Dealing with Death

A waiting room has been taken over by the police. Jill sits on a couch - Kirby is curled up asleep, next to her. Aunt Kate is there too. Mark has Maureen on his lap asleep. No one knows but Maureen is awake and listening.

"How's your arm?" Aunt Kate asked Jill. Daddy had his arms around me.

"It's okay. Sore." Gale passes with coffee. She takes a seat next to Mommy.

"Rebecca's family has been notified." Gale said.

"I never should have come back here." Mommy said quietly. Daddy's hand went out to hers.

"and I certainly should never have brought Maureen here." She said. That made her think of a memory.

2 months ago,

"Maureen don't go far! Stay where we can see you and stay with Cherokee!" Sidney shouted as Maureen was running with Cherokee out on their farm, in Tennessee. They come here whenever they can get a week or two of work.

"I know!" Maureen called back. She looked back at her parents, walking behind her.

"Sidney, you don't have to be so protective over her now." Mark said as they were walking together following Maureen.

"I know but I can't help it."

Maureen ran faster catching up with Cherokee, who was barking at a rabbit. A train whizzed past, she jumped.

"Honey, it's all over now." Mark reassured, he swung the dogs lead in his right hand.

"I know it is but still I get feelings that something is going to happen again." She said fearfully.

"Nothing will, ok I mean you killed your- you're um…" he said, he couldn't finish he knew Sidney always teared up when he mentioned him.

"My half-brother, its ok Mark." She replied looking at him.

Maureen was laughing, and going even further out of her parents view.

"I mean I just can't get over how my Mother, didn't tell me about him."

They climbed over a fence, Mark helped Sidney over, and they held hands while walking.

"Maybe she didn't want to open up old memories and the past." He said, hoping that this would go through her.

"I don't know, I just am scared if another murder spree happens and Maureen-" She said, going off track. He stopped walking and looked at her, "Sid were not In Woodsboro, remember nothing will happen. And Hollywood was just a one off." He promised. She looked at him, with trust and love in her eyes. They kissed.

Maureen was in bushes now with Cherokee. And she couldn't see her parents, she felt something behind her, she looked up and it was a scarecrow. She screamed, frightened.

Mark and Sidney pulled apart, "Maureen!" Sidney shouted, running. Mark followed her and done the same thing. "Maureen where are you?!" Mark shouted, running ahead of Sidney.

Sidney's heart was racing, with fear. She couldn't be. Could she?

"Sidney I found her!" Marks voice said, from bushes ahead. She raced in them, and saw Maureen and Cherokee, and Mark.

"Maureen! Why did you do that? We told you where we could see you!" Sidney shouted, at Maureen, angry. Maureen was shaken up, "Am sorry, but Cherokee led me here. And this scarecrow here-"she said.

"Don't blame Cherokee, you could have been hurt." Sidney said, calming down now, "Am sorry." Maureen innocently said. Sidney looked at her daughter before pulling her into a hug. "It's ok sweetheart, just don't do it again." She said,"Yeah you scared us." Mark said, touching her cheek.

End of memory.

"This isn't your fault, Sid. If anything, it is mine. I wrote the book, I sold the movie rights. I started this." Gale said. Mommy looks at her.

"You're right. It is your fault. But I knew better. Now, I can't leave. We have to keep her safe." Mommy said, while referring to Jill.

"We will. We will keep everyone safe." Gale promised.

"I don't care what happens to me. But no one else can get hurt."

"Sidney," Daddy said.

"No Mark, I can't do this again not here and not with our 8 year old daughter. I need to stay and finish this once and for all." Mommy argued, does that mean am going back home with Daddy? No I want Mommy to come home aswell, I don't want her to get hurt.

The next morning, I slept in Jill's bed with her and Kirby slept on the floor, while Mommy and Daddy slept in the guest room. Me and Jill went downstairs for breakfast while Kirby slept in Jill's bed.

Sidney is drinking coffee, while talking on her cell.

"I'm staying. I'd prefer if everything could be channelled through your office. Thank you, Henry, I appreciate that. I'll let you know more as I know it. Bye."

Sid hangs up as Jill and Maureen enter the kitchen. Sid goes straight for her and hugs her. It's comforting to Jill. Maureen sits at the table.

"I'm sorry about Olivia." Jill tears up.

"You know when people say, "I know how you feel," but you know they're just saying that and have no friggin' clue how you feel? I know how you feel." Mommy said to Jill who looks like she is going to cry.

"Where's mom?" Jill asks sitting down next to Maureen.

"She stopped by work for a bit."

"Where's Daddy?" Maureen asked,

"He's gone to the station to help out, with Uncle Dewey." Mommy said, grabbing a cup and a glass from the cupboard.

"I saw all the reporters outside" Jill motioned outside.

"That's why we're inside." Mommy hands Jill a cup of coffee. She then goes to the refrigerator.

"How do you deal with it? With everything that's happened to you? You've seen so much..." Jill asks.

"Death?" Sidney asked lowly, so Maureen couldn't hear her. "It sucks. I hated my life but Maureen and Mark are the only things that keep me together. But running from it gets me nowhere. I've learned to embrace it."

"How did you do that?" Jill asks, sipping her coffee.

Sidney shrugs as she pours orange juice in Maureen's glass.

"I wrote a book about grief and guilt and hope."

"And it helped?"

Sidney knew this conversation was getting more intense and too adult for Maureen to hear.

"Maureen honey, can you go wake Kirby and see if she wants some breakfast?" Sidney asked Maureen. She nodded, and walked out.

"It helped... pay the bills. The thing that helped most, well I didn't have to worry about to much, cause you know Mark was there and supporting me. I worded differently in the book, is I finally said, "Fuck it." This is it. Your life. You can boo-hoo or get on with it. I've earned the right to say, "Fuck it." So I did." Sid is very frank. Jill appreciates it. She likes this side of Sidney.

"I didn't know you had edge."

"I'm so polite, aren't I? Things are never what they seem, Jill. That I can assure you." Sidney said, poised.

"I don't think I'd like the attention. People staring at me." Jill said, a made a face.

Sidney smiles. "I won't lie. If I never had Maureen and Mark I love to disappear. Start from scratch. No scars. But that's not reality." Jill smiles in adoration. She looks up to Sidney. Maureen comes in with a half-asleep Kirby.

"You ok Kirby?" Sidney said, hugging Kirby. Kirby is still half-asleep and doesn't respond, but sits down.

"So who wants Pancakes?" Sidney said, going to the refrigerator.

Chapter 6…

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