Forever And A Half

26

Week 4:

My dad stood above me with a grin. His head was slightly bleeding and his face was bruised with many deep wounds carved into it. He looked down to me,

"Hey Squirt," he wheezed. I jumped into his arms and he swung me around as though I were five again.

"Daddy! You're back," I beamed at him. He dropped me down to the ground and sat back in his chair. He was breathing heavily and his head was bleeding rapidly. He was getting paler and paler. My older brother, Marcus, came up beside him,

"Hello, dearest little sister," he snarled. He pulled out a glinting object to finish off what he'd started. With a single swipe, my dad was bled dry. Whirring lights and blasting sirens surrounded the place as Marcus was taken to prison and executed.

"No!" I cried out. I sat straight up in bed. I was wheezing uncontrollably. Tears streamed down my face as I gasped for air. Mum burst through the door and gripped my sides tight. I leaned on her and she supported my waist. Joe opened his door. He saw me weakened and struggling to breath. He hesitated for a moment,

'You're such a wimp," he slammed his door and Graham came out to lift me down the stairs. Mum grabbed my inhaler and after a short while, my breathing was back to normal. She gave me a glass of water and Graham headed back to his bedroom.

"Ada, you don't normally get asthma attacks. Has something triggered it?" she asked gently. I knew she was hinting at my fight with Joe but I shook my head.

"I had a dream. It was dad but he was still alive. And then Marcus came and he was taken to jail and then he was executed and...and," I couldn't say anything else.

"Darling, we know your dad was murdered by Marcus. And we know Marcus was executed for it. I don't know why you suddenly had the dream now. He died when you were five and you didn't watch him die. He was found in the paddock next door," I nodded. I knew the story because I had heard it many times.

"Maybe it was just the stress of this whole Joe thing. I just," I sighed, "I just need some sleep,"

"Or maybe you should sort things out with Joe," she suggested. I shook my head.

"You can stay down here if you'd like but I'm going to bed, I'll see you in the morning," I was left alone downstairs. I tried getting up but my legs were like jelly. I sat there for a while and then Joe came down the stairs.

"Hey, I know you aren't talking to me but your mum said you needed my help," he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me up, "I can't believe I left you so weak," I didn't say anything as he supported me up the stairs.

He turned on the lights and sat me down on my bed,

"Honestly, it's sad that a little argument has left you so broken," I refused to talk to him but he was making it so hard not to say a snide remark. He left the room and closed the door but the lights were still on. I didn't want to call his name so I stood up to turn them off. My legs cascaded under the pressure of holding my body and I was sent to the floor. I lay there for a second and Joe poked his head back in.

"Oops, my bad," he forced a laugh and put me back on the bed. When he left the room he turned the lights off.