Human Nature
Chapter 8
When I woke up I noticed the faint beeping of my alarm clock. I had never slept through that before. I jumped from my bed and turned it off. I was thirty minutes late for school. I got dressed, not bothering with a shower, and dashed downstairs. Strange, I thought, Mom wasn’t down yet. And then it hit me. Mom had cancer, and it was Saturday. I stopped on the last stair and plopped down, holding my head in my hands. Searing tears fell into my hands and I walked back upstairs.
I tiptoed to my parent’s room and nearly sank back down to the floor when I remembered that Dad was gone. I ducked my head into their room and saw my mom huddled in a ball on the edge of her bed. She was looking right at me of course. Nothing ever got past my mom, she knew everything. Some part of me inwardly screamed, than why didn’t she see this coming!
“Come here baby.” She whispered to me, holding her arms out. I wondered if this small gesture was hurting her. I came to her side immediately.
“Are you feeling okay?” I asked her, stroking the top of her head. I froze my hand at once and pulled it back. She flashed me a tired grin.
“My hair’s not falling out quite yet, give it a few months, sweetheart.” I forced myself to smile back while all I wanted to do was break down and cry.
“Oh sweetie, I promise it will get better, I’ve got to see you get married and grow up before I go. Or all my hard work will come to nothing.” She sighed and lay flat on her back, closing her eyes and taking deep, shallow breaths.
“You okay Mom? Do I need to call someone?” I was getting frantic.
“No, I’m fine. Go get me some water, please,” I ran down the stairs three at a time and grabbed the first glass I saw, filling it with cold tap water. I ran back upstairs as quickly as I could with a full glass in my hands.
“Thank you baby,” She gasped and I helped her sit up and drink. She slipped back down and was asleep before I knew what was happening. I walked back downstairs and did the dishes. Anything, to just get my mind away from here.
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Hours later, or so it seemed, the phone rang. I picked it up before Mom would wake up .
“Hello?” A slow and eerie breathing filled the other line.
“Hello?” I said again. The breathing continued and I was just about to slam the phone down when it finally spoke.
“I’m coming Keir, and I always know where to go.” The line went dead, and it was a few seconds later I realized that I was holding my breath.
I tiptoed to my parent’s room and nearly sank back down to the floor when I remembered that Dad was gone. I ducked my head into their room and saw my mom huddled in a ball on the edge of her bed. She was looking right at me of course. Nothing ever got past my mom, she knew everything. Some part of me inwardly screamed, than why didn’t she see this coming!
“Come here baby.” She whispered to me, holding her arms out. I wondered if this small gesture was hurting her. I came to her side immediately.
“Are you feeling okay?” I asked her, stroking the top of her head. I froze my hand at once and pulled it back. She flashed me a tired grin.
“My hair’s not falling out quite yet, give it a few months, sweetheart.” I forced myself to smile back while all I wanted to do was break down and cry.
“Oh sweetie, I promise it will get better, I’ve got to see you get married and grow up before I go. Or all my hard work will come to nothing.” She sighed and lay flat on her back, closing her eyes and taking deep, shallow breaths.
“You okay Mom? Do I need to call someone?” I was getting frantic.
“No, I’m fine. Go get me some water, please,” I ran down the stairs three at a time and grabbed the first glass I saw, filling it with cold tap water. I ran back upstairs as quickly as I could with a full glass in my hands.
“Thank you baby,” She gasped and I helped her sit up and drink. She slipped back down and was asleep before I knew what was happening. I walked back downstairs and did the dishes. Anything, to just get my mind away from here.
****************************************************************************************************
Hours later, or so it seemed, the phone rang. I picked it up before Mom would wake up .
“Hello?” A slow and eerie breathing filled the other line.
“Hello?” I said again. The breathing continued and I was just about to slam the phone down when it finally spoke.
“I’m coming Keir, and I always know where to go.” The line went dead, and it was a few seconds later I realized that I was holding my breath.