The Truth About Heaven
Chapter six.
Frank sat in his office style chair, head raised to the ceiling, his eyes closed, thinking about his life. Almost everything used to be great. Now sometimes he couldn’t think clearly through the grief.
His sister, the closest person to him in his life right now, was raped. He killed a man. He didn’t even know his mother anymore; she was completely different from when he was younger. And now, above all, his girlfriend had died.
He wished he could wash the blood from his hands, but he couldn’t seem to get them clean. He’d tried constantly to block the image of the man’s dead eyes from his mind, but sometimes it could sneak back unsuspected.
Frank spun slightly back and forth in his chair. He didn’t want to be so depressed around Alanna, but he couldn’t help but feel all this pain. He sighed heavily, rubbing his hands roughly over his face and rolled up to his desk. He began drawing the dark scene of a forest, the trees swaying in the wind and the glowing, beady eyes of a nocturnal animal in the brush.
After starting a new picture of a graveyard, he threw down his pencil, huffing and pushing away from the desk. He didn’t want to be like this. He wanted to get over this, and just be a normal kid. He pulled open his door and walked through the hallway and downstairs. He wrote a note quickly to his mom or Alanna saying he was going for a walk and he’d be back soon.
He slipped on his jacket and left his house. He sauntered down the walkway, absorbing the fresh and air and the sweet smell of the trees and flowers of summer. He went through the field down to the creek, walking along the water. He tossed a couple rocks in, and heard the faint barking of a dog.
Frank sat down in the grass, staring off into the trees, listening to the singsong calls of the birds and the rustling of small animals. He could hear the sound of the dog’s barks getting louder as it came closer. He leaned back in the grass and stared up into the sky. He watched as the clouds slowly drifted past, in his mind he saw them shaped as different things.
He her the thudding of quick feet on the grass and was greeted by the dog he had heard, licking his face warmly, slurping and drooling all over him. Frank began pushing the dog away, spitting and wiping his face.
“Ugh,” he said in disgust and then laughed. “That was nice, thanks.” He began patting and rubbing the dog, trying to remember if he’d seen it around before. He noticed the identification tag around its neck and figured it had just wandered off from its owner.
The dog flopped down beside him and whimpered to be rubbed again. Frank rubbed behind its ears and the dog’s tongue flopped out in return. He laughed again. He looked up to see a girl, around his age, walking his way. The dog barked happily. Frank figured this was his owner.
The dog jumped up and began wagging its tail, and happily ran around, chasing it. Frank got up and shrugged. “I guess this is your dog, huh?” The girl nodded and patted it.
“I’m new in town,” she said quietly. “I decided to come out and see what it’s like out here near the forest and stuff.” Frank nodded and took a thorough study of the girl.
She was thinly built, but had soft curves. She wore a black tank top and some cut off jean shorts. She had a belt on, suggesting her shorts were a little too large. She had light blue eyes wit specks of green, outlined in a darker blue. She had beautifully shaped cheekbones and pale skin, from her head to her sandal covered feet.
Feeling uncomfortable from his hazel-eyed stare, she said quickly, “Well, I’ve got to get going.”
Sensing her nerves Frank nodded and stepped back, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Okay, I’ll see you later, then.”
“Um, yeah.” She turned to leave then turned back quickly. “By the way, I- I’m Savannah.” She smiled slightly.
Frank smiled, “Hi, I’m Frank.” He gave the dog a quick rub. She turned back again, but he looked up again. “One more thing,” he said quickly. “Are you starting school in September?”
“Yeah.” She frowned slightly. “I’m a little nervous.”
Frank laughed. “It’s not that bad. What grade are you starting?” he asked, staring her down with his hazel eyes again.
“Grade eleven.” Frank smiled his cheeky smile.
“Same here.” He shuffled his feet a bit. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah, around,” she said quietly, and started on her way back up along the creek, thinking of the interesting boy she’d just met.
His sister, the closest person to him in his life right now, was raped. He killed a man. He didn’t even know his mother anymore; she was completely different from when he was younger. And now, above all, his girlfriend had died.
He wished he could wash the blood from his hands, but he couldn’t seem to get them clean. He’d tried constantly to block the image of the man’s dead eyes from his mind, but sometimes it could sneak back unsuspected.
Frank spun slightly back and forth in his chair. He didn’t want to be so depressed around Alanna, but he couldn’t help but feel all this pain. He sighed heavily, rubbing his hands roughly over his face and rolled up to his desk. He began drawing the dark scene of a forest, the trees swaying in the wind and the glowing, beady eyes of a nocturnal animal in the brush.
After starting a new picture of a graveyard, he threw down his pencil, huffing and pushing away from the desk. He didn’t want to be like this. He wanted to get over this, and just be a normal kid. He pulled open his door and walked through the hallway and downstairs. He wrote a note quickly to his mom or Alanna saying he was going for a walk and he’d be back soon.
He slipped on his jacket and left his house. He sauntered down the walkway, absorbing the fresh and air and the sweet smell of the trees and flowers of summer. He went through the field down to the creek, walking along the water. He tossed a couple rocks in, and heard the faint barking of a dog.
Frank sat down in the grass, staring off into the trees, listening to the singsong calls of the birds and the rustling of small animals. He could hear the sound of the dog’s barks getting louder as it came closer. He leaned back in the grass and stared up into the sky. He watched as the clouds slowly drifted past, in his mind he saw them shaped as different things.
He her the thudding of quick feet on the grass and was greeted by the dog he had heard, licking his face warmly, slurping and drooling all over him. Frank began pushing the dog away, spitting and wiping his face.
“Ugh,” he said in disgust and then laughed. “That was nice, thanks.” He began patting and rubbing the dog, trying to remember if he’d seen it around before. He noticed the identification tag around its neck and figured it had just wandered off from its owner.
The dog flopped down beside him and whimpered to be rubbed again. Frank rubbed behind its ears and the dog’s tongue flopped out in return. He laughed again. He looked up to see a girl, around his age, walking his way. The dog barked happily. Frank figured this was his owner.
The dog jumped up and began wagging its tail, and happily ran around, chasing it. Frank got up and shrugged. “I guess this is your dog, huh?” The girl nodded and patted it.
“I’m new in town,” she said quietly. “I decided to come out and see what it’s like out here near the forest and stuff.” Frank nodded and took a thorough study of the girl.
She was thinly built, but had soft curves. She wore a black tank top and some cut off jean shorts. She had a belt on, suggesting her shorts were a little too large. She had light blue eyes wit specks of green, outlined in a darker blue. She had beautifully shaped cheekbones and pale skin, from her head to her sandal covered feet.
Feeling uncomfortable from his hazel-eyed stare, she said quickly, “Well, I’ve got to get going.”
Sensing her nerves Frank nodded and stepped back, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Okay, I’ll see you later, then.”
“Um, yeah.” She turned to leave then turned back quickly. “By the way, I- I’m Savannah.” She smiled slightly.
Frank smiled, “Hi, I’m Frank.” He gave the dog a quick rub. She turned back again, but he looked up again. “One more thing,” he said quickly. “Are you starting school in September?”
“Yeah.” She frowned slightly. “I’m a little nervous.”
Frank laughed. “It’s not that bad. What grade are you starting?” he asked, staring her down with his hazel eyes again.
“Grade eleven.” Frank smiled his cheeky smile.
“Same here.” He shuffled his feet a bit. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah, around,” she said quietly, and started on her way back up along the creek, thinking of the interesting boy she’d just met.