Bettina Hanson

Bettina

I lay in bed with my cat on my chest. Over the past few months I couldn't sleep. I missed father. Although things had gotten better I was still pretty sad. The pain in my head never seemed to go away anymore.  When it first began, it only hurt in one spot. Now it seemed to have taken control of my whole head, neck and back. I hadn't told anybody though.
In the midst of my thoughts, the doorbell rang, causing me to jump. I stood up and opened my door, stepping back into the darkness when the light of the hallway made my head ache. "Why must you be so light-sensitive, Mr. Head?" I whispered and ducked my face down as I continued out into the hall. I stopped when I reached the end and listened to Al speak. He was whispering. The door closed and I could hear a shaky female voice. 'Suzie?' I thought and peeked around the corner. I was right. Suzie was in her nightgown and she was pacing back and forth with a tissue in her hand. Al put his head in his hands and sat down.
"Suzie? What are you doing here? Has something gone wrong?" I asked and exposed myself from behind the wall. I had startled them both and they looked at me. "Oh dear Bettina. I thought you'd be asleep by now." Suzie said and gave a weary smile. I shook my head. "Is something wrong?" I asked again. Although this time I didn't get an answer. They both just looked at me, not saying a word. The insides of my skull now seemed to be screaming. There were too many lights on; My ears strained so they could only make sound of the T.V. Dizziness overwhelmed my body and I leaned against the wall. Suzie crouched before me and took one of my hands. "Bettina darling." She started. "Your... your father was in an accident." A tear had rolled down her cheek and stopped at the bottom of her chin. "What do you mean by 'an accident'?" I questioned. 'Did daddy make a mistake so he's coming back home?' I wondered and smiled. "When is he coming home?" I said before Suzie could say anything. She shook her head. "He's not."
My heart stopped. Daddy wasn't coming back home. But he promised. He said he would and I believed it. No, I believe it. He wouldn't lie to me. "He told me he was going to come back home. He promised me that." I spoke, although I felt I could throw up just by opening my mouth. Suzie didn't say anything back. She just held my hand and looked down. "Bettina I think it's time for you to go to sleep." Al abruptly said. He stood up and took my free hand, guiding me back down the hall. "I'll talk to you about this tomorrow when you wake up, okay?" When we got to my room he picked me up he tucked me into bed. "Goodnight." He whispered and left.

Bettina: Morning

I heard my door squeak and I opened my eyes. Suzie was there with a bowl of cereal and some toast. She smiled and laid the food on my nightstand. "How did you sleep?" She asked. I sat up and shrugged, taking a bite of my toast. I didn't sleep at all last night. Suzie left me with my breakfast and I ate alone. My head didn't hurt as much anymore but I could feel and hear a slight ringing in my left ear. Before I finished eating Al came in and sat down on my bed. He had dark bags under his eyes, his hair was a mess and his facial expression seemed tired and sad. "Bettina." He whispered. I couldn't see him looking so tired. He almost looked unhealthy. But as I continued to stare at him, I realized he had aged. There were wrinkles around his mouth and on his forehead. In his dirty blonde hair were gray patches and specks.
"You remember the accident Suzie talked about yesterday night?" He asked. In response I nodded my head. "Okay well what happened was that he went to test out a jet airplane. But unfortunately.. there was something wrong with it. It crashed while your.. father was inside it." 
So father wasn't coming back like he said. He was probably lying to me the whole time. "Do you understand?" Al questioned and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into him. I could feel him start to cry. I didn't care. Why would I care? It was my father, not his. I continued to sit there and I eventually relaxed. But the pain in my head didn't cease. Instead it just hurt more and more.

***You're welcome***