look at each other.

"Gale! What do you need?" Richard asked with a huge smile.

"A diary of some guy accused of witchcraft, you know, the usual." Gale responded, his blond hair seeming to reflect his friend's smile.

"I know exactly where Samuel Sewall's Diary is, right this way." Richard confirmed, leading his buddy away. The sun hid behind a cloud and the ringing of a telephone started me. I picked up the phone.

"Hello, Kathleen Ellen Fisk speaking, how may I help you?" I answered.

"Yes, Kathleen, I'm Doctor Michael R. Vazquez. Is there anyone related to Mrs. Rebecca Jacobs around? Preferably Horatio, but any of them will do."

"Just give me a minute," I responded. The phone was wireless, so I just ran it to Horatio, who was sitting amidst the Horror books, "Doctor Vazquez wants you." He took the phone out of my hand.

"Hello... yes, speaking... yes, she left about an hour ago... is she okay?" Horatio paled, and swallowed hard, "Oh my God... I'll take care of them... I know what I'm going to do. I understand it all." He nodded, then frowned, "what about Katie... I can?" He looked a little happier, but his face was still grim, "Good, alright. Thank you Doctor Vazquez... you too... goodbye." He hung up the phone and set it down.

"What happened?" I breathed, sitting down next to him on the couch.

"My mom died in a car crash," he whimpered, tears brimming, "and now I'm the legal guardian of my brothers. How am I supposed to tell them?" The color of his face was that of a page, only any book would have a clear idea to do.

"I'll help, you know, if you want me to." I offered, pale myself. I had known her my whole 8th grade year, but had only really known her for two days. I coughed, chocking on the silence and death in the air around us.

"Yeah, that would be great." A pair of brown eyes looked up at me, a river threatening to overflow.

"I'm sorry." I said.

"What use is the ability to control time if you can't prevent things like this?" Horatio questioned, setting a book down and burying his face in his hands.

"Hey," I ruffled his hair, "somethings you can't control."

"Let's go tell them," He said, grabbing my wrist and getting up. He lead me over to Caleb, who was leaning against the wall, "Caleb, can we talk to you?"

"What's wrong? Did something happen to Mom?" Caleb asked, seeing our pale faces.

"Yeah, Mrs. Jacobs, your mom, she was in a car crash," I informed him, "and she died."

"No, no, she didn't. She's okay, she just is late." Caleb said, he shook his head, typically joyful expression gone.

"Caleb, mom was hit by a teen on their cell phone. She died on impact," Horatio dropped my wrist and grabbed his younger brother's shoulder, "I'm now legal guardian of Richard." Caleb looked at his older brother, and then me.

"Can I have a hug?" Without thinking, I just did as the 18 year old asked.

"I'm so so sorry." I told him.

"My mom, she's just gone. What am I supposed to do now? The last conversation we had was an argument. I barely even said goodbye to her." Caleb babbled, burying his head in my neck. I could feel his cool tears against the exposed skin. I can't do much for him... 

"Hush," I comforted, "you'll be fine. Look at me, I haven't collapsed and my mom disappeared and my dad got payed to leave me alone. Plus you have some siblings," Caleb let me go and I turned to Horatio, "We should probably go tell the other two."

"I'll close the store up." Caleb decided, moving away from us towards the door. For a moment I thought he was crying, but he moved to fast away to tell. Horatio again grabbed my wrist, squeezing it as if it was the only thing left to his name. His face was blank as if he was in shock. Cormac came around the corner, looking like an abused puppy.

"So she's gone, and you have guardianship of Richard." He observed.

"Yeah, and Katie can stay with us. If you want that is." Horatio added.

"I wouldn't leave for anything, and I made a promise to your mum that I would make sure you guys didn't burn the house down." I looked at the brothers, who, despite their being older than me, acted as if they were younger.

"Did you tell Richard?" My brother asked.

"No," Horatio implored, "Katie, do you want to go tell him?" I nodded and went back towards the center of the room, quickly finding Richard and Gale talking as the latter was walking out.

"Closing up already?" Gale laughed.

"Yeah, well, sometimes we close early, and mom's out so..." Richard answered.

"Alrighty then, say, give me a call when we can hang out. You still got my number?"Gale wondered.

"Yeah, see you around." Richard voiced.

"Goodbye," Gale saluted, then he noticed me, "have a lovely day Katie."

"You too Gale." I replied, closing the door behind him.

"So, why are you so pale?" Richard asked.

"We got a call-" I started.

"Why did it take her so long?" Richard interrupted.

"Let me finish, please," I requested, "it wasn't your mom. It was a doctor. I'm so sorry..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your mom is dead. You and I are now under the legal guardianship of Horatio. I'm so sorry."

"She's dead? How? Why?" Richard questioned, biting his lip so hard I wondered why it wasn't bleeding.

"Some teen on their cell phone hit your mom and killed her on impact," I couldn't keep the bitterness out of my voice, "and now you boys don't have a mom any more."

"Did you tell the others?" He asked.

"Yes, Horatio got the phone call, told me, then we told Caleb. Cormac was eavesdropping, I think. Now, you know." I told him. The clock read 12:30 pm, but it felt more like midnight.

"Anyone cry yet?" He asked, a small sad laugh escaping him.

"No, but Caleb wanted a hug, Horatio keeps grabbing my wrist, and Cormac looks like a sad puppy. I really don't know what you're going to do yet, so-" I was cut off by a hug. It's a good thing that he's my adopted brother now and that I like hugs, because otherwise this would be weird. It still is, just not as bad as it would be. The last of the customers left and the Jacobs and I were left to our own devices, no longer waiting for a telephone call or the door to open revealing the women who would take care of us.