The
Dance
“Jon,” said a familiar voice.
“Why are you sleeping, silly?”
“Rough night, Cat,” Jon said
as he opened his eyes and smiled at his baby sister.
He was in the Gym, backstage sitting on a chair.
The band was playing, and he could hear the low din of people talking.
“Wow, how rough can it be to welcome the new senior class?
Try not sleeping well for 2 months straight.”
“I have a pretty good idea,”
Jon said. “I have a friend who
has not slept well for…” Jon just got a chill up his spine at that instant.
The locket! Where was it?
Back at home, beside the bed at home.
He bolted out of the chair and grabbed Catherine.
“Cat, promise me you won't leave the dance until I get back.”
“What? Why? You're acting
crazy again like this morning, Jon.”
He shook her a bit and said
urgently, “Promise me!”
“Okay silly, I promise,” she
said. Jon let her go and ran out of
the gym. “Where are you going,”
Cat called after him.
He had a hell of a time finding
his car. He looked at his watch.
9:27 PM. The dance would end
in 33 minutes. If he remembered
right, ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’ was the last song.
He had plenty of time. But
he was not going to take any chances.
He made it home in 8 minutes.
He grabbed the necklace and started to run out of the door, when he
nearly ran over his father. “Dad!” Jon
threw his arms around his father.
“Have you been drinking,
son,” laughed Fred Rooney. “You
have not hugged me like this since you were 10.”
“Dad, I love you,” Jon said
forcing himself to part from his father. “We will catch up when I get back,”
he yelled over his shoulder on his way back to his car.
“Uh, okay son,” called Fred
Rooney with a strange look on his face. June
Rooney took Fred by the arm.
“He’s been acting a bit
strange today,” said June Rooney with a smile on her face. “But I like it. I’ll
take those hugs and words every day of the week, and twice on Sundays.”
Jon was pulling onto the street
of the high school. One more corner,
and then he would be in front of the Gym. 10
minutes left. He prayed he was not too late. He rounded the last corner
and accelerated. Ahead he saw a
parking space right in front of the sidewalk leading to the gym. Good, he thought, he would park there and…
Right in front of him darting out
from between two parked cars was a girl. She
was wearing a blue dress. What a
strange thought to be having when you are about to accidentally hit someone.
Brakes squealed then there was a loud thump as Jon ran over someone that
used to be alive.
Just then realization hit Jon.
“Oh my God! NO!
NO! NO!”
He screamed as he got out of the car and ran to Cat who would not live
for very long.
Blood was everywhere and pooling
incredibly fast around her limp body. He
knelt beside her and cradled her head in his lap.
Blood quickly soaked through his pants.
“Cat, I am so sorry,” Jon
sobbed. “I was going to get your
locket and make everything right.”
Cat looked up at Jon and said,
“You took the time Jon, and you took the time to bring the locket back to
me.”
“But it was not supposed to be
this way,” Jon stammered, “I was…”
“Shhhh…Jon put the locket on
me.”
“But I don’t understand
I…”
“Please Jon, take the time to
put it on me.”
Jon slipped the locket around her
neck. God there was so much blood.
“Cat, hang on, oh God, please hang on.”
“Jon, this was the way it had
to be,” Cat said. Jon held her
tightly as she breathed her last breath. There
was a flash, and then his world went black…
©2003 StoriesByEmail.com
|
