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“A Mother’s Tale”

~Chapter Seven- Changing Reality

She hears a faint sound out in the hallway, sitting up slowly she perks her ears up to hear the rustle turn into what seemed like light footsteps passing her room. She looks over to see Roger in deep sleep, his arm thrown over his eyes as his light breathing comes out in whispers. Gulping, she clutches her blanket and slides it off her as curiosity seeped into her, drawing her to seek out the object of that sound. Her bare feet touch the soft rug beneath her as she inches her way to the door, stepping out of her room. Brushing back a few stray golden locks behind her ears, she opens the door and steps out of the room. Her eyes scan the dark hallway as she exhaling to see it was nothing but a soft breeze coming from the hall window. Smiling, she was about to enter her room when she senses something odd and turns around to see a shadowed man before her.

Her heart jumps to her throat as she watches the man step closer to her, grabbing her arm. Yelping out, she was about to scream when the figure stepped into the faint morning light for her to see. Gasping, she drops to her knees, her vision becoming hazy at the sight of her son.

“Nick!” She cries out, reaching out to him as he kneels down and embraces her tightly whispering in her ear that he’s safe and nothing to worry about.

“But they found your body. I saw you…I saw you gone from me.” She chokes out, freely crying as Nick’s arms held onto her tighter trying to keep her calm.

“Mom, look I’m ok. Shh it’s ok. Sorry I had you worried but see, look I’m fine. I’m right here.” Nick whispers in her trembling ear, running a hand down her hair. “Your boy is right here. I won’t scare you like that again.”

“Ohh Nick I was worried about you! I thought you left and was never coming back home.”

“No look I’m here. I did come back home.” Nick smiles as Jasmine runs her hands down his cheeks, her heart evoking joy and happiness with the reunion of her son in her arms again.

“Oh I missed you so much. But you’re here and that’s all that matters.” She whispers out as Nick pulls away from her a sudden frown crossing his lips. He stands and seems to change suddenly pulling her by the arm.

She blinks and realizes it wasn’t her son but rather his friend Damien who seemed to pull out a blade from behind his back pocket. Her mouth drops and she backs away stunned at how this can happen when her security system was set on high and the alarms didn’t go off.

“Shhh…stay quiet. Try not to scream too loud.” Damien whispers, placing a pointer finger on his lips as he snickers.

“Oh God!” She screams out, snapping open her eyes as she jolts up in bed gasping for air. She can feel the cold sweat cover her skin, her silk gown stuck to her back. Searching for a glass of water on her night stand, she sits up trying to calm down from the nightmare. She couldn’t understand her dreams, those nightmares. But she realized that tomorrow will be her son’s funeral and she hope to God that maybe her dream was a vision of something else, that maybe Nick really was alive and he was trying to speak to her in some way. Or maybe that so called friend of his had something to do with his disappearance. Whatever the case, she’ll find out soon, she has to, to relieve the burden and stress that plaques and dwells in her all the time.

Taking a big gulp of air, she nervously wipes a hand over her sweaty forehead lying back down near her husband who shifts and wraps an arm around her waist pulling her in for comfort. Sniffing, she gazes at him waiting for the morning to arrive already.
~*~

He seemed dazed as the camera crew set up another shot for the mini movie. Arianna sighs, seeing A.J. strolling on the set.

“Hey.”

A.J. simply gives her a quick nod to acknowledge her as his eyes fall on Damien who was sitting in the director’s chair lost in thought.

“He’s been like that since last night.” Arianna exhales, shaking her head.

“Damn, I need to stop making calls in the middle of your sex. That isn’t doing well for him.” A.J. jokes seeing a slight smirk cross her lips.

“Yeah… we really didn’t get a chance to finish last night and it was getting good too.” She breaks into a smile as A.J. chuckles.

“Alright, moving on…don’t need to know this.” A.J. goes to the buffet table to grab a Pepsi can and pops in open.

Damien slumps back in the director’s chair looking around at the people there when he feels a cold liquid splash on the crotch of his pants. Gasping, he looks up to see a young golden hair woman smiling innocently as she giggles.

“Haha Makenzie, real funny.” Damien grumbles, reaching for a towel to try to wipe himself up as best as he could.

Makenzie laughs harder, her emerald eyes sparkling in mischief: “Actually I found it quite funny if I should say so myself. And mister grumpy face if you notice there is no filming happening here I just thought you needed to wake up first.”

“I am awake.” Damien smirks, watching A.J. stroll up along side the woman snickering.

“Doesn’t that feel great in the morning? A nice drink for the dick. See you’re wide awake now.” He smiles as Makenzie smirks, leaning into the man.

