Categories > Original > Mystery > A Bedtime Story
A Bedtime Story
Chapter 3
By ChuChu101
A/N: Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2!!! I worked hard on it... and PLEASE REVIEW! I love getting reviews! I like, check my e-mail every five minutes for any of 'em... very sad, I know...
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I wasn't sure if I was more worried than confused or not. I kept glancing back and forth from the shadowed person in front of us and back to my mother, my brows furrowed and eyes glazed with a jerky nervousness.
"What am I worrying about? I shouldn't be sweating over something so simple as this! It's a public park, for God's sake!"
Thoughts would stop and go within my mind, only pausing for a brief moment to steal a quick gaze at my mother or the mysterious guy in front of us. He was only a fuzzy blur in the distance, his image becoming larger little by little, ever so slowly...
In the pit of my stomach was a terrible feeling that kept telling me that this wasn't right. Why would my mother be scared? What was it about the person walking on the same path and heading in our direction that made her seem tense? Was it even about him? ...or was it something completely different that made her cling to me in what seemed to be fright?
"Jenny..." The hoarse whisper in my ears caught my attention, but only just tugging my mind enough to look away from the man to my mother.
"What's the matter, Mom?"
Maybe I'm just overreacting. Maybe I'm thinking too much about it. I should calm down and just... let it go. Right, just let it go, Jenny. Let it go and get a GRIP! Oh dear... I'm doing it again.
I looked over to Mom, her body quivering as I reached my gloved hand out to her arm. She flinched at the touch.
Zipping her head in my direction, her eyes bore into me. Those blue eyes panicked silently, seeming to cry out for help. Her slightly opened mouth would not say anything to me. She just shook her head, gaping and staring at me wordlessly.
That's when I couldn't take it anymore. I quickly bolted in front of her, blocking her pathway and spoke clearly.
"Mom!"
She just stopped and slowly gazed down to the ground. Surprisingly, anger made its way to the surface, causing me to burst with mixed emotions inside.
"Mom!" I said more sternly this time, "Speak to me! Are you alright?!?!" I gently shook her by the shoulders, making sure she was aware I was actually there.
"MOTHER!" My voice had risen to some extent, my face crinkled with frustration, confusion, determination... fright.
I realized then, that my mother wasn't paying me any attention. I followed her eyes... to him.
"What time is it, Jenny?" she asked me, which seemed a bit random to ask at the moment.
I impatiently shook my wrist so the face of my watch would be facing upward. I read out loud, "10:26."
"I guess this is it, then..."
"What's it, Mom? Tell me...!" I pleaded with a hint of desperation.
"Jenny, I..." Tears welled up in her eyes.
I could only continue to stare at my mother.
"I...I..." she stuttered, trying to find the right words to say.
"I... you have to run."
My confused look met her frightened one.
"You have to run away, Jen, you have to just run away!"
I yelled, pouring the sadness out.
"Just tell me what's wrong, Mom!!! Tell me! What is wrong?! Why are you telling me to run?! What are you so afraid of? Is it because of him?" I pointed to the masked man (A/N: I only say masked man because he's so shadowed, it seems like it. He doesn't literally have a mask on. Anyway, onward with the chapter!), "Just TELL me!!!"
Mother bit back those tears.
"I love you, Jenny. With all my heart, I do! That's why I'm telling you..."
Mother stopped mid-sentence.
I gave in for a second and took the time to look at the strange man. He had on mostly dark or black clothes... very strange for the middle of autumn. Black wool cap. Black puff jacket. Black pants and shoes. Even black sunglasses.
The man was just about 5' 9", I'd say. I could see his breath in the air as he came closer.
Step.
Step.
I watched, not knowing what to do.
Step.
The man's head was down, facing the dirt path.
Step.
Step.
Soon, my own breathing started to become faster and uneven.
Step.
Why aren't I just moving away?!
Step.
I couldn't tell the difference between my pounding heart and the sound of his footsteps.
I looked at Mom, who had a thin frown and sad eyes.
"Mom, do you want to head in the other direction?"
