Dancing With The Devil

Chapter 11

     I sit next to Mike in the movie theater. His arm is slung around my shoulders and he watches the movie intently. I honestly have no idea what we're watching. All I know is that it's some kind of horror movie. When Mike offered to take me to the movies today, I left without a second thought. I just needed to get out of the house. When I told Caleb that I was leaving, he just said ok and didn't even turn towards me. I ignored the pain in my chest and left to go meet Mike.
      Over the past 3 days, Bonnie hasn't gotten any better. She's as unresponsive as ever and her mom fears that soon, she'll have to pull the plug. It's a thought that even I can't imagine so I can't even bare to thing about how Abby is feeling. The diner has been closed ever since Mr.Aubrey found out that Bonnie is in the hospital. I haven't seen Hailey since last week so I have no idea how she's taken the news.
      Next to me, Mike jumps and I look at him. I guess something scary happened in the movie. An hour later, the movie ends and me and Mike walk out of the theater. "So did you like it," he asks. I shrug. "It was okay. Nothing too scary." Mike looks at me, surprise written all over his face. "Are you serious? That movie was terrifying. There's not much that scares you is there." I shake my head and say, "Not really."
     I stopped learning to be afraid of the monster in my closet years ago. Now, I'm just afraid of the monster that lived in my home.
      Me and Mike walk around, going into stores and looking around. We don't buy anything and just spend most of our time window shopping. Mike takes my hand into his again and I grow uncomfortable. I slide my hand out of his and continue to walk.
      "How come you don't like holding hands," Mike asks. His voice sound a little hurt and I wince. "I'm just not used to being in a relationship," I say quietly. Mike frowns but continues walking next to me.
       My begins to vibrate and I take it out. "Hello?"
       "Jace," Caleb says and I'm surprised to hear his voice. "I need you to come home now. It's important."
     "What is it," I ask. "It's about Bonnie." At the sound of Bonnie's name, I tell Caleb that I'll be home soon. I hang up and turn to Mike. He looks at me curiously and I say, "I have to go."
      "What's wrong?" I shrug and we walk towards the bus stop. "I don't know," I tell him. The bus comes and I say bye to Mike. He kisses me on my lips and I get on the bus. The entire ride home, I'm filled with nervousness. What about Bonnie. Did she finally wake up?
     When I get to my stop, I get off the bus and run home. I open the door to see Caleb pacing nervously in the living. He notices me and takes my arm, leading me towards the car. We get inside and the questions flow out of my mouth. "What happened to Bonnie? Is she okay."
      Caleb glances at me briefly before turning back the road. "I don't know," he says. "Her mom called me. She said that earlier Bonnie began to move her fingers. She might wake up soon." I smile brightly and look at Caleb. Bonnie's waking up!
     We arrive at the hospital and practically run to the waiting room. Caleb tells the receptionist that we're here for Bonnie and she tells us to go upstairs. Soon we're outside Bonnie's room and I smile brightly. I walk inside to see Bonnie's mom staring at her expectantly. She glances at me then turns back to Bonnie.
      "Her fingers moved. The doctors said that this is a good sign and she could wake up soon," she says. The room grows silent, the only sound being the heart monitor next to Bonnie. A doctor walks in and smiles at me and Caleb. "You must be friends with Ms.Brooke. She's pretty popular." I laugh and we all look at Bonnie.
     "When do you think she'll wake up," Caleb asks. "It could be any minute now," the doctor says. "The moving of a limb usually indicates an awakening that'll be soon." Caleb nods and we look at Bonnie.
      Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Bonnie's fingers curl. Hope and excitement fills me at the sight of her moving. The heart monitor begins to beep rapidly and Bonnie's mom perks up in excitement.
      Suddenly the beeps begin to go slower and slower. A loud ringing goes off and the doctor begins to run towards Bonnie. Nurses run in the room and towards Bonnie. A long beep echos in the room and the line on the heart monitor is completely straight.
      No...
      Bonnie's mom cries out and she falls to her knees. The nurses take out defibrillators and charge it up. Tears run down my face as the nurses push us out of the room. 2 nurses help Bonnie's mom off of the floor and out of the room. I look in horror and shock as the doctor rips apart Bonnie's hospital gown and presses the defibrillators onto her chest. There's a loud beep and Bonnie's body jumps up. The heart monitor continues to only give off one long beep and he presses the defibrillators to her chest again. The nurses push us outside and Caleb grabs Bonnie's mom. The nurses shut the door and the hallway echos with Abby's heart wrenching cries. I stare at the door in shock, the sound of the long beep, still going off in my head.

          ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    The doctor walks out of the room and crosses the hallway to Bonnie's mother. She sits in a small white chair. Her brown and gray hair sticks to her face which is coated with sweat and tears. She looks at the doctor hopefully, but his face is forlorn.
     "I'm sorry. We tried everything we could but..." he doesn't continue and silence hangs in the air. Bonnie's mother puts her head in her hands and begins to sob. "I'm so sorry," the doctor repeats. He sounds on the verge of tears himself and stands up. He looks at me and Caleb sadly. "You can come see her, if you want." He says sorry one more time, then walks back into Bonnie's room.
     Abby's loud cries fills the hallway. Caleb kneels next to Abby and whispers soothing words to her. I look at the door to Bonnie's room and walk towards it. My legs feel like lead and my chest tightens with every step I take.
     I walk inside of the room and the doctor looks at me. I turn to the bed that Bonnie lays on and my breath hitches. Bonnie's dark skin is pale and her cheeks are hollow. Her curly hair has lost its shine and lays around her head like a halo.
     As I look at Bonnie's body, I expect at any moment for her eyes to open and to see her smile appear on her face again. But she doesn't. Her eyes stay firmly shut. My knees buckle and I fall to the floor. I wrap my arms around myself and I cry loudly.
     The doctor tries to console me but I just cry louder. I imagine Bonnie's smile, her voice, her silly jokes, and her overprotectiveness of me. I'll never see or hear them again. That's what death is. It's not here to give, it's here to take. Death doesn't let you say goodbye.
      A pair of arms wrap themselves around me and a familiar voice whispers in my ear. "Jace, it's okay. Calm down and breathe with me." I turn around and cry into Caleb's neck.
     "I got Bonnie killed," I sob. And we sit there for a while, Caleb calming me down while the doctor and nurses tend to Bonnie's mom.

        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    I lay in the bed next to Caleb as he sleeps soundly. It took 3 hours for me to get calmed down. After we got home, I begged Caleb not to leave me. I'm too afraid to be alone and I don't care if I'm supposed to be angry at him right now. He's the only thing holding me stable right now.
    I'm about to fall asleep when I notice my phone light up from the nightstand. I grab the phone and look at the message.
     A lot of people are going to die around you. I suggest that you distance yourself.