The Twilight Line

Chapter 4 Mistakes

Hostetler Mansion April 21, 2786 4:32 a.m.

“You stupid bitch… Look what you did to me?” Josie waves her hands at her scarred face. “You and your smart mouth got me into this.” I back away from her, but I run into a solid form. “You won’t get away with this…” Nate towers over me. His eyes are filled with hate. I run, but Loydd is standing in my way. “I told you I’d make you pay.” His sneer makes my stomach twist.

“No, you don’t understand. I didn’t do this!” I whimper as they all three converge on me. All the while that woman is standing in the background watching. Her violet eyes are filled with fear.

I bolt out of bed holding my arms up to protect myself. A strong pair of hands grab me. I scream and kick trying to get away, but it’s no use. The large form wraps his arms around me, “Shh… it’s ok sweetie. You’re safe. It was just a dream…” I stop struggling.

“A dream… just a dream?” My voice is shaky as I wait for confirmation that I’ve woke up from a nightmare. “Yes sweetie, just a dream.” I crumble in my dad’s arms and bawl. He holds me tight and makes gentle shushing noises. Eventually I have no more tears to cry. I stay in my dad’s embrace a little longer.

“Was it about Josie?” I nod against his chest. I can still see her marred face, and her despise. “She has to hate me dad. I did this to her.” Dad yanks me back, “You did no such thing. The ones to blame are those boys.”

“You don’t understand Dad. If I hadn’t said those things… they would have left her alone. I might as well have beat her myself!” Dad jerks away, “I’m disappointed, Laney. I thought you had more self-respect.” Somewhere I know he’s right, but my heart doesn’t let me feel that way. I want this to be my fault, because it’s so much easier than being angry.

Tannerly Hospital April 21, 2786 6:24 p.m.

Nate watches as they wheel out the body bag. As angry as he is, he still feels a tinge of sympathy. Loydd’s mother is bawling in the arms a big burly man. In a moment of weakness I walk over to them, “I’m so sorry… for your loss.” He’s unable to say anymore. Instead he goes to Josie’s room. The monitors beeping is at a steady pace. The doctors are saying she’s improving, but she’s not out of the woods yet. There is massive swelling in her brain, and if she does wake up… “She will wake up… She will!” Nate collapses into a chair.

Mrs. Lovell walks into the room, “Nate, you’re here again?” She offers him her coffee, but he pushes it away. The woman needs it more than he does. “I’ve been coming every day.” Dark circles ring her blue eyes, but still she looks soft and beautiful. Josie’s mom is considerably aged, but she retained the beauty of her youth.

“I’m sure she appreciates the company.” She sits beside me and tenderly pats my back, “She always spoke fondly of you. She said you were the bravest person she knows.” If only she knew how much of a coward I am. As hard as I’ve tried, I’ve never made up for my past.

“Nate, stand up son.” My father pulls me up and we’re running again. I can barely keep up, but there’s no other option. I have to keep running. I trip again. I hear a crack as I go down. Intense pain shoots through my leg. “Daddy!” He picks me up, but he can’t run like this. I’m slowing him down. So he finds a nook in the alley and tucks me away, “Be very quiet son, I’m going to lead them away.” He covers me with a tattered tarp.

I can just barely see through one of the holes. As my father is about to run a man blocks his path. “Where is he Stephen?” Father throws a punch, but the man blocks it with ease. “Please, like that will work. Just tell me where the boy is.” He pulls out a knife and holds it out in front of him. “If you tell me, I promise I’ll play nice.” The man leers down as he brings my father to the ground. “Never… I will never tell you…”

“Fine,” I am relieved for only a moment, “then you’re no use to me.” My father gurgles as the knife is plunged into his throat. He falls to the ground, but I don’t move. I’m frozen. The man leaves. I whip off the tarp and crawl over to my father. “Daddy… wake up… wake up!”

“I’m really not that brave…” I stand and walk out the door, “If anything changes, please let me know.”

Hostetler Mansion April 21, 2786 8:43 p.m.

My father and I have avoided each other since this morning. Neither of us is ready to apologize to the other. So I’ve spent the day reading book after book. When I’m out of books I have no idea what to do. I decide to try out the computer that dad got me. It’s hooked up to the internet. We didn’t have anything like that in Tannerly.

The browser pops up, and I’m met with a dilemma. “What to search…” Out of curiosity I type in Tannerly Dome. A news feed pops up. The main headline today is about some new politician making a speech. I scroll down past the more political section to find the sports. “We have sports in Tannerly?” I’m distracted by this for a short amount of time. I move on to the gossip column, and the obituaries. I scan this list apprehensively, hoping Josie’s name isn’t on it.

I nearly pass out when I read a name I recognize.

Loydd Buttrum: Age 18

Family: His parents Lisa and Brett Buttrum, and his younger

brother Simon Buttrum.

Cause of Death: Head injury

“He… He’s dead.” I recall the dream I had. “He fell… I can’t… I didn’t…” A sharp pain stabs through my head. I moan and collapse on the ground. I’m vaguely aware of my dad rushing in before my vision goes black.