BEFORE NOON (On Hold)

Chapter 9- Bad news and Bad thoughts

The most painful goodbye are the ones that are never said, and never explained.

Who could have told the Dennis family that the cold they felt about the Chief's accident wasn't the weather, but death was approaching.

Mrs Dennis Grace's eyes gaped straight to the thin air, you could see her feeling numb, and a series of shocks passing through her features. Just in, the doctor confirmed "the chief dead".

***

Cara in a call.

"I wanted her lost, but she was lucky she."

"You think so?"

"Fine later" she chuckles.

She drops the call, victoriously fist-bumping the air.

As she turned to leave, she lets out a cringing gasp at the figure behind her.

"Emily!" she exclaims in fear.

A few seconds passed.

"What?"Emily asks with her hands crossed on her chest.

" Are you crazy? oh yes, you're! How long have you been standing there?"

"Enough...for me...to hear you...speaking in a way...that gives me...cold chills. Who are...you? And...what're you...doing...here?" Emily asks without wavering.

Cara straightened her skirt. "There's no way, I'm doing this with you again today" She makes to leave.

"Who are...you?" Emily asks again.

Cara stopped and glared at her, as though Emily has mastered a way to rip her joy out, just when she thought she was the coach of her happiness. With one last glare, she walked out.

Mercy walks in after her.

"Emily? Are you ok?" She asks while glancing back at Cara leaving.

Emily looked at her for a second.
"Mer...Mercy"

Mercy smiled at her."Good morning to you too "

Emily smiled shortly and glanced at the door where Cara left.

"Who is she?"

"Cara?" Mercy replies.

"I am...not...comfortable...with her" Emily complains.

"I am here with you now. Come, your mother wants to see you" Mercy grabs her arm gently.

"My mother? Is she ok?" Emily's eyes widen.

"Yes, please come with me"

***

Emily coiled up in her bed, crying her eyes out at the news of her father's death.

Mrs Dennis, not being able to hide her emotions, cried and spilt the bad news to her. Emily reacted no way, but to run upstairs and let the wave of her loss, sweep her off the floor.

She wish she wasn't so unfortunate, maybe she would've had her father's memory to cherish. The pain was much to bear, she shivered under the sheets, only her soft cries were heard over the placidity of her room.

Her heavy heart was innocent, and she feels she doesn't deserve the harsh treatment life threw at her, she wanted to ask what she has done wrong. She wondered if her life was a dream, and maybe one day, she'd wake up to realise it was all a dream.

She wished it was a dream. What were her and her father's relationship like? Did he ever regret having her as a child? Did he ever wish he didn't have a child at all? Was she a burden to him? Was she a curse? What if deep down he hated her. She wants to know all these things. She wants to know, because if she has never felt the pang of guilt about her misery.