Fiction.

Chapter 58: The Alternate Ending.

Chapter 58: The Alternate Ending.

“Slow down daddy!””-Please slow down! Don’t drink so much!””-Stop!” A child cried in my dreams. I don’t know who this child is but she’s so familiar. She’s like a ghost trying to warn me.

“Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend along in all the bitterness. I would have stayed up with you all night if I had known how to save a life.” She whispered directly in my ear, I could feel the hot breath against the side of my face. My eyes shot open and my body jumped upward. My heart beating fast inside my chest as the night engulfed me. I huffed and puffed heavily with wide eyes. I sat in my bed dripping in sweat, like a bucket of water was just dumped on me. I swiped some of the sweat from my face, the drips of body water splashed against the bedding. This is the third night in a row that I’ve had that same dream. What does it mean though? Why am I dreaming it?

I swallowed hard and jerked myself out of the bed. The cold floor jolted my feet back up as it electrocuted me. My heart bounded inside my ribs. I planted my feet back on the floor again and straightened out. I made my way through the dark room, my entire body dripped with sweat. I loomed outside of Peasnie’s bedroom wanting to check up on her even though I knew she was okay. I was still shaken by the dream I had. What did it mean?

I walked down the stairs quietly and went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer. I went to my lounge chair and chilled out in it, flipping on the TV. I lit up a cigarette and tried to relax. But the horrible feeling grew bigger in my stomach, I knew that something bad was going to happen and it’ll be all my fault. I hated this feeling lingering in the bottom of my stomach.

It was like time and space didn’t exist to me, I just sat there staring at the TV blankly with my beer and smokes. My mind was empty and nothing mattered. I just watched as time flew by. I jerked up when I heard Peasnie’s bedroom door open and close again. Her footsteps came down the hall way. She came down the stairs in black board shorts and an over sized sweat shirt. Her hair was up and messy. She looked exhausted, her glazed over eyes had dark rings around them. She just looked tired.

“G’morning.” I smiled wearily at her. She waved her hand to me and muttered under her breathe. She went into the kitchen and made herself some coffee. Peasnie came back into the living room and sat down with her coffee. I couldn’t stop smiling at her, seeing her happy face in the morning was one of the many great things about having a teenaged daughter.

Peasnie glanced at me tiredly and frowned, she knew something as well. She knew there was something different in the atmosphere. A really bad feeling loomed in the air around us. I jumped when the house phone rang loudly. My heart was jumping in my chest. It took me a moment to sober from the fright. I grabbed the phone and pressed ‘talk’.

“Hello?” I greeted happily but my tone was tired.

“Hey man, it’s Matt.” Matt replied happily. I smiled slightly and shifted in my seat.

“Hey man, what’s up?” I asked curiously.          

“I’m going to the tattoo parlor today, want to come?” He asked softly. I smiled and nodded even though he can’t see me.

“Sure, what are you getting done?” I questioned.

“Just some touch ups.” He replied.

“Cool, I’m thinking about getting something done too.”  I said softly, hoping Peasnie wouldn’t hear. I’ve had this planned for a while but since he’s going to get it done today I might as well get it done too. Peasnie will be so surprised when I walk into the house with an addition to my tattoo collection. I’m getting two drum sticks on my ribs with our nicknames on them so on one it’ll say Reverend Tholomew Plagueand on the other it’ll say Peasnie Hollows which is the nickname we finally gave her, she has a few nicknames like Drummer Girl and the Mini Rev but Peasnie Hollows is the one she wants to keep.