Chapter 2 – There’s No Escape
I heard a car pull up outside our house and immediately knew it was Auntie Josie. I walked out into the hallway and glared at Auntie Josie from the window. Just from her expressions I knew mum was talking about my ‘atrocious behavior’ from earlier today. I rolled my eyes and walked into the study. I really don’t know why, but I just did. I sat on the leather couch and sighed. I then looked above our computer to see the painting I gave mum on her birthday a few years back when my father was alive. Suddenly I get a flashback of that day…
Sitting in my room on my bed, chatting away to my best friend Sophia over my phone. “So have you finished the assessment Miss Limestone gave us?” I asked her. “Um, actually I’m working on it right now!” Sophia giggled in her cheerful, bubbly laugh. “O-M-G, I swear, you have the cutest laugh that I have ever heard!” I told her. I didn’t know this, but she blushed when I said that. “Thanks! Well anyway, did you hear? Sam is throwing a b’day party for himself Monday night!” Sophia explained cheerfully. “No I didn’t hear… and how do you know this? Stalking him lately?” I laughed happily. “Oh ha-ha, sure. I stalked him for about an hour last night, like as if. He just texted me saying all the info I needed to know about the party.” Sophia said, but then suddenly I heard beeping. “What…? Sophia, you there?” I questioned. It was like talking to a wall because there was no reply. I left my phone on my bed, got up and went to go check the phone connection wire in the hallway. “It’s plugged in…” I mumbled. I walked down the creaky stairs and looked for mum.
I walked into the lounge room and spotted mum on the couch watching Masterchef, the recent episode she recorded. “Hey mum, something is wrong with the phone line! I got cut off when I was chatting to Sophia!” I said. Mum paused Masterchef and looked at me. “Well, did you check the phone line itself?” mum questioned. “Yes, it’s plugged in! Not a finger has been laid on it.” I glared at mum. “Mm… well maybe its down for now. You never know, maybe there’s a disconnection because maybe there’s some construction going on somewhere?” mum raised an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes, sighed, and walked away. “Aria, don’t you get attitude with me.” Mum stood up and crossed her arms. I just ignored her as if she was a ghost. “Aria Holloway, get back here and stop ignoring me!” Mum began to raise her voice. I walked upstairs and into my room, and then locked the door.
“Aria!” Mum yelled. Suddenly the doorbell rang. “Ugh!” Mum groaned. She walked over to the front door. “A telegram for… Rachael Holloway?” a mailman said whilst reading out my mum’s name. “That’s me.” Mum said. He handed over the telegram and cleared his throat. “Have a good day, ma’am.” He said politely, and then walked away. Mum closed the front door and tore open the envelope with her nail. She took out a small letter. She read it slowly and carefully, her hands shaking. Finished reading and her heart broken, mum found out that my father had died during war. Mum collapsed to the ground. I heard a loud thump on the floor and it got silent immediately. “Mum…?” I called out. I unlocked the door and peeped out of it. I opened the door all the way and looked into the hallway. “Mum?” I continued to call out. I looked down the staircase and saw mum, fainted on the ground. “Mum!” I squealed. I ran down the stairs and leaned down by her side. I checked her pulse; she was still alive, luckily. I then saw a letter on the floor with a yellow envelope torn open next to it. Suddenly my hands began to shake, my lips began to tremble, and I had shed a tear. I knew what it was. Father, he was dead.
I began to sob and a few tears ran down my cheeks. “Aria!” Mum yelled out from outside. I jumped at the sound of her voice, almost having a heart attack. I sighed and wiped away my tears. “Why did you have to go to war… why…” I mumbled sadly. I stood up and took a deep breath. I walked down the stairs and into the lounge room. I grabbed the money that mum had left on the coffee table and I walked out onto the front yard. “Took you long enough.” Mum glared. “Got the money?”
“Yes.” I mumbled. “What?” Mum frowned. “I said YES!” I yelled. My lips began to tremble a little bit. “Oh what now? You’re crying like a baby! Just ‘cause a stupid dream scared you and you lied to me? You are acting like a five year old!” Mum hissed. “IT WASN’T JUST A DREAM! IT WAS A NIGHTMARE! A PREDICTION!”
“A prediction. A flipping prediction? That stupid dream can’t predict crap! Dreams aren’t real!” Mum growled. Mum shoved me to Auntie Josie. “Take her. I don’t want to flipping see her again until she cuts out the crap.” Mum glared at me. I hated this. What kind of mother pushes their kid away and says they won’t want to see them again until they cut out the crap?!
In the car, tired as hell, not even one single word was murmured. I wasn’t upset by lying, losing my phone, or the dream. I was upset cause I had a depressing flashback. Mum just jumps to conclusions, and I’m sick of it. Seriously though, my dream was a prediction. It predicted my future. That flashlight is my flashlight I took to my year 6 camp that I still own. The clothes? I’m going shopping today, apparently. That’s where the clothes will come into play. The house? I have no idea why I would walk into that house anyway, but it seems like I would. The phone call I got? That white glowing thing was probably who I got that call from. This dream has a meaning, a purpose. I need to get my phone back and call that thing.
“Aria, wake up!” Auntie Josie glared at me. I jumped a little and woke up immediately. I must have dozed off, cause I don’t remember falling asleep. “Why am I getting scared so much today?!” I frowned. “C’mon, get out. We’re here.”
I took off the seatbelt and opened the car door. I stepped out and stretched out my legs.
