Breaking Bones

PROLOGUE

MY MOTHER DIED ON SEPTEMBER 5th, my birthday. That morning, I woke up by the sound of rain, pounding against my window. I swear it was as if the tiny droplets were hammering themselves against the glass, screaming for my attention.

I slowly got up from bed, in a sitting position and slipped my feet into my warm socks; dragging myself towards the misty, fragile window, mumbling and groaning all the while.

“First day of school and look what God decided to offer?” I mumbled.

I slid the curtains shut and glanced at the clock hanging above my desk. 5:27Am. It was early and yet too late for me to succumb back to sleep, so I walked towards my bedroom door, lightly pulling it open and tip-toed down the stairs with one thing in mind. Food.

When I got to the bottom of the stair case, I instantly felt the rise of temperature. The air was thick and coated with the scent of citrus, a smell unfamiliar in the presence of my home. It only reminded me of the vacations mum and I would take to Italy, to visit Gran, spending our free time growing grapefruits, oranges and lemons in the backyard.

I was brought back to reality when I heard someone scream.

I flicked my head towards the living room, heart in my mouth, legs paralysed and unable to move. I knew that scream; I’d only heard it once before and now it was coming from my living room.

“MUM!” I broke from my trance and legged it to the other room, swiftly grabbing a rolling pin from the kitchen work top. I rushed into the room and found my mum leaning awkwardly against the wooden slab, by the lit fireplace breathing hard whilst blood gushed from the open wound on her neck.

“OH GOD! Mum what happened?!Why are you bleeding so much?!!! Please, please, make it stop!!” I broke down in tears, crying, mumbling and shaking so hard it was hard to breathe.

The pain in my chest hurt so much when she said…

“Baby listen to me.”

She coughed blood, eyes rolling back and struggling to even breathe.

“Listen, I want you to understand I love you so much, your my baby and don’t ever forget who you are...” She gasped as the pain in her neck heightened, making her arch her back and squeeze my fingers. I could see the cold sweat trickling down her forehead. She shut her eyes tight, hissing and panting.

I on the other hand was going through varies emotions. My chest ached like it was missing a heart, my body shaking, tears rolling down my cheeks endlessly and feeling confused to this unexpected incident.

You know the saying, “Before you die, you see your life flash before your eyes”. It’s weird because I was seeing my life flash before my eyes whilst my mother lay there writhing in pain.

I know I wasn’t dying but a part of me died that day.

I cupped my mums face. Her eyes flickered open. They weren’t the vibrant and sparkling brown I’d seen all my life anymore but dull, opaque and was getting darker by the second.

“Mum…” I whispered. “… Please, don’t go. I can run and call for help. Just wait!” I said desperately. In fact, the idea gave me a spark of hope until she said…

“Just stop. Honey, I’m dying and you know that. I’m so sorry…” She stuttered.

My heart dropped.

Her eyes dropped bomb shells of tears, falling and stinging on my hands. “I, I  w w want you to go to aunt P p page’s home…to live.” She stammered.

Never gonna fucking happen. I’d rather be homeless. I thought involuntarily

“Mum, YOUR NOT GONNA DIE!” I yelled slamming my hand hard against the wooden border of the fireplace. “Who did this?” I said pleading, insanity creeping into my system.

“It was a, a, a Vam…” She stopped…moving…breathing, and then stopped blinking…

Mum? “Mum?! MUM! MUM WAKE UP!”

Suddenly her pupils dilated, her hands curled and clamped hard around my fingers, piercing my skin with her nails, drawing blood. Her back raised and arched, toes curling, hair falling to the ground until her neck just snapped backwards.

I sat there for hours just staring at her… staring at her open eyes; lost of any colour, lost of life and lost of soul.

All the while, I kept hearing the sound of her neck snap. Like a broken record in my head.

SNAP, SNAP, SNAP, SNAP.