Seven Minutes in Hell

Chapter 16 ~ Pity

Katherine stared at the reflection in her full body mirror, sending a quick glance towards Benji who studied himself beside her. The discontent settling in his eyes, hands fidgeting together, painfully twisting his shirt creating a bit of wrinkles. "I'm starting to regret this and we haven't even done it yet," he grumbled.

"I know," she murmured tightly, "But we have to. As of right now, Annmarie seems excited about us coming over." She heaved a heavy sigh of relief, feeling her stomach churn from the thought of sitting at the same table as Annmarie, more importantly stepping inside the house.

It wasn't too long before Benji parked his white truck out front. The house pointed with an angled roof, the garden out front hadn't been tended to, the flowers dropping and hanging over each other, weeds spotting the once trimmed lawn. Katherine stumbled out of the car, knees feeling like jelly, her breath shaky, eyes scanning the house, scanning each odd or peculiar thing that was spotted.

She stuffed her hands into her army green jacket, surrendering a pleading look. Regardless of the sickening expression she sent, Benji marched towards the door. Forced to follow behind, she trekked her shoes along the concrete leading up to the porch. The stagnant air, stale yet the coldness burned her exposed skin. The breeze nipping at her legs through her netted tights underneath her ripped black jeans.

Benji took a hesitant step forward, knuckles smacking up against the surface. Retreating back to Katherine's side, eyes flickering to the door, then to Katherine. Hands shaking by his sides, sealing his eyes shut, quietly hyperventilating. He swung around, digging his nails against his scalp, tugging at the short strands, swallowing the lump in his throat, tears burning in his eyes.

"What are we doing?" he scolded at himself.

Katherine's hand snapped to his wrist, pulling him towards her. "You're not alone," she whispered, eyes persuasive enough to keep him focused on her. She pushed up on her toes, pecking his lips with a kiss, a smile following right after. Benji grinned, giving a stern nod, turning to face the door. His knuckles hitting up against the surface one more time. They waited in silence, the iced chill tinting their cheeks, pinching their skin like needles. The door creaked open, the knob twisting, revealing a woman in a doorway.

She didn't change oddly enough. Her whitish blonde bob seemed lighter, but the untrimmed dead ends were evident. She had a rounder face and chapped lips pursed in a smile. Her eyes enlightened with bliss.

"Oh my God!" she cried out helplessly, ushering them inside. "Come in! It's so cold out!" she cried out, the hairs turning gray at the roots of her head. Katherine and Benji were invited to the house, the same house packed with memories, laughter, happiness, and fear. Yet, it was just fear this time. The house was abandoned and an empty shadow hovered over the air. "I miss you two so much," she murmured. "It gets so lonely now. I can't imagine how you guys must be feeling-"

"Us?" Katherine let out a shameful laugh. "I can't even fathom what you are going through."

Annmarie shook her head, brushing it off, "No, I mean. He wasn't even my biological son though-"

"He's still your son," Benji murmured through a crack in his voice. "Shay loved you so much," Benji explained, remembering the times when Shay would come crying about how he wished it could just be Annmarie and him.

Katherine nodded in agreement, "You raised him to be who he was, that was the best thing you could've done for him," she uplifted the conversation, but Annmarie had dragged it back down. She wasn't a pessimist, in fact, quite the opposite. She always found a way to make the situation seem like the glass was half full, yet, after Shay died, it seemed to have changed her view on life.