The Truth About Heaven
Chapter five.
Alanna sat on her bed, fidgeting with her hands. Frank had bolted out of the house once he’d gotten some sort of phone call. She began to pace the length of her room and back to her bed.
It had been a few months since they’d buried that bastard of a man. Mom had been better off, anyway. Alanna sighed. Her mom had taken it pretty hard; her thinking he skipped town, but it was for the best.
Alanna plopped down on her bed again and turned on her stereo. The familiar sound of The Misfits came blasting through. She sighed and snuggled under her blankets and grabbed the latest novel she was reading from her nightstand. She may as well not worry.
An hour later, she heard the door slam and thudding feet come racing up the stairs. She heard Frank’s door slam with a Thud! and she bolted from her spot on her bed.
She walked quietly from her room down the hall to Frank’s door. She could hear the ravaging sobs screaming from his body. Panic flared in her eyes. “Frank? Frank?”
She opened his door partway, and saw frank trembling on his bed, trying to stop his body from forcing the sobs out. Alanna walked to his bed slowly and sat on the edge. She put a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her. He stopped the sobs slightly for a moment, giving enough time to tell her, “Ashley’s dead!” He continued to sob again and shoved his face in his pillow.
Alanna felt tears welling in her eyes. She knew how much Frank loved spending time with Ashley. She wrapped her arms around his chest, trying to comfort. She laid her head on his back, letting her tears fall.
She couldn’t stand to see her brother like this. The only other time she’d seen him like this was when they’re father died, and she’d been in the same condition. They’d spent the first 3 following days together, just them. She sighed, but kept her hold on Frank tight.
“I’m sorry, Frank. I’m really sorry. I know how much she meant to you,” she said quietly.
Frank took a deep breath and choked back the sobs. “Thanks for being here, Alanna.”
She gave him a quick squeeze. “I’m always here for you, Frank. No matter what.”
Frank sat up and they just sat in silence for hours. Alanna would comfort Frank whenever he’d begin to cry again. That night they slept in the same bed, like an older sibling let’s a younger sibling in their bed when they’ve had a bad dream.
Frank looked at the floor as one of the last people stood up at the front to speak. He looked up for a moment. He couldn’t help but think of his father’s funeral years before. He felt a few tears run down his face and he stared down at his black, shiny shoes.
He felt Alanna’s hand slip into his and looked up and gave a weak smile. Alanna squeezed gently and turned back to the front.
It was a closed casket funeral. Ashley had been so beaten up from the car accident she’d been in; they had chosen not to show the funeral attendees.
Ashley had been in the passenger seat of a car driven by one of her close friends. A speeding drunk driver had struck them and the car had flipped over. They had slid violently down the hill beside the road to the river and rocks below. The driver had survived, but was in critical condition in the hospital.
Frank felt a slight tap on his shoulder and looked up to see the people filing out of the building, and some friends lingering behind to comfort the family.
“Come on, let’s go.” Alanna wrapped her arm around Frank’s waist and laid her head against his arm. They walked out of the building, and headed home.
It had been a few months since they’d buried that bastard of a man. Mom had been better off, anyway. Alanna sighed. Her mom had taken it pretty hard; her thinking he skipped town, but it was for the best.
Alanna plopped down on her bed again and turned on her stereo. The familiar sound of The Misfits came blasting through. She sighed and snuggled under her blankets and grabbed the latest novel she was reading from her nightstand. She may as well not worry.
An hour later, she heard the door slam and thudding feet come racing up the stairs. She heard Frank’s door slam with a Thud! and she bolted from her spot on her bed.
She walked quietly from her room down the hall to Frank’s door. She could hear the ravaging sobs screaming from his body. Panic flared in her eyes. “Frank? Frank?”
She opened his door partway, and saw frank trembling on his bed, trying to stop his body from forcing the sobs out. Alanna walked to his bed slowly and sat on the edge. She put a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her. He stopped the sobs slightly for a moment, giving enough time to tell her, “Ashley’s dead!” He continued to sob again and shoved his face in his pillow.
Alanna felt tears welling in her eyes. She knew how much Frank loved spending time with Ashley. She wrapped her arms around his chest, trying to comfort. She laid her head on his back, letting her tears fall.
She couldn’t stand to see her brother like this. The only other time she’d seen him like this was when they’re father died, and she’d been in the same condition. They’d spent the first 3 following days together, just them. She sighed, but kept her hold on Frank tight.
“I’m sorry, Frank. I’m really sorry. I know how much she meant to you,” she said quietly.
Frank took a deep breath and choked back the sobs. “Thanks for being here, Alanna.”
She gave him a quick squeeze. “I’m always here for you, Frank. No matter what.”
Frank sat up and they just sat in silence for hours. Alanna would comfort Frank whenever he’d begin to cry again. That night they slept in the same bed, like an older sibling let’s a younger sibling in their bed when they’ve had a bad dream.
Frank looked at the floor as one of the last people stood up at the front to speak. He looked up for a moment. He couldn’t help but think of his father’s funeral years before. He felt a few tears run down his face and he stared down at his black, shiny shoes.
He felt Alanna’s hand slip into his and looked up and gave a weak smile. Alanna squeezed gently and turned back to the front.
It was a closed casket funeral. Ashley had been so beaten up from the car accident she’d been in; they had chosen not to show the funeral attendees.
Ashley had been in the passenger seat of a car driven by one of her close friends. A speeding drunk driver had struck them and the car had flipped over. They had slid violently down the hill beside the road to the river and rocks below. The driver had survived, but was in critical condition in the hospital.
Frank felt a slight tap on his shoulder and looked up to see the people filing out of the building, and some friends lingering behind to comfort the family.
“Come on, let’s go.” Alanna wrapped her arm around Frank’s waist and laid her head against his arm. They walked out of the building, and headed home.