She just shook her head solemnly.
"It doesn't matter which direction we go in. What is about to happen... must. It's unavoidable..."
I just about couldn't believe my ears. Who was this person I was walking with? This wasn't like Mother at all! What in the world was she talking about?
"Mom..."
Suddenly, I didn't hear the footsteps anymore. I slowly lifted my eyes up to see the man standing now 15 feet away from us.
"I-Is there something we c-can help you w-with, sir?" My mouth quivered with fear.
He only smirked.
"I finally found you."
The man's whisper was barely audible.
I stepped protectively in front of my mother and said forcefully, "Excuse me? Do you NEED anything sir?"
"No."
That drew the line for me. I went from being terribly frightened to angry with this person in front of me. Who did he think he was? ...practically scaring the both of us off.
I started to make my way toward him, strutting and swinging my straight arms from side to side.
But before I knew what was going on, an arm unexpectedly pushed me aside. It seemed to go in slow motion from there.
As I was rudely shoved and in the middle of stumbling back to gain my balance, he took out a black gun with his black glove-colored hand and raised it forward. My eyes widened as I realized what was going on at that moment.
Click.
The wind whispered, "Jenny..."
Then, the sound of a gunshot echoed around us. A flock of birds flew up in alarm, their flapping wings fluttering, and the "cawing" of a crow was heard.
I watched in horror when my mom fell back with a thug on the ground, a red spot spreading across her chest on her jacket. Her eyes lost the color and liveliness they once held. Life left Mother's body, leaving it limp.
All this had happened so fast. I turned around to see the man running in distance. The only thing I could do was take the emotions that were thrown at me. I didn't even have the heart to chase after him.
My body heaved and I sobbed when I collapsed on top of Mom's dead body. I buried my face in my arms and cried while shaking my head.
My thoughts were mumbled out loud as tears fell from my eyes. How did this happen?
"NOO!!!" I screamed.
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A/N: Phew!!! I got chapter 3 done!!! Man, I think this is too long... but PLEASE PLEASE review!!! Reviews are like your favorite TV shows... you can't live without them! :)
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Chapter 3
By ChuChu101
A/N: Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2!!! I worked hard on it... and PLEASE REVIEW! I love getting reviews! I like, check my e-mail every five minutes for any of 'em... very sad, I know...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I wasn't sure if I was more worried than confused or not. I kept glancing back and forth from the shadowed person in front of us and back to my mother, my brows furrowed and eyes glazed with a jerky nervousness.
"What am I worrying about? I shouldn't be sweating over something so simple as this! It's a public park, for God's sake!"
Thoughts would stop and go within my mind, only pausing for a brief moment to steal a quick gaze at my mother or the mysterious guy in front of us. He was only a fuzzy blur in the distance, his image becoming larger little by little, ever so slowly...
In the pit of my stomach was a terrible feeling that kept telling me that this wasn't right. Why would my mother be scared? What was it about the person walking on the same path and heading in our direction that made her seem tense? Was it even about him? ...or was it something completely different that made her cling to me in what seemed to be fright?
"Jenny..." The hoarse whisper in my ears caught my attention, but only just tugging my mind enough to look away from the man to my mother.
"What's the matter, Mom?"
Maybe I'm just overreacting. Maybe I'm thinking too much about it. I should calm down and just... let it go. Right, just let it go, Jenny. Let it go and get a GRIP! Oh dear... I'm doing it again.
I looked over to Mom, her body quivering as I reached my gloved hand out to her arm. She flinched at the touch.
Zipping her head in my direction, her eyes bore into me. Those blue eyes panicked silently, seeming to cry out for help. Her slightly opened mouth would not say anything to me. She just shook her head, gaping and staring at me wordlessly.
That's when I couldn't take it anymore. I quickly bolted in front of her, blocking her pathway and spoke clearly.
"Mom!"
She just stopped and slowly gazed down to the ground. Surprisingly, anger made its way to the surface, causing me to burst with mixed emotions inside.
"Mom!" I said more sternly this time, "Speak to me! Are you alright?!?!" I gently shook her by the shoulders, making sure she was aware I was actually there.
