CHAPTER FIVE
- THEN -
Four years ago
DAD WAS AT the hospital with Mom. She'd been there for a week now, and Dad and I had been taking turns spending the night with her, as the hospital only allowed one overnight guest. It was Dad's turn tonight.
I was in my bedroom, watching TV. It was late, and I had school in the morning, but I couldn't sleep. My mind was on overdrive, worrying for Mom. The side-effects of the chemotherapy were bad enough, but she’d developed a chest infection too. They were keeping her in hospital to monitor her and ensure that her health didn’t deteriorate any further.
I heard a ripple of thunder outside, and turned up the volume on the TV. I hated thunderstorms. When I was younger, I’d always hurry down the hallway to Mom and Dad’s room, and climb into bed with them. It was the only thing that would make me feel less afraid; being cocooned with Dad on one side and Mom on the other. I wished they were here now, so I didn’t feel quite so alone.
I debated getting my blanket and sleeping on the sofa downstairs. The harsh wind outside was causing the branches of the big oak tree outside my bedroom to tap repeatedly against my window.
It was like something out of a horror movie.
I turned the volume up even louder, trying to drown out the ruckus outside. It didn’t help.
Oh, what the heck. Sleeping downstairs was preferable to this. Making up my mind, I got out of bed. Just as I gathered up my blankets, the power went off, plunging the entire room into darkness.
I froze.
It thundered again outside, the persistent tapping of the tree against my window even more eerie now that there wasn't the sound of my TV to help drown it out.
What did I do now? Hide under my covers until the power came back on?
I heard a creak outside my bedroom door, and a small whimper left my mouth before I clamped it shut.
There was someone out there.
It was dark, but I could just about make out the handle on my door moving as someone pushed it down and opened the door. I took in a deep breath, ready to let out an ear piercing scream when the intruder spoke.
"April? Are you here?"
"Kellan?" I blinked. My eyes finally adjusted to the dark, and I could make out his figure standing between my door frame. Of course, I thought. Kellan was here. He was hardly ever home and always working. I hadn’t even thought about him being around. Giddy with relief, I all but ran to him. "Oh my god, Kellan. I thought you were an axe murderer and that I was about to be murdered." I exhaled shakily, trying to laugh it off, but didn’t quite pull it off. My whole body trembled, as the tension and fear drained out of me.
I heard him chuckle. "Come on," he said, grabbing my hand. My heart skipped a beat at the touch before I schooled myself. It was just Kellan. I needed to get a grip. "Do you guys have any candles or anything?" Kellan asked as we made our way carefully down the stairs. The floor was a dark mahogany wood, making it difficult to see each step.
"Yeah," I said, pausing, "in Mom and Dad's room."
He groaned. "You stay here, and I'll go get them. Where are they exactly?"
"No, that's okay. I'll go with you," I said quickly. I didn’t want to be left alone in the dark. Even Kellan’s company was preferable to no company at all.
He paused for a second, seeming to read the anxiety in my voice. "Okay," he said softly.
He was being... nice – which was surprising. I'd expected him to poke fun at me for being so scared.
We set base in the living room after locating the candles, some blankets, and an old oil lamp left over from Halloween years ago. Kellan took a lighter out of his pocket, and lit the candles and oil lamp.
"Why are you still carrying that around?" I asked. Kellan had been trying to quit smoking these past few months... or so we’d all thought.
"Sentiment. I haven't had a smoke since I started living here. I really have been trying to quit, so you can stop with the accusing eyes." Kellan paused, and then amended, "I haven't had more than one smoke since I got here. I slipped up... once.”
"I believe you," I said, and I did. Kellan wasn’t a liar. If he didn’t want to tell the truth, then he just wouldn’t speak at all. There was a moment of silence before I spoke again. "How long do you think it’ll be until the power comes back on?"
"I have no idea. The whole block’s out from what I can tell," he told me. Putting the lighter down on the coffee table, he picked up a blanket. "Scoot over."
I shuffled further down the couch, and he settled in beside me. I jumped when a flash of lightening tore across the room.
He pulled out a deck of cards, distracting me. “Do you know how to play blackjack?”
“You want to play blackjack?” I asked, stupefied.
“What else is there to do?”
Good question. I shrugged, tugging the blanket close around my shoulders. “Okay.”
We played for a while before moving on to board games. When the power turned back on two hours later, I hadn’t even realized that the storm outside had calmed. I’d forgotten all about it.