SEPTEMBER
"It's your time!" I hear a voice call out. I hide underneath the tunnel by the Kissing Bridge, right at the edge of the water. "I knew you'd be here." The voice taunts. "I knew you couldn't forget about you and me. So come on out, baby."
I cover my mouth, tears streaming down my face as I whimper softly. I hear heavy footsteps come down hard on the leaves. They get closer. I clench my eyes, hoping he can't hear me breathing. Then I feel a hand slowly ghost its fingers around my neck from behind.
-
My eyes shoot open.
I look around the room frantically and see nothing but my things. Sweating, I flop back down on my pillow.
I'd had plenty of nightmares since August but that was the one that always came back. It was me, older. And I was always under the Kissing Bridge. I wasn't sure who, but someone was after me. Chasing me. And he got closer with every dream. Like some kind of fucked up Freddy Krueger.
I get up and walk over to my dad's room. The door is open and I see him laying on the bed, his back facing me. I decide not to wake him.
Shaking my head, I start to get ready for work.
My first day back after Belch was killed was a hard one. I saw a new employee stocking up his section and broke down right in the dairy aisle. The customers looked at me like I was crazy.
Rita grabbed me gently and led me to the break room. I hyperventilated as she locked the door. "Talk to me Lorraine," She'd said. I just gestured to the door in hysterics. "Reggie, the butter, I don't know who that is," I spoke in bits and pieces. "Who is he, that's not him!" I yelled.
She put her hands on my shoulders as I sobbed into my hands, my nose running and my head pounding. Rita patted my shoulder. "Wait here,"
She left the room, the door closing behind her. I sobbed harder in her absence, knowing shoppers could hear me, not caring.
She came back in and grabbed my hand and placed a small piece of paper in it. There was a series of numbers on it.
"It's the combination to Reggie's locker," She said softly. "I didn't have the heart to clean it out myself and I was going to give it to his mom, but she has all his stuff. I think you need it a little more." I looked down at it and nodded.
I still had the combination on the bathroom counter, not having it in me to open the locker that day or any day after that. I still carry it in my pocket every time I have a shift in hopes that I'll get the guts to open it.
I think back to the funerals. They were a day apart and I made sure to attend both of them. Mrs. Huggins had requested I sit next to her, which meant I had to keep my composure. I tried my hardest not to cry as they lowered Belch into the ground next to his dad. Mrs. Huggins squeezed my hand as they did so, weeping softly. I couldn't bring myself to look at her, knowing if I did, I wouldn't be able to keep my tears at bay.
"He loved you, Lorraine." She'd said after I walked her to her car. I nodded that I knew and tried not to look her in the eyes too long.
Victor's funeral was worse. The unintentionally neglectful Mr. and Mrs. Criss wailed as their son was being buried. Mr. Criss was taking it the worst.
