Stay Away from Pleasure

Chapter Forty-Six

05:48AM

"What do you think happened to her?" Alice's eyes pout, looking down yet pleading for answers.

Matt shoves his hands in his pocket. His head hangs low as well, almost hiding from Alice and I.

"I don't know." He mumbles.

I shake my head, "when Denny and mom come back, they'll have the answers for us."

Storming down the hall to find us pacing around the waiting room, Denny hisses sharp breaths through his teeth while my mother struggles to keep up with his long strides. Once he reaches us, he just walks past to the wall behind us. Flashing with speed, his fist rams into the wall. Quick. Fierce. Slashing through the sharp air. The wild roar that escapes him leaves me jumping in fear, Matt's body wrapping around me as protection and Alice crying.

The sound of her weak sobs make him turn around. Just one look at her face is all it takes. He takes a second glance. This time, it's at himself. Raising his bruised fist, he stares at the damage he has just done, stares at his mother's wild eyes, humble and frantic. He stares at my sad eyes and Matt's cool, green observance, sweet like running into a hug with open arms.

Finally, he looks back at his wife — his pregnant wife. She's the mother of his unborn baby and she's in tears.

"I'm so sorry." His voice cracks after the first word and he takes the woman of his dreams into his arms, holding her tight enough to suffocate her and their child.

"What happened?" Matt's cool tone resonates between the six of us — the sixth participant being Alice and Denny's baby, of course.

My mother shuffles away, her eyes darting to every corner of the hall.

"Maman?" I breathe, extending my hand out for her.

Her head snaps up, but resumes falling, as she dives back into the trance as quickly as she broke out of it.

"Maman!" I call out, stepping out of Matt's grasp.

Her feet keep shuffling back, further and further. Soon enough, I start walking towards her, calling her back to me. She remains so distant. Backing away.

"Maman!"

"No!" She squeezes her eyes shut. "Just... No." She breathes... and leaves.

Agitated, I turn back with a cold glare shooting at Denny. "What the hell happened back there!"

Denny just shakes his head. Eventually, he builds up the courage to talk. "We found out how she died. When she died. And who–" his voice catches so he clears his throat, "and who they think killed her."

I think everything has frozen. I don't know exactly what's going on, I've never felt this before. All of a sudden, everything has fallen into slow motion until it comes to a complete halt. The sound of nurses walking past echoes within me until it simply falls into nothing.

Just up until a moment ago, I had the sweet feeling of Matt's arms around me. Throughout all of this, his close presence is what has been keeping me strong. Pulling me in, his arms squeeze me tightly. Warm. His chest is warm behind me. It's fading. It's gone. The sweet feeling has dissipated.

Up until a moment ago, the sound of Alice sniffing existed. It has not been disdained, no, just abolished.

I just said goodbye to my father. I just buried him. He just died not long ago. Now what? I have to do this all again? Go through this shit all again! No! I don't know why I have to suffer. Why must I go through this? Why must I be the one to lose my mother and my sister? Why does it have to be me? Huh? Never have I sinned so deeply to have this misfortune cast upon me, so why?