A.J. grins wrapping an arm around her waist: “Is the big man bothering you again? Want me to kick his ass again?”

Makenzie grins, “Na, I can probably take him myself.”

“Yeah that’s my girl!” A.J. pumps his fist in the air at that.

Laughing, Damien watches them: “And can I ask why you decided to stop by here you two?”

“Thought you needed the company. And besides what are friends for if I can’t be here to help support him right?” A.J. wiggles his eyebrows causing Makenzie to giggle.

“I think its time for guy talk, I’ll let you guys be alone. Just make sure to behave and don’t let me see things I shouldn’t.” She smirks, heading over to the production assistant to start the next part of the film.

“Come on man, it’s not that bad.” A.J. turns serious: “It’s just news talking. And besides until they get a warrant on your ass you’ll be fine. You didn’t do anything.”

“It doesn’t matter. Who do you think the judge will listen to, a mourning mother or a young guy off the streets with a bad background? I say they’ll chose the latter.”

“Dude you need to stop being so hard on yourself. I’m as much as involved in this as you are. Hell Makenzie doesn’t even know about this and she’s dating me.” A.J. whispers out.

Damien sighs, shaking his head: “What are we doing huh? I mean seriously, what were we thinking to go along with that plan?”

“Hmmm…let’s see… great financial benefits, access to the hottest equipments around and a hot tub. Heh…yeah…I really like the hot tub.” A.J. smiles thinking about the trouble he caused in there with his girlfriend last night.

Damien shakes his head: “I just want to take it all back. It’s not even worth it. I can’t go on like this waiting to see if I’m gonna get arrested or caught. Its bothering me. I can’t believe you don’t have any guilt from this.”

“Yo man, it’s for her help! Her benefit. We’re doing her a big favor helping her out. Think about it! How long you gonna let her…” A.J. stops mid-sentence as Makenzie goes over to them: holding a bottle of water.

“So boys, playtime over. Are we filming or what?” She ties up her hair in a messy bun: strands of loose honeysuckle strand topple from the hairstyle.

Damien smirks, “Yeah, yeah heard ya the first time. Don’t get your pantyhose in a knot.” He picks up the script heading over to the stage set area calling out positions as the cameras are set up to start the filming.
~*~

Roger checks the answering machine and frowns hearing the officer in the other line requesting a photo for Nick’s identification. Looking around the living room to see if the coast was clear, he quickly pushes the erase button: discharging the message. Smiling, he wipes his hands against one another and walks to the kitchen to set up the final funeral arrangements left.
~*~

“And mommy it was big like boom and I said hi and he was like hiiiiiiiiiiii.” Eliez excitedly tells her mother about her new friend in the classroom. Jasmine smiles: seeing her little girl sitting on the edge of her little bed in a lilac gown with little bears on it.

“Well that sounds like a fun day then. And what’s his name sweetie?”

Eliez sits and thinks through the question before babbling out softly, “Frankie”

“Aww well that’s nice. Is Frankie nice to you?”

“Yup and he has big toys too, like cars that vroom and ooooh oooh special toys too.”

Jasmine laughs, pulling her daughter onto her lap kissing her face mercilessly causing Eliez to squeal in laughter.

“Well that’s good you guys are friends and he can come over whenever he wants to.” Jasmine beams at how happy her daughter seemed despite what is happening with the loss in the family.

Eliez frowns and shakes her head rapidly: “No…he can’t be here. No good. Nick get mad.”

Jasmine frowns, not liking the comment and eyes her: “Honey what are you talking about?” She gulps watching Eliez giggles.

“Nick will be mad if Frankie comes here.”

“Why sweetie?” Jasmine sniffs, not liking where the conversation was heading.

Eliez whispers out it slowly and almost hauntingly, “Cause its not his home. He needs to go home. Frankie doesn’t belong here. Only Nick does.”

Jasmine chokes out: “Ok…ok sugarplum if you feel that way. Then Frankie won’t come over here.”

“Mommy you sad?” Eliez frowns, pouting.

“Just a little.” Jasmine clears her throat, putting Eliez back on the bed. “Why don’t we get some breakfast honey, your daddy is making some for you.”

“Yay! Daddy make pancake?”

“Whatever you want angel.” Jasmine smiles, swallowing: feeling the lump in her throat.

“Hehe ok.” And Eliez jumps off the bed eagerly running out of the room and down the hallway.

Whispering she looks around her daughter’s room sadly: “She needs help…”
~*~


She runs over to answer the phone snapping her gum as she giggles watching Makenzie jump on a sofa swinging her flaxen hair wildly to Aerosmith’s song “Pink” giggling, waving her hands in the air.