"MOTHER!" My voice had risen to some extent, my face crinkled with frustration, confusion, determination... fright.
I realized then, that my mother wasn't paying me any attention. I followed her eyes... to him.
"What time is it, Jenny?" she asked me, which seemed a bit random to ask at the moment.
I impatiently shook my wrist so the face of my watch would be facing upward. I read out loud, "10:26."
"I guess this is it, then..."
"What's it, Mom? Tell me...!" I pleaded with a hint of desperation.
"Jenny, I..." Tears welled up in her eyes.
I could only continue to stare at my mother.
"I...I..." she stuttered, trying to find the right words to say.
"I... you have to run."
My confused look met her frightened one.
"You have to run away, Jen, you have to just run away!"
I yelled, pouring the sadness out.
"Just tell me what's wrong, Mom!!! Tell me! What is wrong?! Why are you telling me to run?! What are you so afraid of? Is it because of him?" I pointed to the masked man (A/N: I only say masked man because he's so shadowed, it seems like it. He doesn't literally have a mask on. Anyway, onward with the chapter!), "Just TELL me!!!"
Mother bit back those tears.
"I love you, Jenny. With all my heart, I do! That's why I'm telling you..."
Mother stopped mid-sentence.
I gave in for a second and took the time to look at the strange man. He had on mostly dark or black clothes... very strange for the middle of autumn. Black wool cap. Black puff jacket. Black pants and shoes. Even black sunglasses.
The man was just about 5' 9", I'd say. I could see his breath in the air as he came closer.
Step.
Step.
I watched, not knowing what to do.
Step.
The man's head was down, facing the dirt path.
Step.
Step.
Soon, my own breathing started to become faster and uneven.
Step.
Why aren't I just moving away?!
Step.
I couldn't tell the difference between my pounding heart and the sound of his footsteps.
I looked at Mom, who had a thin frown and sad eyes.
"Mom, do you want to head in the other direction?"
She just shook her head solemnly.
"It doesn't matter which direction we go in. What is about to happen... must. It's unavoidable..."
I just about couldn't believe my ears. Who was this person I was walking with? This wasn't like Mother at all! What in the world was she talking about?
"Mom..."
Suddenly, I didn't hear the footsteps anymore. I slowly lifted my eyes up to see the man standing now 15 feet away from us.
"I-Is there something we c-can help you w-with, sir?" My mouth quivered with fear.
He only smirked.
"I finally found you."
The man's whisper was barely audible.
I stepped protectively in front of my mother and said forcefully, "Excuse me? Do you NEED anything sir?"
"No."
That drew the line for me. I went from being terribly frightened to angry with this person in front of me. Who did he think he was? ...practically scaring the both of us off.
I started to make my way toward him, strutting and swinging my straight arms from side to side.
But before I knew what was going on, an arm unexpectedly pushed me aside. It seemed to go in slow motion from there.
As I was rudely shoved and in the middle of stumbling back to gain my balance, he took out a black gun with his black glove-colored hand and raised it forward. My eyes widened as I realized what was going on at that moment.
Click.
The wind whispered, "Jenny..."
Then, the sound of a gunshot echoed around us. A flock of birds flew up in alarm, their flapping wings fluttering, and the "cawing" of a crow was heard.
I watched in horror when my mom fell back with a thug on the ground, a red spot spreading across her chest on her jacket. Her eyes lost the color and liveliness they once held. Life left Mother's body, leaving it limp.
All this had happened so fast. I turned around to see the man running in distance. The only thing I could do was take the emotions that were thrown at me. I didn't even have the heart to chase after him.
My body heaved and I sobbed when I collapsed on top of Mom's dead body. I buried my face in my arms and cried while shaking my head.
My thoughts were mumbled out loud as tears fell from my eyes. How did this happen?
"NOO!!!" I screamed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Phew!!! I got chapter 3 done!!! Man, I think this is too long... but PLEASE PLEASE review!!! Reviews are like your favorite TV shows... you can't live without them! :)
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