Helena
The End
“This is hopeless” I said, raking the wet hair from my face, “He could be anywhere, he could have got a bus or anything. We’ll never find him”
My clothes were soaked through, plastered to my skin as the rain continued to beat down on us.
“There aren’t any buses during the night” Lucas argued, “And anyway, he didn’t have any money with him”
We clambered through the thick grass of the park, our wet clothes whipping in the strong winds. My heart was thudding from hours of searching, my mouth dry as my teeth chattered. I recalled summers spent at the park, Gerard hanging from the monkey bars by his knees as Helena pushed me on the swings. I wished then, that I could go back to those days, Helena gathering me up as the song went down and lifting me onto Gerard’s shoulders. The park was empty now, not even a pigeon perching on the rusted slide. I blinked furiously, willing the scene to rearrange itself before my eyes. I wished we would find Gerard, sitting on one of the swings, his long hair blowing in the wind.
“There’s nobody here” Lucas declared, “Let’s go home, he might be back already”
I could tell he didn’t believe it; he wasn’t fooling anyone, not even himself. His face was expressionless, almost mask-like. But his eyes were glistening with tears we’d both held back all night. I knew he was praying as much I was that we would find Gerard and Helena together in the bat cave, music blaring and all traces of the police officers banished.
As we approached the house, he suddenly reached for my hand. He was as cold as I was, shivering in fear of what scene would unfold before us when we stepped inside. I noticed our gate had blown off its hinges in the gale. My family seemed equally fragile, they too had blown apart. Cold water engulfed my feet in their tight shoes as I failed to avoid the deep puddles littering the path. Lucas let go of my hand then; and pushed the door open.
I knew immediately that Gerard had not returned. The atmosphere of the house was dark, completely silent as I stepped into the hallway. From the door, I could see that candles from dinner, burnt out and coating the table with wax. For a moment, the putrid stench made my stomach heave in repulsion. It was another reminder of how my life had been turned upside down. The stocky officer slowly climbed down the stairs and into the hallway on our arrival.
She nodded to us without a word.
“Where’s my sister?” I demanded
Her cool dismissal of our pain made my face burn in rage and frustration. Suddenly everything slid into place; it was down to the police that my family was being torn apart. I stared with icy hatred, reasoning that it was their establishment that was responsible for Gerard’s imprisonment. And whatever it was that had occurred during the long months he had spent behind bars had scarred him enough that he’d ran away to escape the memories.
“Your sister is upstairs” the officer replyed stiffly
Her voice was dull and unemotional. Probably she’d dealt with similar cases a dozen times. I pushed past her furiously and ran to the bat cave, where I found Helena huddled under covers, Gerard’s jacket still clutched to her chest. Her face was hidden by her long black hair, her breathing strained and rugged as she battled against tears. I said nothing, simply sitting on the bed beside her in my wet clothes.
“He’s not coming back” she said softly, “I can feel it, I know he’s gone”
Reaching out to her, I brushed the hair from her face. She was deathly pale, her eyes closed tight, but swollen so that the protruded from her face.
“He wouldn’t leave us” I said, “I know he wouldn’t, he loves you”
Her head shook as she wrapped her arms more tightly around the jacket. I had always believed that Helena was the strongest person on earth. But I looked at her then and felt my heart would break at the change in her. In the weeks since Gerard had been out, she’s hardly eaten or slept. She looked almost skeletal, every rib evident through the thin covers and the shirt of Gerard’s she was wearing. Helena had always taken care of me and Lucas, but now I was the one holding her as she accepted the inevitable. Her entire body shook as I cradled her in my arms, my head spinning from the night’s events. I knew as well as she did, that every passing minute lessened the possibility of Gerard being found alive. And I was aware that was he not discovered safe and well, my sister would not be around to celebrate my next birthday.
Even in my preoccupied state, I was aware of a bang downstairs; as though someone had thrown the door open. Helena started; her whole body stiffening in shock. Then she leapt from the bed and hurtled for the stairs.
“Gerard” she shouted, “Is that you?”
I followed hurriedly, only to find myself face to face with a tall, bony woman who was unmistakably Gerard’s mother. The pale face and pointed chin were painfully familiar.
“This is Mrs Way” the police officer attempted to explain, “She has something she would like to discus with you”
I knew then, that it was the end of life as I knew it. Lucas led her into the lounge, Helena following. She arranged herself in an armchair, smoothing her hair and looking at both Helena and myself anxiously. Helena sank onto the sofa, her eyes glazed over as she brought her knees up to her face and began to rock gently back and forth.
“I’m afraid I have some bad news” Mrs Way said, her voice faltering
I saw it then, Helena’s world falling apart. If life was a cartoon, you would hear the explosions and see debris falling around her. Characters would appear from no where holding comically large buckets to catch her tears in. But life isn’t like that, and this is a true story.
