Tower Of Bones

Chapter 2: Hoodie

Waking up in the hospital was seriously terrifying. I've only been in the hospital a couple times in my life and never before has it been because of me. When my eyes opened to survey the room, and couldn't find my parents anywhere, I was confused at first.

Why wouldn't they be here when their only daughter was in the hospital?

Then the mental image entered my mind of the parking lot outside of Blackjax Fine Dining. The phone ringing, my parents under the street lights as the music of the festival beats in the background, the blood. The words.

"Save them, Max."

Panic ensued. I sat up straight, in search of my parents, but the room remained empty.

A feeling of dread settled in the deepest pit of my stomach when I think about the images I saw that night. They couldn't have been real, right? Someone would have seen them and helped them. Right?

The door to the hospital room slipped open with a loud squeak and in came a woman I've never seen before, in a pencil skirt and a tight blazer wrapped around her upper body.

Her eyes were hidden behind wire-framed glasses, but I could still see the gentleness in her eyes when we made eye contact.

Her shoulders jumped a bit upon seeing me, and then she sighs. "Oh, good. You're awake."

"Who are you?" I questioned, immediately. "What's going on?"

"Relax, Miss Lane. I don't think it's wise for you to panic just yet. My name is Jezebel Frost, and I'm a CPS agent. Do you know what that means?"

A CPS agent? Why was Child Protective Services here in my hospital room? Unless what I saw… really was real. "Where are my parents, are they okay?"

Her face turns grim, and loses color. It's a question I'm sure she's heard many times, and I'm sure she's reacted that same way every time.

The look on her face alone makes a sob burst out of my throat without my permission and next thing I knew, I was crying in the hospital room, for all to hear.

It was true. My parents were gone. I wasn't able to control the range of emotions I was feeling right now and the tears kept going and going.

The lady, Jezebel, comes to my side to sit down at the edge of the bed and lays a gentle hand over mine. Had I had control over myself, I might pull away. But my heart was shattered and my soul felt like it was sucked clear out of my body. So I let it happen.

"Would you like to know?"

I shake my head quickly, unable to stop myself. "Please. Don't…"

Her hands squeeze mine. "Of course, hon. Of course."

"What's going to happen now?" I ask, with my voice trembling.

"I'm placing you in an emergency home until I can find a relative who's willing to take you in," she explains slowly, like she's afraid I'll break all over again. Her eyes are pleading with me, a plead I couldn't understand. "Please try not to worry yourself too much. I will make sure you are taken care of."

"Don't worry?" I suddenly felt white hot anger inside of me, taking place over the crippling sadness I was feeling in my chest. My parents are gone and I'm not supposed to worry? Was this lady high? "I'm fucking worried. My parents are gone and you want me to just, what, kick back and relax?"

"I understand you're upset," she says, cautiously as I pull my hand away from hers. Her eyes are filled to the brim with worry herself. "But please understand that I'm trying to help you."

I don't know why listening to this woman was so anger inducing but the longer she spoke, the angrier I became. Not even at her, just in general. Unfortunately, she was the only person that was in range of me to be angry at.