The Lovely Suicide Children

Chapter 31: The Note

When dad and I finally got back home, the two of us found Shayla to be gone, and Amber left alone by herself. Amber sat on the staircase, circled by the white powder of course. I didn't expect her to look so down. 

"Where's Shayla?" Dad asked Amber.

Amber sort of played with her hands, fidgeting with her fingers quickly as if she were guilty of something. Without looking at us, she shrugged quickly. 

"I can't believe she would leave you alone," dad began walking upstairs. Before getting all the way to the top, he peered down at us. "I'm going to call Shayla."

I was still at the doorway, looking at Amber. She looked so scared and afraid of something. She didn't bother to look up at me either, that's how I knew something was wrong. Ignoring my fear, I walked up to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" I asked in a soft and low voice as if trying to keep Sunny from hearing me, even though she might have. Amber was shivering underneath my hand. Something was definitely bothering her.

"I'm running out of crushed bones," she hugged herself tight. "Sunny won't get any more for me, and if she doesn't, I'm going to get hurt."

"By who?" I asked. "Sunny?"

"Sunny is really upset with me. I can't make her mad anymore," Amber continue looking away from me. "I won't be safe if I help you. We can't be too close."

I kneeled down and place my entire arm over her shoulder. I tried my best to be as comforting as I could while also trying to hide the fact that I was scared that Sunny would hurt me or her now. "Sunny won't hurt us," I said. "If that were true she would have done it by now."

Amber finally looked up at me, her eyes wide and almost tearing up. I thought she would say something to me, but she didn't. Instead, she snatched her arm out of my grasp then ran up the stairs. She didn't bother to let the powder fall, she just ran. I stood there, looking at the front door. I had to tell myself if Sunny wanted to hurt me, then she would have done it by now. What was stopping her?

...

Monday came fast, and I was relieved to be going back to school. During the third period of class, I excused myself to go to the bathroom. When I got inside the bathroom, I didn't expect to find Rose inside. She looked like she had been crying all morning.

"Are you all right?" I paused two sinks away from her.

She bit her lip then shook her head vigorously. "Don't ask me that! You know I'm not 'okay' Olivia."

 I walked over to her and quickly placed my hands on her shoulder for comfort. I could feel her shaking uncontrollably.  "I can't sleep," she went on. "I can't sleep, and I'm so afraid. Am I going insane?"

Her gaze was full of emotions-rage, anger, confusion, and fear. I knew that feeling well, but she didn't. Not like I did. I wasn't sure rather to tell her the truth or not, but something was telling me not to tell her she imagined things. That's not what traumatized people want to hear. 

"You're not crazy," I patted her arm. "We both saw the same thing."

She snatched her arm away from me and backed away. "You went towards it," she said in a shaken voice. "You weren't afraid of what we saw."

The way she stared at me, told me she was afraid. I also knew that she blamed me or accused me of something. I saw it in her eyes. I stood straight, took a deep breath, then looked at her while standing a good distance away. "I can tell you everything I know if you let me," I said.

She hugged herself then looked away from me. "Fine, but we can't talk at your house. I'm never going back there again."

"Okay," I nodded. "That's fine. That's okay, but I want you to know what I know."

"Outside at lunch," she said.

She hugged me tightly. "Are you in trouble, Olivia?" She whispered. "I'm worried about you."

I smiled then hugged her back. "I'm not," I said, unsure of my own words. "We'll be okay. I'll see you at lunch." With that said, we both returned to our classes.

...

It had taken me a good ten minutes to explain everything to Rose. By the time I was done, she was looking around and over her shoulder, agitated and worried. I waited for her to say something, but she didn't. Her mouth was open like she wanted to say something, but she never did.

"Rose?" I finally said after two minutes of silence passed by.

"The Lovely Suicide Children," she looked at the school. "It sounds..."

"Ridiculous?" I said.

"Strange, eerie, dangerous," she faced me again. "and yet this Sunny person wants you there. Why? See! She wants to hurt you."

I shrugged. "I think she's jealous of me being around Amber."

"Don't be stupid," she placed her palms on the table. "she's a ghost. She's dead. She wants something from you. Maybe your soul."

"Wouldn't she have done that by now?" I asked. "Like taken my soul?"

"I don't know," Rose shrugged. "maybe she's waiting or something."

I opened my mouth to say something, but then I thought twice about saying it. I was about to mention Robert. However, I was unsure if that was a good idea. I looked at Rose, afraid that what I was going to say would trigger her in some sort of way. "I think I know someone who could help us. Someone who may have some answers."

She looked at me and waited for me to say who. Well, here goes nothing. I thought. "Robert Parker is one of The Lovely Suicide Children. He's told me about them before, but maybe he can tell me something I don't know."

Rose got up without warning and quickly began walking away. I went over to stop her, but she turned around and whipped my arm away. "I guess I am really going crazy. I don't know if you know, but Robert Parker committed suicide. He's dead, and he can't come back."

"Haven't you heard anything I told you?" I said.

Rose looked away then look back at me. "If you want to practice some time for the competition, we can do it out here. Or in the gym or something. Maybe you can even stop by my house, but I am not coming back to your place. I'm sorry." With that said, she left.

People sucked. They never want to listen when things become unordinary. The supernatural, spiritual, and unexplained seemed so out of everyone's mind. I wasn't too upset about Rose. With or without her, she couldn't have helped.  I didn't think anyone could at this point.

Just then, someone tapped me and I turned around to see Robert Parker staring at me. He looked upset. Without saying anything, he held something in his hand. "I was instructed to give you something. It's a note from your mother," he said.

He soon handed me the know then disappeared before I could even ask him anything. The way he appeared was strange but the way he talked with stranger. His voice had been trembling, quivering, and he seemed uneasy. As I stared at the note of my hand, I felt my heart race inside of my chest. Could the note really have been from her? Was my mother contacting me...from the dead?