Handprint

Chapter 14

Declan and I had burnt the contents of the box in an open field just outside of town. He knew of a path leading to a small clearing that no one ever went to. The walk down was peaceful, the comfortable silence calming my nerves. I wasn’t sure why I had waited so long to get rid of this damned thing. All the photos and gifts he had gotten me over the years just piled up in this box, or what was left of them. After the accident I was so angry, I broke most of everything else and so it was thrown away.

*Flashback*

“I don’t wanna do this anymore Deco!” I whined, throwing my books off the bed. “Rori, we have to study, if we fail we’ll have to repeat!” He went and grabbed my books off the floor just as we hear the doorbell ring. “Thank God.” I said as I lifted myself off the bed and ran to the front door. Though Declan beat me to it. He flung it open and there stood two officers.

“We’re looking for Mrs. O’Ney. Is she home?” a tall blonde man asked, he reminded me of a Viking. His hair came down to his shoulders, he was lean and had crystal blue eyes. “No, she’s at work. I’m her daughter, can I help you with something?” I looked at him with a worried expression. The first thought to cross my mind was ‘what had that dipshit of a father done now?’ “You’re her daughter?” the short fat, bald one asked me. “I just said that, didn’t I?” I didn’t mean to have an attitude but it was a stupid question. Deco just nudged me and gave me a ‘shut up’ glare.

“Sorry miss, you’re going to have to come with us.” The Viking said. I looked at Deco again and back to the officer. “Can he come as well?” I pointed to Declan and looked at the officer with pleading eyes. “Kin only miss….is he your brother?” It was a question but the look on his face was more like even though he knew he wasn’t, he wanted me to say yes. So I did. “Very well, we need to go now.”

We drove the short distance to the hospital that wasn’t far from my house. As we walked in the Viking gave put his arm around my shoulder and bent down to talk to me. “Your father miss…there’s been an accident and I’m afraid he’s passed. But we need someone to claim the body. If you don’t think you can do this, I’ll understand.” He looked at me with such concern I felt my heart break. Not for the shit father that lay dead in one of those rooms ahead, but for this man who seemed to care more about my feelings than he ever did.

“I’m fine, where is he?” He gave me a small smile and lead Deco and I into a room just to our left. Once the door opened I could smell the alcohol coming off the body, figures he’d be drunk, I thought. Just as I was about to step forward Declan took my hand in his and pulled me behind him. He was always trying to shield me from bad things and seeing a dead body wasn’t good. He took a few steps and turned toward the officer. “That’s Mr. O’Ney. Can we leave now?” He asked. But before the officer could respond I yelled. “Declan let me pass, I want to see the bastard!” That took the Viking by surprise.

As I walked up to him, I saw the bruises and the cuts, small shards of glass scattered over his clothes. His left side was indented and head was covered in dried blood. “What happened?” I asked. “Your father was walking home from the pub, he wasn’t looking and walked right out in front of a packing trucking. He was killed instantly miss….he didn’t suffer any.” He sounded like he was trying to comfort me but the knowledge that he didn’t suffer angered me.

Before I knew what I was doing, I reached over and slapped the cold blue skin of his face, “How dare you! How dare you not feel a thing! No pain, no suffering, how dare you! I hope you’re in hell, you bastard!” I was screaming when I felt a pair of arms around my waist pulling me out of the room. Once I felt the arms loosen I broke out in a run, leaving the hospital and heading back to my house. Once I got there I ran up to my room, seeing the snow globe he had gotten me last year when he broke my arm. It was an ‘I’m sorry’ gift. I grabbed for it and threw it into the wall, shattering it to pieces, I felt some of the water and glass hit my face once it made contact. Then I saw the stuffed the teddy with the gold bracelet he bought me after he slapped me so hard he busted my cheek bone and I had to have the fractured bone shards removed. I ripped it to shreds, taking the gold band to the toilet and flushing down. It seemed like everywhere I turned there was some gift, so sorry excuse for an ‘I’m sorry’.