Arianna holds back a laugh: “Hello?”

“Hello, am I speaking with a Arianna Brown?” A gruff disguised male voice asks.

“Ummm…yeah this is she?”

“Well see I’ve been getting reports that an awful screeching is coming from your house so I’ll need to go investigate it if you don’t mind.”

Arianna laughs recognizing the voice on the other line: “Not my fault, she loves music.”

“Aw well that’s too bad. Heh, what are you girls doing anyways?” Damien asks, leaning back in his chair in the small cubicle, looking at the x rated film on his lap top laughing.

“Goofing off and what’s so funny?”

“A.J. he sent me a video and I downloaded it and now its porn flashing across the screen.” Damien clicks out of the video snickering.

Laughing, Arianna watches Makenzie hop around on the sofa, singing to a couch pillow with all her heart to My Chemical Romance’s “Helena”

“Seriously I can see why A.J. is with her, they’re both out there.” Arianna cracks up seeing Makenzie breeze past her leaping onto a stool and shaking her hips to the song.

“Haha no kidding. Listen…what do you want me to bring home tonight? You up for anything for dinner?”

“Hmmm…ooohhh you know what would be good: glazed turkey with mash potatoes, tater tots and oohh radish with oh god that stuffing and…”

“Whoo whoo. Chill out girl.” Damien smirks getting out of a computer program and begins to type up a report. “That’s a lot you want. Let me rephrase that, one thing you want to eat cause you gonna make me buy out the supermarket with all that.”

“Heh, sorry I’m hungry that’s why and I had a craving for turkey since seeing Makenzie bounce around like one.” Arianna giggles, dodging a pillow thrown from her.

“I’ll see what I can do and what am I getting out of all this?”

“Ohhh…” Arianna grins, “That little number you bought me a while back that I never wore…remember the black satin pirate get up?”

Damien smirks, “Yeah…”

“Well if I’m bad you can send me to walk on your plank.”

Makenzie dies at the comment: “I’ve been a bad bad girl Captain Smith, send me to the plank at once!”

Arianna burst out laughing as Damien shakes his head holding back a laughter as he sees a police officer walking down the aisle approaching him. “Baby…baby…shhh…quiet, I have to let you go. The cops are here.”

Arianna gasps: “What?! Oh my God!”

“No don’t worry it’ll be fine. Don’t stress. I’ll call you later today when I get out of work.” Damien whispers out, gulping as a police officer eyes him sternly. “I have to go…bye baby.”

“Ummm ok…love you.” Arianna calls out worriedly.

“Love you too. Bye.” He hangs up eying the officer who pulls out a pad with a pen.

“I’m officer Dorough from precinct 15, you Damien correct?” The man gruffly states.

Damien could sense the other co-workers eyes on them as he stands nodding: “Yeah, what’s wrong?”

“Sir you’ll need to come to the precinct now.”

“Why?”

The officer eyes him and pulls out handcuffs: “Look you have two choices. You can go free willing right now with me or I can force you and you’ll be brought in with cuffs. It’s really those options. Choose wisely.” The officer states, patiently watching the young man.

Damien gulps, seeing the man’s ID: “Yeah ok…I’ll go…officer…” He leans over to read the name on the man’s badge: “Dorough.”

“Good, let’s go then.” Howie leads the way out as Damien can feel the penetrating eyes on him from everyone at the job.

Howie stands at the elevator eyeing him: “Don’t worry its not a big deal. We just need to ask you for a few things and we’ll let you go. You’re not in trouble with us, so don’t worry.”

“Right ok…” Damien whispers out shakily, being lead out of the building and to the police car. Sliding in the backseat, he watches Howie board the driver’s seat and drives off back to the precinct.

“Do you know why you’re getting called in?” Howie asks, his eyes focus on the road before him.

“Well you said it was for questioning.”

“Right but on what is what I mean.” Howie glances at the rearview mirror checking the lane behind him and drives.

“Ohhh, I don’t know.”

Howie snorts: “The hell you don’t.”

“What the hell is going on?!” Damien narrows his eyes placing his hands on the grate that separates the driver and backseat.

“Jumpy much?”

“Its not that, I just think I have the right to know what’s going on.” Damien frowns, slumping back in the seat.

“Well don’t you worry. I mean it’s not like your guilty of anything right?” Howie looks to the mirror to see the man’s face expressionless behind him and shakes his head slowly, taking the highway to beat the traffic.
~**~

**~To Be Continued…~**