“Gerard is dead” Mrs Way sobbed
My clothes were soaked through, plastered to my skin as the rain continued to beat down on us.
“There aren’t any buses during the night” Lucas argued, “And anyway, he didn’t have any money with him”
We clambered through the thick grass of the park, our wet clothes whipping in the strong winds. My heart was thudding from hours of searching, my mouth dry as my teeth chattered. I recalled summers spent at the park, Gerard hanging from the monkey bars by his knees as Helena pushed me on the swings. I wished then, that I could go back to those days, Helena gathering me up as the song went down and lifting me onto Gerard’s shoulders. The park was empty now, not even a pigeon perching on the rusted slide. I blinked furiously, willing the scene to rearrange itself before my eyes. I wished we would find Gerard, sitting on one of the swings, his long hair blowing in the wind.
“There’s nobody here” Lucas declared, “Let’s go home, he might be back already”
I could tell he didn’t believe it; he wasn’t fooling anyone, not even himself. His face was expressionless, almost mask-like. But his eyes were glistening with tears we’d both held back all night. I knew he was praying as much I was that we would find Gerard and Helena together in the bat cave, music blaring and all traces of the police officers banished.
As we approached the house, he suddenly reached for my hand. He was as cold as I was, shivering in fear of what scene would unfold before us when we stepped inside. I noticed our gate had blown off its hinges in the gale. My family seemed equally fragile, they too had blown apart. Cold water engulfed my feet in their tight shoes as I failed to avoid the deep puddles littering the path. Lucas let go of my hand then; and pushed the door open.
I knew immediately that Gerard had not returned. The atmosphere of the house was dark, completely silent as I stepped into the hallway. From the door, I could see that candles from dinner, burnt out and coating the table with wax. For a moment, the putrid stench made my stomach heave in repulsion. It was another reminder of how my life had been turned upside down. The stocky officer slowly climbed down the stairs and into the hallway on our arrival.
She nodded to us without a word.
“Where’s my sister?” I demanded
Her cool dismissal of our pain made my face burn in rage and frustration. Suddenly everything slid into place; it was down to the police that my family was being torn apart. I stared with icy hatred, reasoning that it was their establishment that was responsible for Gerard’s imprisonment. And whatever it was that had occurred during the long months he had spent behind bars had scarred him enough that he’d ran away to escape the memories.
“Your sister is upstairs” the officer replyed stiffly
Her voice was dull and unemotional. Probably she’d dealt with similar cases a dozen times. I pushed past her furiously and ran to the bat cave, where I found Helena huddled under covers, Gerard’s jacket still clutched to her chest. Her face was hidden by her long black hair, her breathing strained and rugged as she battled against tears. I said nothing, simply sitting on the bed beside her in my wet clothes.
“He’s not coming back” she said softly, “I can feel it, I know he’s gone”
Reaching out to her, I brushed the hair from her face. She was deathly pale, her eyes closed tight, but swollen so that the protruded from her face.
“He wouldn’t leave us” I said, “I know he wouldn’t, he loves you”
Her head shook as she wrapped her arms more tightly around the jacket. I had always believed that Helena was the strongest person on earth. But I looked at her then and felt my heart would break at the change in her. In the weeks since Gerard had been out, she’s hardly eaten or slept. She looked almost skeletal, every rib evident through the thin covers and the shirt of Gerard’s she was wearing. Helena had always taken care of me and Lucas, but now I was the one holding her as she accepted the inevitable. Her entire body shook as I cradled her in my arms, my head spinning from the night’s events. I knew as well as she did, that every passing minute lessened the possibility of Gerard being found alive. And I was aware that was he not discovered safe and well, my sister would not be around to celebrate my next birthday.
Even in my preoccupied state, I was aware of a bang downstairs; as though someone had thrown the door open. Helena started; her whole body stiffening in shock. Then she leapt from the bed and hurtled for the stairs.
“Gerard” she shouted, “Is that you?”
I followed hurriedly, only to find myself face to face with a tall, bony woman who was unmistakably Gerard’s mother. The pale face and pointed chin were painfully familiar.
“This is Mrs Way” the police officer attempted to explain, “She has something she would like to discus with you”
I knew then, that it was the end of life as I knew it. Lucas led her into the lounge, Helena following. She arranged herself in an armchair, smoothing her hair and looking at both Helena and myself anxiously. Helena sank onto the sofa, her eyes glazed over as she brought her knees up to her face and began to rock gently back and forth.
“I’m afraid I have some bad news” Mrs Way said, her voice faltering
I saw it then, Helena’s world falling apart. If life was a cartoon, you would hear the explosions and see debris falling around her. Characters would appear from no where holding comically large buckets to catch her tears in. But life isn’t like that, and this is a true story.
“Gerard is dead” Mrs Way sobbed