Depths of a River

Chapter 24- The Flash Back

There was a cold wind blowing. It felt so cool through my hair, and I loved the feeling. I got up and stood on the first bar of the railing. The top of the railing was just above my knees. I looked down, thinking if I fall now I would die instantly. Usually, that wouldn't scare me at all. I've felt this way since my parent's death. Every time I did something that I knew it would kill me in an instant, I wouldn't care if it did.

I saw it all happen again. We watched television. I was thirteen and Cleone eleven. We were at our uncles, house because our parents were out for a date night. It was around ten thirty when they were on their way back from the restaurant to fetch us and go home. The phone rang and my dad's brother, our uncle answered. His face fell.

"Thank you." He said and hung up.

He grabbed his jacket from the chair and said to us to follow him. We ran with him through the house into the garage, still in our pyjamas, and hopped in the backseat. Our uncle was breathing heavily. Our aunt got in the passenger seat next to him just in time before he drove off.

"What is going on?" She asked him.

He didn't reply her and reversed into the driveway. He took off really fast and drove into the night.

"Kids...Mom and Dad..." He said to us.

He was struggling to talk because he was breathing so fast.

"They were in an accident. The ambulance is on their way." He said looking towards the road.

The drive felt like hours even though it was only a few minutes' drive. There were blue and red police lights in the road up front. My uncle parked behind the police car and demanded us to stay in the car. I sat upright and looked through the windscreen. I saw my mother lying in the middle of the road next to our smashed up navy blue car. The white dress she had on was torn and soaked red from all the blood.

My body went in shock, and I just whispered: "Mommy is dead."

Cleone started screaming and jumped out of the car. I followed, trying to stop her. I caught up to her by my mother's body. She fell down next to her and hugged her. My mom's eyes were open. They were still as green and clear as always. The police officer came to pick up Cleone and told me to follow him as well. He sat her on the boot of his police car and whispered something in my uncle's ear. He then picked up Cleone and took my hand then walked us to his car. He laid Cleone down on the backseat and I got in and sat next to her. I didn't see my father anywhere.

My uncle drove off. I looked back into the road where my mother was. The police officer walked towards her and threw a yellow sheet over her body. My uncle arrived at the hospital and parked next to the main entrance. He turned his body towards the back seat where we were sitting.

"Daddy is in the hospital. The ambulance brought him here. We are going to wait for the doctors inside." He said to us with watery eyes.

We all got out and walked inside. Cleone had her pink sheep blanket around her. We walked into a big white room. My uncle pointed to a white bench indicating that we should sit down. He talked to the nurse behind the counter then came to sit with us. It was quiet. The bench was cold underneath us. I was so cold. After four hours of sitting there, and my uncle walking up and down in the hall every now and then, the nurse came walking down the hall towards us. My aunt gave me a hug from the side. My uncle got up and walked towards the nurse. They were out of hearing reach. She pointed to her chest area and waved her hand around. My uncle nodded a few times. The nurse touched his arm then turned around and walked back the way she came from. My uncle walked to us.

"Let's go home." He said to me then picked up sleeping Cleone.

She woke up when he touched her.

"Where are mommy and daddy?" She asked while still being sleepy.

"I'm going to take you home so we can get some sleep then we will talk in the morning." He said, staring out in front of him.

We drove home and got in the bed our aunt made for us on the floor in front of the television. I struggled falling asleep.

I knew my mother was dead. I knew Cleone didn't know that, and I didn't know if my father was still alive.

The morning after I got up; my body was weak and my eyes were sore. My aunt and uncle were already sitting at the table when I got up. Cleone woke up only a few minutes after me. We sat with my aunt and uncle at the table.

"Cleone... Addie... Your mother and father aren't alive anymore. Your mother was killed in the accident, and your father died in the hospital. The doctors did all they could, but there was too much damage done." He said looking at his hands that were resting on the table in front of him.

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