Beauty in Cinders

CHAPTER 24

"What did you do?!" Beatrice cried, falling to the floor and resting her head against Sonya's legs, "What did you do?!"

Gina sobbed uncontrollably in the corner of the room, her eyes wide with terror by what she'd just seen.

"Help," Gina choked out, moving from the corner in shock, "We need to get h-h-help..."

Gina went to the phone that was on Beatrice's nightstand, trying to keep herself from looking at the blood on the carpet next to Beatrice's bed. She dialed 911 as Beatrice sat on the floor with her arms still around Sonya's legs. Beatrice couldn't believe what had just happened. Her daughter had put an end to it all. She had managed to put a stop to her suffering; a suffering Beatrice could have prevented her from experiencing.

What had she done to her daughter?

Beatrice shut her eyes, hoping this was all some horrible nightmare.

Please let me wake up, she thought with sorrow, please let me wake up.

But her Sonya was gone.

"My sister," Gina said and started to sob again, "She's dead, she killed herself. Please send help quick. Sh-she's dead..."

Beatrice tuned out Gina's words as the realization that she'd just basically killed her own daughter started to form in her mind. Oh, how her heart ached. How had she let things get this out of hand? She could've protected Sonya more, she could have assured her a lot more that she wasn't a bad person for having killed her father.

But she didn't, you did, a voice said inside Beatrice's head.

* * *

Arnold drove Dorothy back home through the rainy night. After their walk through the town square they had decided to go watch a movie together. Dorothy thought her little old heart would burst with happiness when Arnold suggested they go to the cinemas. They'd gone to see a cute romantic comedy that Dorothy had enjoyed very much. She couldn't remember when the last time she'd gone to the movie theaters was. This had to be the best day off she'd ever experience in many years since her husband died.

"You're smiling," Arnold said, glancing over at her with a smirk, "And blushing, too." Dorothy brought a hand up to her cheek.

"How could you tell in the darkness?" she said rather embarrassed. Arnold chuckled. "You were kidding, weren't you? You can't see if I'm blushing or not."

"But now you've confirmed it," Arnold laughed, turning the car onto the street that eventually took them to Wades Mansion. "This is quite the sudden thunderstorm."

"It sure is," Dorothy sighed before smiling at him, "I had a marvelous time tonight. Thank you."

"I hope we have many more," Arnold said trying to act as casual as he could. His hands were tightly gripped around the steering wheel.

"Just tell me when," Dorothy said, trying to match the casualness in his voice as she looked out the window.

"Your next day off, let's go to the county fair. Does that sound good?"

"Sure, sure," Dorothy replied and a wide smile appeared across her face. She turned her face more towards the window so Arnold wouldn't see.

A few more minutes of silence went on until they got close to the house. As they got nearer, Dorothy's smile faded as the bright lights of an ambulance and police cars came into view. They were right outside Wades Mansion.