Innocent Times Page 3

  The week of the school dance was when I found out Danny was not from round here, in fact he was not of this world. The incident happened at the masquerade ball. The school hall had been decorated with silver and white decorations from glittery snowflakes to fake snow sprayed across the tables. At the far side of the hall was the DJ booth and scattered round the ceiling we huge flashing disco lights, the centre of the ceiling had a gigantic disco ball that added a sparkle effect round the room. I was one of the last to arrive at the ball, I came with Jessica but all I was bothered about is if Danny would be there.

  He was sat at a table on his own in a corner away from everyone else but it was like he wanted to watch out for someone, I walked over to join him, leaving Jessica chatting to a couple of guys in our school year. She winked, stuck her tongue out, but gave me the thumbs up when she noticed I wanted to go over to him. I was feeling nervous but swallowing the lump in my throat I headed over in his direction, passing bythe unmanned drinks table, I picked up a cup fall of punch. Not thinking why the drinks table was unsupervised, I sipped a mouthful of punch. As I began to walk over to Danny, I felt a burning sensation in my throat all the way down to my stomach, my throat then closed up preventing me to breathe. I was suffocating, my eyes felt heavy and my head was spinning, thoughts of my life ending was all I could think about. Someone had poisoned me.

  Feeling like there was no hope, Danny appeared by my side looking worried. He held my hand and supported my balance. He laid me down underneath the nearest table, feeling his hand stroke my cheek as he whispered something into my ear.

  “Stay calm, but I am going to make this go away.”

  I tried to look up at him to understand what he was saying, I was thinking how he could save me. I coughed up some blood, whatever he was going to do I hoped he would make it happen sooner as I did not want to die. Danny moved his face closer to mine and still stroking my cheek, I properly gazed into his eyes. They had lit up like they were glowing but they looked beautiful. He kissed me slowly and so gently, his lips felt so soft and smooth, I tried to kiss him back but I was too weak. I closed my eyes and everything went black.

  The next morning, I woke up in my bedroom, my dress was hung up on my wardrobe. I couldn’t remember how I even got home. But I remembered someone had tried to kill me and I was going to find out who it was.

  The Text Message

  This story was first published in Fish and Freaks, October 2018.

  Jane had just woken up from an awful dream that felt like an actual life nightmare, this was the same re-occurring dream all week, the sweat dripped rapidly from her forehead taking in deep breaths to try calm down from her never ending nightmares. The dream was about a teenage boy her age; he had chocolate coloured brown hair and ocean blue eyes. The teenage boy looked very similar to her best friend Pete. She had witnessed that both of them were on the run from a couple of robbers trying to break into a nearby car. One of the robbers pulled out a gun from his faded denim jacket pocket and shoots at the callow lad. He falls to the ground clinging hold to his blooded chest fighting for his life, his last words to Jane are “Jane…. Run… don’t worry about…. Me.” At that very same moment Jane then opens her hazel eyes to the clock face showing 6:00am, wiping the sticky sweat from her forehead and stroking back her long blonde hair and thinking happy thoughts, she shuts her eyes again and drifts off into another heavy sleep.

  Pete and Jane have been best friends since they were both very young, they both attended the same schools, secretly Jane had always hoped their friendship would blossom into something more romantic. “Jane…. Jane….wake up, it's 10 ‘O'clock, Pete will be here in an hour.” Her mother yells up the stairs to wake her up. Jane opens her eyes to see the time is actually 10am, and that she had managed to sleep for another four hours without having another nightmare. Like every Saturday morning Jane is in no hurry to get out of bed and chooses to lay in bed a little while longer, reaching for the bed-side table for the television remote she decides to finish watching the rest of her favourite film from the night before. Not long after the television is on her mother walks in with a cup of tea like she does for Jane most Saturday morning’s, there were no other children to treat as Jane was an only child.

  “Thanks mum” Jane says with an enormous smile on her

  “Don’t expect it from me every Saturday morning” tells her mother with a big joking smile on her face. Her mother was unaware of Jane’s re-occurring nightmares, although they had a close relationship, Jane chose not to worry her mother and keep it quiet. She couldn’t t tell anyone, especially Pete. Jane gave her mother a hug before leaving Jane to watch her film. As her mother leaves Jane reaches for the bed-side table again but this time for her mobile phone. Jane switches on her phone, straight away a text message from Pete is received and as always the feeling of butterflies in her tummy appears again, the same feeling she always gets when Pete is around or texts her. Smiling away to herself she reads the message from Pete asking if their plans today will be perhaps a walk round town, Jane replies straight away accepting his idea. Realising the time, Jane finally decides to get up and sort herself out.

  An hour later as Jane is getting ready, the doorbell rings, Jane hears her mum hurry to the front door and then inviting the person inside. “Jane… Jane… Guess who is here.” Her mum always knows how to embarrass her.

