Scream
3/3
Fifteen Years Later
“Did you see in the newspaper today? If Joel and Nicole keep this up, they’ll have three more kids,” Hunter said, throwing the newspaper down on the coffee table.
“Yeah, well, we’re not exactly ones to talk,” I laughed, gesturing to our nine-year-old daughter, who was fast asleep on the couch.
“Do you wanna wake her up, or should I?” Hunter asked.
“I’ll do it. You go wake up the others.”
“Okay, Bri,” she said, kissing my cheek as she passed. I got up and sat on the couch, shaking the sleeping girl.
“Jenny? Wake up, Jenny. You’re gonna be late for your first day of fourth grade,” I cooed.
“I don’t wanna go, Daddy,” she whined. I picked her up, holding her on my arm, and carried her up to her room.
“Get dressed, sweetie,” I said, kissing her forehead. Hunter was just backing out of Maddie’s room and I caught her, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her cheek. “Feel like going for a walk?” I asked.
“After the kids get on the bus,” she insisted, going across the hall. She knocked on the door that read, ‘Brian Haner, the Third’. “Brian, it’s time to get up.”
“Go away!” he shouted.
“Teenagers,” I laughed, rolling my eyes. I went in and grabbed his ankles, pulling him out of bed. Our kids were the prides of our lives. Brian was fourteen, Zakia was twelve, Maddie was ten, and Jenny and John were nine. The baby years had been hell, but we’d managed. Once all the kids were off to school -”Good luck, Brian! Have fun on your first day of high school!”- Hunter and I began walking down the road.
“I can’t believe that Brian’s going to be fifteen in two months!” Hunter exclaimed.
“I know.”
“Can you imagine when Zakia gets her first boyfriend?”
“Oh, God, please don’t even mention that!” I moaned. Hunter laughed and gently laced her fingers with mine. We crossed the street and ascended the slope, soon seeing the many looming gravestones.
“You sure you’re okay walking through here?” she asked.
“Yes, I just feel like I need to...visit him,” I said, walking through the ‘R’ section. We passed the first ‘S’s and stopped. I let out a raspy breath and crouched down in front of one particular grave stone.
Amelia Satoni
1976 - 2009
“I can’t believe how long ago it all seems,” I said, looking down at my wedding ring.
“I was so scared. I thought we were all gonna die,” Hunter confessed. I sat down in front of the next grave and Hunter sat behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist and leaning her head on my shoulder. “I can’t believe he’s been gone twelve years,” Hunter sighed.
“I know. I remember how you wouldn’t come out of my room for days.”
“And when you did, you wouldn’t talk to anyone,” she said quietly. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at the gravestone.
Matthew Sanders
1981 - 2012
“I was so shocked when he killed himself,” Hunter whispered, as if it was a big secret.
“I wasn’t. He was absolutely miserable with guilt. Guilt for killing Mia, guilt for causing his families death, guilt for causing us all such grief.”
“I know, but still...”
“He’s in a better place.” We sat in silence for a minute, just looking at the grave. Eventually, we stood and began to walk further into the graveyard. The sun was softly shining down and I held Hunter’s hand tightly. Suddenly, she tugged against my hand and pointed into the distance. I squinted and could swear I saw two figures in the distance. Looking, I saw they were dancing. As I watched, they kissed and then vanished. Hunter leaned against my side and I rested my arm across her shoulders. “Like I said, he’s in a better place,” I said. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I looked up at the sky. “He’s finally happy.”
“Did you see in the newspaper today? If Joel and Nicole keep this up, they’ll have three more kids,” Hunter said, throwing the newspaper down on the coffee table.
“Yeah, well, we’re not exactly ones to talk,” I laughed, gesturing to our nine-year-old daughter, who was fast asleep on the couch.
“Do you wanna wake her up, or should I?” Hunter asked.
“I’ll do it. You go wake up the others.”
“Okay, Bri,” she said, kissing my cheek as she passed. I got up and sat on the couch, shaking the sleeping girl.
“Jenny? Wake up, Jenny. You’re gonna be late for your first day of fourth grade,” I cooed.
“I don’t wanna go, Daddy,” she whined. I picked her up, holding her on my arm, and carried her up to her room.
“Get dressed, sweetie,” I said, kissing her forehead. Hunter was just backing out of Maddie’s room and I caught her, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her cheek. “Feel like going for a walk?” I asked.
“After the kids get on the bus,” she insisted, going across the hall. She knocked on the door that read, ‘Brian Haner, the Third’. “Brian, it’s time to get up.”
“Go away!” he shouted.
“Teenagers,” I laughed, rolling my eyes. I went in and grabbed his ankles, pulling him out of bed. Our kids were the prides of our lives. Brian was fourteen, Zakia was twelve, Maddie was ten, and Jenny and John were nine. The baby years had been hell, but we’d managed. Once all the kids were off to school -”Good luck, Brian! Have fun on your first day of high school!”- Hunter and I began walking down the road.
“I can’t believe that Brian’s going to be fifteen in two months!” Hunter exclaimed.
“I know.”
“Can you imagine when Zakia gets her first boyfriend?”
“Oh, God, please don’t even mention that!” I moaned. Hunter laughed and gently laced her fingers with mine. We crossed the street and ascended the slope, soon seeing the many looming gravestones.
“You sure you’re okay walking through here?” she asked.
“Yes, I just feel like I need to...visit him,” I said, walking through the ‘R’ section. We passed the first ‘S’s and stopped. I let out a raspy breath and crouched down in front of one particular grave stone.
Amelia Satoni
1976 - 2009
“I can’t believe how long ago it all seems,” I said, looking down at my wedding ring.
“I was so scared. I thought we were all gonna die,” Hunter confessed. I sat down in front of the next grave and Hunter sat behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist and leaning her head on my shoulder. “I can’t believe he’s been gone twelve years,” Hunter sighed.
“I know. I remember how you wouldn’t come out of my room for days.”
“And when you did, you wouldn’t talk to anyone,” she said quietly. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at the gravestone.
Matthew Sanders
1981 - 2012
“I was so shocked when he killed himself,” Hunter whispered, as if it was a big secret.
“I wasn’t. He was absolutely miserable with guilt. Guilt for killing Mia, guilt for causing his families death, guilt for causing us all such grief.”
“I know, but still...”
“He’s in a better place.” We sat in silence for a minute, just looking at the grave. Eventually, we stood and began to walk further into the graveyard. The sun was softly shining down and I held Hunter’s hand tightly. Suddenly, she tugged against my hand and pointed into the distance. I squinted and could swear I saw two figures in the distance. Looking, I saw they were dancing. As I watched, they kissed and then vanished. Hunter leaned against my side and I rested my arm across her shoulders. “Like I said, he’s in a better place,” I said. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I looked up at the sky. “He’s finally happy.”
Notes
Thanks for all the support, guy! Sorry this story is over so soon, but it was fun nonetheless. Thanks to the people who commented.frankiegt
Miss Jimmy Sullivan
CrazyLoveA7X
3/28/13