Burnington Gaol

N I N E | Billy

Billy paced back and forth, rubbing his eyes and raking a hand through his hair. Terrible thoughts bombarded him; thoughts of his sister dying bloody, being ripped open, or worse. He'd heard stories about the Dawson Brothers, what they did to that other poor girl. The thought sickened him.

"What are they doing?" Billy asked his father, looking over at the cluster of policemen in the distance, chatting quietly outside the diner. "They're just standing there, dribbling bullshit."

"Billy," Ed warned.

"They're just standing there while my sister is locked in a room with a murderer. Look, Dad. They're not doing a damn thing."

Billy continued pacing, the anger and impatience rising in his gut.

"They're probably strategizing," Ed reasoned. "Making a game plan."

"They've had all day to do that. They should be doing something."

"They have the sniper all set up. They're just waiting for a shot."

"That's not good enough! She's in there, Dad. With a killer and a rapist. Who knows what he's doing to her!"

"You don't think I know that? You don't think that all I've done since I found out you were being held at gunpoint is be sick with worry and fear and so much more? You don't think I've hassled and tormented these people for hours on end, trying to get them to do something more than stand around? I have! And there is nothing to be done!" Ed roared, looking down at his son with anger burning in his eyes.

Billy looked up at him, jaw clenched.

"All we can do is wait and hope and pray," Ed finished, voice calmer.

"Pray," Billy scoffed. "Fat load of good that did for Mum, huh?"

"Don't you dare bring this up now, William. Not when your sister is staring death in the face."

On any other day, Billy would've punched his father in the face for saying such things, but today wasn't any other day. Ed eyed his son for a long moment before pulling out a cigarette and walking away. Billy gulped and turned back to face the diner, his stomach knotted, and his jaw clenched.

He couldn't do this anymore – just stand there while his sister was inside. The feeling of helplessness consumed him, digging under his skin and scratching away at his soul. He stood there for a moment longer, trying to bury it, trying to push it away and forget about it, but he couldn't.

Billy turned away from the diner and stormed across the parking lot, where his father stood, smoking his cigarette. Ed saw Billy coming and gave him a curious look.

"Where are you going?"

"You say that all there is to do is wait, so dammit, I'm going to go wait somewhere else." He said, walking past him.

"Billy, come back. Don't go. Please!"

Billy didn't say a word; he just kept walking.

"Billy!" Ed roared.

But it was no use. Billy was already gone.

© A.G. Travers 2018