Dark Alley

Chapter 39

     Early in the morning, Tracy, the twins and I gathered on the hall. It was just like yesterday when I started a friendly relationship with them, it felt sad, I met then just a week ago, and today I felt different, the four of us felt different, because I haven't talked with them for days anymore, except for now.

     Any week, day or worse, time, Calvin can send me back to the Alley.

     If I fail this plan of getting my father a lot of people will get hurt, especially Tracy.

     I might not see my friends again.

     I spent lunch with them and we all laughed, I can't believe how well the four of us can make a chemistry, a chemistry of friendship.

     "Why are we so happy?" R asked, "I mean there's nothing to mourn but why are we happy?"

     "Tell us Foster," Q says, "tell us why we're happy."  

     "I ask that to myself to," I say, "But maybe it because even though the two of you, Tracy and I are not happy and that one by one we face our own tragedy, I have never felt so helped, by all of you."

     "Mother of bucket," R swore, "you just freaking made my eyes wet."

     "I'm touched Foster," Q added.

     Now I look at Tracy, whose eyes were sweating even more. She was in tears, "why are you saying this to us?"

     "I just want you to be aware," I paused. What do I want them to be aware of? "I just want you to know that it was an honour to know all of you, and it would be a privilege to know and spend time with you."

     "Dude, are you going to die?" R asked. The four of us giggled around the cafeteria, it would feel better if I can show to them more about me. I don't want it to be too late; I don't want it to be too late to see Tracy and the others.

     After lunch we parted with the twins again and said our good byes. Tracy looks at me as she gave me an unsure expression on the face.

     "What?" I ask her. She chuckled.

     "Nothing," she says, "it's just that I'm also happy, because I was one of the person whom you allow to know your improvements. You have matured Foster, and right there you told the twins the most mature thing I have ever heard, the twins are even more naive of what's going to happen than you. I am proud of you."

     I was glad that despite the days where Tracy was mean to me and sometimes soft, she already had the guts to tell me what she feels.

     Tracy and I ditched school in the afternoon and went back to the village where my old house was placed. I knew Mrs. Dekker was still at school having English class without me. I thought of this opportunity as my advantage.

     We stood on the porch; in front of us is a locked navy blue door that serves as the only entrance to the house. I suddenly lost courage, I tried twisting, pinning, or even breaking the door knob but nothing happened. I look at Tracy who looked so confident, like she was just going to wait on the next thing I would do until I ask her what the right thing to do is.

     "Tracy, help me," I begged. She just giggled.

     "Sure," she says, she crouched on the floor and flipped the dark blue rag down. Tracy took a golden colored key that was stuck on the rug. She then gave me a wide grin as she almost exploded from her self-praising expression. She raises the key and points it through my face so I clearly see it, "you don't have to do the breaking to have the entering."

     "How'd you know about that?"

     "Village rule," she says.

     "Oh," I say, I suddenly remembered something she told me the last time we went here, "village rule." I repeated. I wonder how many house rules they've got.

     Tracy twisted the door knob open with the key, as we got inside, Tracy suddenly gave me an expression of her getting the chills, "well at least this is the only thing that didn't follow the rule." I assume what she meant was the structure and style of the house, the old and warm walls didn't fit the fresh and modern painted wood outside.

     "Mrs. Dekker said that my father kept this house preserved for years till I come back."

     "I still can't believe you once lived here," she says, "it looks old."

      "I have to find my dad," I say, "he could be upstairs." The place was empty, there was no sign of my father or any sign of him.

     I led Tracy upstairs. Unlike the last time it came here, the whole place is reeking, like ten rats killed and pilled. We followed the smell and found father's door ajar. I tempted to make the first walk until Tracy grabbed my arm and gave a face.

     "Foster," she calls my name. I took her arm away and told her that I'll be all right. I walked closer to the room, Tracy was just steps ahead of me. I widened the door open and we were right, the odour came from his room.

    "Fuck Foster let's get out of here this place is doomed!" Tracy cried. The room was soaked with blood; the vintage walls are stained with blood forming prints of a hand. "Shit what happened here?"

     "I have to find my dad," I said. I was sweating, panicking, I want to see my father, I want to save him from his delusional daughter.

     "Foster look," I heard Tracy calling for my attention. She was pointing at a blood stained cloth that was covering something. I grabbed the cloth but in my mind I am still having doubts. I slowly pulled the clotb to unveil what is was covering.

I regret.

     It felt like my insides are being fed up, twisted and shredded. Tracy's hands covered both my eyes, we both fell on the floor as I try to take her hand of away from me.

     "Foster he's dead," I hear her saying. I shook my head.

     "Let me see him!"

     "I won't let you; I don't want you to give what you just saw a space on your mind."

     "I already did! Just let me see my dad."

     "Fine," she says taking off her hand away. She grabbed her phone instead, "I'll call dad, we need help."

     I'm in a state where I really don't care if Calvin will know or not. My hand has blood on it already.

I'm scared.

I'm scared.

I'm scared.

     I exhaled a batch of sour vomit on my mouth, some on my nose. I should have listened to Tracy, she was right; I couldn't take the horror of father's body corpse into pieces, seeing his hand swinging on the chair.

     My sight becomes blurry. The ceiling was covered with blood in my eyesight. I realized that my head already hit the ground.

I think it is my end.