Short stories

The Day It Happened

It was a dark and chilly night. You could hear the strong winds blowing against the front window. I looked at the clock on my phone reading the time, 5:21 pm. The Christmas party I was supposed to be at started at 5:30pm. Every year the club house hosts a Christmas party for all the bikers. I smiled as I remembered how fun last year was. All the music and a bunch of good food. Everyone acted like family, it was so beneficial. I looked around the house as I thought about the club house. I noticed how tall our Christmas tree actually was. It stood at least 4ft above my head. The small lights on the tree reflected off of the front window. I smile and sigh bringing my attention to the couches, black leather. Specifically there were two. One sat on the wall closest to the bedrooms and the other sat against the wall near the kitchen. I looked up gazing into the kitchen. The orange paint made me chuckle remembering the conversation my mom had with her boyfriend. She absolutely hated it but he loved it. So it stayed. But this time the kitchen wasn't as bright as I remember, it was dull. The blaring of police and ambulance sirens pulled me out of my thoughts. My eyes darted between the window and my mom. I could see the red and blue lights from the house.                           

"What if it's him?" I suggest as we are both concerned with the sirens.             

"Cora don't say that. It better not be or I'll kick his ass" Wren, my mother, plainly stated.            

As much as she tried to hide it I could see the pain and fear in her eyes. Her eyes were already starting to water. Did my mother feel something I didn't? Why wouldn't she tell me if she did? But that twinkle of fear and sadness in her eyes made red blinking lights go off within my brain. My eyes started darting around the room, overthinking all the dark areas within the house. I began to panic, my breaths becoming short and quick as my heart pound within my chest. I thought my heart would leap out of my chest. Something was wrong and it had to do with him. Wren wouldn't be so upset if she knew it was someone else. I sat on the cold arm of the couch and thought about it. I closed my eyes taking a breath in through my nose and exhaling through my mouth. After getting control over my breathing I slowly opened my eyes staring at my mother, waiting for her next movement. She was hesitant about everything, even her own breath. 

"Let's go now," Wren said in an annoyed manner.                                     

I nodded and hesitantly put on my coat. As we walked out the door the chilly winter air hit me in the face. I regretted not wearing warmer clothes as I walked out of the house moving down the three front steps. I noticed my footsteps became heavy and panicked as I made my way to my mothers Honda, a car I have had so many wonderful memories in. I pulled myself into the car being engulfed by the heat. At that moment I was so thankful my mother had an automatic starter. I kept focusing on all of these small things to try and distract myself from the loud sirens coming from down the street. So focused I didn't hear Wren get in the car.                         

"Cora it's not him just breath" Wren said. I noticed there was no emotion behind her words.          

I looked at her nodding my head slightly and stared out of my window as we pulled out of the driveway. Her hands were shaking against the steering wheel. That is when my hands and body began to shake, I knew something bad would happen. I just knew it but I did not want to believe it. My mom drove down the street eyes darting around, on high alert, looking to see what happened at the end of our street. We had to park on the side of the road since there was no way to get through the intersection. The crowd of neighbors I did not know looked at us with sorrow in their eyes as we approached the scene. I followed the crowd's gaze to the bike standing up. Wait, no. How is this possible? He left with his friend, there was only one bike standing up on the side of the road. No no no no why only one fucking bike? The realization hit me that it was not his bike. It was in fact his friends. Me and my mother got out of the car quickly and shock took over. I froze in my spot as Wren screamed bloody murder running to the middle of the intersection which I refused to look at. I didn't want him being gone to become reality. After watching my mother sprint in the middle of the road and being held back by a firefighter I followed her gaze. The one thing I did not want to do but I did anyway. My eyes went wide and my mouth dropped a few inches as I watched the scene unfold in front of me. It was him. My father figure sprawled out in the middle of the intersection with his chopper next to him, the famous chopper. I noticed something else. It was almost too dark to see but I saw it, and I wish I hadn't. It was blood, his blood. It pooled around his head like in death scenes. I didn't think blood would be that thick and deep in color. It was just like the movies when the sirens were blaring as the family of the victim screamed "NO" unable to accept what truly happened. I stand in the freezing cold frozen in place. I look down at my shoes trying to forget what I have just seen and admire how my shoes are soaking up the melted snow. I look back up when a neighbor pulls me in for a hug, I smile and accept the embrace looking over her shoulder. I see his limp dead body being picked up and wheeled into the ambulance. I closed my eyes and squeezed her tighter, burying my face in the crook of her neck. I wasn't crying at the thought of my father figure being dead on the ground. I wasn't crying at all. I was disappointed that it wasn't my mother who hugged me then. I accepted the women's embrace because I knew my mother would not be hugging me at the scene.                    

The women lovingly rubbed my back saying "everything will be okay hun".   

I just nodded and treasured the embrace for a few more seconds before pulling away.
By: Meagan H