"Angela what are you doing?" Angela's mothers shrill voice echoed from inside the lounge room, " Just going out. for a bit." came Angela's hesitant reply. "Where are you going?" Angela sighed. She had been through this with her mother several times already that evening and her patience was starting to wear thin. " Just going down to the chemist. I'll be back in a minute. I think 'The Bold and The Beautiful is on." Her mother glanced at Angela, a look of confusion making her appear about ten years old. Angela sighed again and crossed the room to her mother. Smiling at the old women she fixed her blankets and turned on the TV. "See ya mum." Her mothers gaze was now fixed on the television set. "Goodbye Annie." She muttered distractedly.
Annie. Annie. her mother hadn't called her that in more than five years. Not since she was fifteen. Not since her mother was diagnosed. Tears were streaming down her face as she walked out of the lounge room and into the long hallway that lead to the bathroom, Angela's room and, eventually, the front door. When she was safely outside the old weatherboard building she sank to her knees, tears like tiny rivers streaming down her face she screamed at the sky. She needed someone to help her. to understand her. to understand her mother. to help her.
Angela spent half an hour on the steps, her voice was hoarse and her body was aching. She got up and walked towards her friend's house. She needed comfort and a big hug. As she walked towards Nicole's house her tears lessened. She started to notice a strange smell. at first it was just an Occasional whiff of something rancid. It was the end of school for the year twelves. perhaps the students had been egging the place again. As she chose the path that lead to her friends secluded house she began to realise that it was not the smell of rotten eggs. It was the smell of rotting meat and lots of it. She was worried now so she started running, silently glad that she was wearing trainers. She screamed as she reached Nicole's house.
Mounted on Sticks against the low brick fence were severed heads. Angela screamed again as she realised that the one nearest the gate was Nicole. She sank to her knees, horrified, and put her hands on the ground. A wave of Nausea overcame her as she lifted her hands to her face, they were covered in blood. Fighting the urge to vomit she pulled her gaze back up to the heads. She realised that all these people were her friends and family now appearing to gaze blankly at her. Nicole, Angela's older brother Nate, her English teacher from three years ago who had helped her through her exams, an elderly neighbour. All, she realised with another sick churn of her stomach, that she wouldn't have realised were missing for a long time. She counted them and found in total there were six, the other two were friends of Nicole. Angela racked her brain for names, all she wanted was to know who they were. " Oh!" she exclaimed with a crazy giggle, "Samantha and Josh." With that she fainted.