  Jane comes flying down the stairs to Pete and throws her arms round him for a hug. Pete hugs her back. “What’s all this about?” he asks with a smile on his face.

  “I am just looking forward to our plans today.” Jane replies, giggling away. She then puts on her sketcher trainers, kisses her mum goodbye and they both walk out the house linking arms. They head towards the nearest bus stop to catch the next number three bus route into town. It was a dull overcast day and the air felt chilly for an April spring morning, Jane had hoped the sun would be out today to compliment what she hoped would be a romantic walk through town with the hopes of birds, butterflies and bees flying through the air. They both had not walked far from Jane’s house when they spot a pair of crooks trying to break into a nearby car.

  “HEY.” Yells Pete at them without thinking and realising what he has just done “What do you think you are doing?” The two crooks stop what they are doing, the pair of them are wearing faded black hooded jackets and sunglasses to try to hide their identities, but they both look in the direction of Pete and Jane.

  “Pete, I think this is a bad….”

  “Ssshhhhhh Jane, I don’t want this to go out of control.” Interrupting her.

  Then suddenly, the two men walk towards Pete and Jane. One of them is holding what appears to be a metal rod. The young teenagers hold each other’s hands and start to run away in the opposite direction, the two robbers follow close behind them. Suddenly a gunshot is heard, Jane stops and hopes this is not her nightmare coming true. She looks at Pete, one hand is still holding hers and his other one is clasping his chest tightly as he collapses to the ground. The crooks stop running and watch Jane as she kneels down beside Pete, tears fall down her red cheeks. In Pete’s last breath, he looks up at Jane and tells her to run.

  Jane stands up and looks towards the two men. Her nightmare had come true but this was the part where it ended, she was not ready for what will happen next.

  “You fucking bastards!” she screams at them.

  Sirens are then heard in the distance. Instead of trying to help her and clear up what a mess they have done, the two men flee the scene. Jane sits down beside Pete again holding his hand, blood is pouring out of his chest rapidly. ‘Who else saw this’ she thought to herself, feeling numb and puzzled. The paramedics arrive and work quickly as they can to try save Pete’s life, Jane Kisses Pete’s fore head “You are safe now.” She whispers in his ear and then let’s go of his hand.

  Jane stands up as they carry Pete on a stretcher into the ambulance. Tears fill her eyes, knowing full well that her reoccurring dream has now become a reality. ‘Where the hell we
re the police? Why did they not show? This was the thoughts that came to mind as she climbed into the back of the ambulance. The quick trip to the hospital seemed like an eternity, continuously Pete was trying to fight for his life, in and out of cardiac arrest until there was no fight left in him.

  At the hospital, Pete was whizzed through into an emergency room to be operated on. At the hospital Pete was whizzed through into an emergency room to be operated, Jane paced up and down continuously in the waiting room. The receptionist had called for Pete’s mother to get to the hospital as soon as possible and to be by Jane’s side. Jane explained what had happened to her son but struggled with retracting that morning’s event, she felt like it was her fault for arranging plans for them today. As Pete, would still be fine and not fighting for his life.

  “Oh Jane, I am so sorry you had to witness that. I know you don’t want to leave Pete but please go home and try to calm down. I will have someone to call your mum to come pick you up.” Pete’s mum said smoothly as possible trying to fight back the tears hearing the news of her son. Jane refuses her kind offer and chooses to walk home to try clear her head, the walk home took forever and Jane did not acknowledge anyone at all walking by, now and again she felt an icy sensation stroking down her spine but no one was close enough to her, maybe it was her imagination getting the better of her. She hoped her mother would be at home by the time she got back for someone to give her comfort and support but sadly no one was at home. In Jane’s last ounce of strength, she slumped onto her bed and cried herself to sleep.

  Jane was woken up by her mobile phone ringing.

  “Hello, Pete is that you?” she asked before actually checking to see whose number it was calling her.

  “No it's Pete’s mum.”

  “How is Pete? Is he going to live?”

  “That is what I have phoned to tell you about, he’s…. dead.” Pete’s mum said, beginning to cry.

  “What…. No… Why Pete?”

  “He managed to tell me a message to pass on to you, he thinks you are a wonderful girl and friend but you must live on with your life.”

  “Thank you for letting me know. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  The tears start to fall again down Jane’s red hot puffy cheeks. All she could think about was the happy memories of her and Pete. The times when they went out to dinner together, the times they both had ice creams and fun in the sun, they were like a couple but not even romantically linked with each other. She wished she could tell Pete how she actually felt towards him and wanted to have her first proper kiss with him. Then suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a text message on her mobile phone. The receiver is from Pete’s number. She reads the message, wondering who has got Pete’s phone.

  Don’t forget me, I now know how your feelings are towards me, mine are also the same about you.

  For a moment Jane freezes, trying to make heads and tails to what she has just seen. She reads the text message again and then again. Feeling confused and freaked out, she calls Pete’s mum to see who is using his phone.

  “Hello.” Pete’s mum answers sniffling from tears

  “Hi, is that Pete’s Mum?”

  “Yes, is this Jane?”

  “yes it’s me.”

  “Oh.. hi Jane, what can I help you with?”

  “I am sorry to ask this but I was wondering who has got Pete’s phone?”

  “No one has dear, I have put it in his room with all of his belongings.”

  “Oh, you see the thing is, this may sound crazy but I have just received a text message from Pete’s phone.”

  “Oh… really, does it have time and date when it was sent?”

  “It should have, I haven’t yet checked that.”

  “Well keep it on your phone and I will pop round later this week to have a look at it.”

  “Yes that would be nice, see you soon. Bye.”

  After the phone call with Pete’s mum, Jane lays back down on her bed again, this time thinking about the mysterious text message, wondering that she may be going crazy or could it be someone playing a joke on her? Her mobile phone bleeps again, receiving another text message from Pete’s number.

  This isn’t a joke, it’s really me, Pete. I have liked you since I first saw you all those years ago.

  Jane wanted to see for herself if this was actually happening so decides to reply back to the message.

  Is it really you? How can it be when you have died? How can you still text me?

  She receives a reply straight away.

  I can’t explain at the moment, I will text you another time.

  Jane then begins to cry again. This time she wasn’t sure if these were tears of happiness or tears of sadness, she couldn’t make her mind up as she was feeling all over the place. Her mum came home at the right time, Jane wanted a hug off her in the hopes it may take some of the pain away for a moment.

  “Jane I heard what happened, I am so sorry love.” Her mum holds her. “If you ever want anything, just ask and I will see what I can do.”

  “Thanks mum but all I want at the moment is Pete but I can’t have that.” Jane cries and holds her chest.

  “I wish I could take this pain away from you Jane, I really do. Would you like me to do something nice for your tea?”

  “No mum I am ok at the moment, I don’t feel like eating.”

  Jane’s mum felt helpless but to try to help her daughter she hugged her even tighter and stroked her hair. Jane cried into her mother’s loving embrace until she drifted off to sleep.

  A week had passed by since Pete’s death. To Jane it had gone by in such a numbness blur. The day she dreaded had arrived, Pete’s funeral, and this would be the day she would tell her final goodbye forever to the person who meant so much to her. Jane had not received any more text messages from Pete’s number but to try not let his memory fade away she had kept the ones she had received on the day he died. Pete’s mum had not been round to see her either.

  “Jane, sorry I haven’t been round to see you, I am finding it really hard.” Said Pete’s mum

  “That’s ok, I understand.”

  “Have you still got that message you received from Pete’s phone?”

  “Yeah, I had received a couple more on the same day but nothing else recently.”

  “Well I will come over this week, I promise.” Said Pete’s mum with a brave smile on her face.

  His mum walks off to attend the wake at the local pub down the road from the church, Jane isn’t feeling up to seeing anyone so she walks to a nearby park and luckily for her there is no one around. She sits on the old rusted swing. The play area seemed to have stayed the same, since the park area was developed when she was an adolescent girl. Jane then has a vision of her and Pete talking while sitting on the same swings. This was something they both used to do a lot. A light breeze blew Jane’s long blonde hair then suddenly her vision is interrupted by the feel of a frozen breath on the back of her neck. She turns around but no-one is there. Thinking she is going crazy she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, Jane feels an icy cold kiss on her right cheek but still no-one else is around. Not knowing what is happening Jane leaves the park and walks home. It wasn’t too far away only about half a mile.

  As Jane walks into her house, she can faintly hear someone call her name that sounded like Pete’s voice. Shaking her head to get a grip, she slams the front door shut and runs straight up to her bedroom. As respect to Pete and his family Jane had left her phone at home, however she was curious to see if any messages had been sent from Pete’s number. Jane picks up her phone to have received a message as she had guessed.

  Thank you for coming to my funeral, I am happy you decided to go. xx

  Now Jane knew all this was actually happening, she was not losing her mind, and she didn’t feel freaked out anymore. In fact, it made her happy and some of the pain go away. Not wanting this to end, she replied.

  Was it you in the park with me today? The kiss? Xx.

  Bleep bl
eep. Yes, it was me xx. Came the reply.

  I wish I could have done it back but I couldn’t see you lol xx.

  Lol, well anyway you will be expecting something to happen tomorrow night when you are happily dreaming away. I can’t tell you as it is a surprise xx.

  The next day was Jane’s 16th birthday, her original plans were to be going out with Pete to the cinema and Pizza afterwards but today Jane was not up to doing anything and just stay at home. All day long she was thinking what her surprise could be. Could it be Pete alive again? Would she wake up to a lot of money? She didn’t have the slightest idea at all.