Chapter Seven
After the funeral was officially over, everyone began to disappear, scattering like the dried leaves in the autumn wind. Instead of riding home with her family, Annabel decided to walk home with Sara and Joshua, since she didn't live far away.
They walked side-by-side down the sidewalk, talking about idle things since the three of them didn't want to think too much about Cassie's funeral.
Once they reached Annabel's house, Sara said good-bye to her best friend and left Annabel and Joshua standing together on the front stoop. They were startled by the sound of a howling dog; the black dog was circling their house, howling.
Annabel couldn't shake the feeling she got by the dog, the feeling that was too eerie for words. All she and Joshua could do was watch the dog circle the house over and over again, howling like he was being beaten.
Finally Joshua said, "Do you know that dog?"
The sound of his voice brought Annabel of a trance like state. "No." She answered, seemingly unaware that she had spoken.
Suddenly, Annabel turned to Joshua, feeling the need to tell him about her research about premonitions and how she found out that she wasn't the only one that had had visions of death. "Do you want to come in?" She asked, motioning to the house with her head.
Joshua agreed and they walked into the house, silently; in the kitchen, the sound of Annabel's mother and father talking could be heard but other then that the house was silent.
Annabel and Joshua walked up to her room and Annabel closed the door. "You know, I was thinking about what you told me at Sara's mother's funeral, about my cousin seeing the place explode before it did. I got on the computer and researched it and he and I weren't the only people who had had a 'vision' of death." Annabel began. She continued telling Joshua everything that she had read, including the fact that her cousin had died in a freak accident a few weeks after the plane exploded.
Joshua listened to Annabel speak without uttering a word himself; he wasn't sure, however, that he believed everything she said, despite him wanting to believe it.
Annabel decided to leave the dream about Randy out of everything she told Joshua; once she was finished talking, she looked at Joshua to see what he thought about everything she had said.
Joshua, however, wasn't even sure what he thought about everything Annabel said so he had no words for her. There was another award silence and Joshua finally said he had to go; for once, Annabel was unhappy about seeing him leave.
Once Joshua was gone, Annabel wasn't sure what to do. Everyone in her family was given Randy some sort of condolence in their own way but Annabel didn't want to go downstairs and see her brother, she didn't want to see him the way he looked at Cassie's funeral.
Annabel stayed in her room until it was time for dinner but no one really ate too much. Everyone sat around the table in silence; Annabel picked at her food with her fork but only ate a few bites.
After everyone seemed assured that there was going to be no eating going on, Annabel's mother cleared the table and asked Annabel to help her wash the dishes. Annabel frowned; her mother only helped her wash the dishes when she wanted to talk about something.
As Annabel cleared the last of the dishes and the rest of her family left the dinning room, Annabel's mother uttered those words; "I need to talk to you about something."
Annabel grimaced as she joined her mother at the sink. "Now, Annabel, I need to talk to you about something very serous. And just listen to everything I have to say before you say anything. On the news there's been reports that you had a vision that theā¦." Annabel's mom began.
"Oh Jesus Mom." Annabel spat. Annabel, however, was more surprised to hear her mother talk about what had happened then angry; she was also afraid, afraid that now everyone would think she was some sort of a physic or a "freak".
"Annabel, listen to me. I just want to know if that's true." Her mother shut off the sink water and looked her daughter in the eye. "Is it true?" She asked.
Annabel didn't speak for several minutes because she didn't know how to answer her mother's question. Finally she said, "I really don't wanna talk about it."
Annabel started to leave the kitchen. "Annabel!" Her mother called after her but it was no use, Annabel was already halfway up the stairs to her room.
After the funeral was officially over, everyone began to disappear, scattering like the dried leaves in the autumn wind. Instead of riding home with her family, Annabel decided to walk home with Sara and Joshua, since she didn't live far away.
They walked side-by-side down the sidewalk, talking about idle things since the three of them didn't want to think too much about Cassie's funeral.
Once they reached Annabel's house, Sara said good-bye to her best friend and left Annabel and Joshua standing together on the front stoop. They were startled by the sound of a howling dog; the black dog was circling their house, howling.
Annabel couldn't shake the feeling she got by the dog, the feeling that was too eerie for words. All she and Joshua could do was watch the dog circle the house over and over again, howling like he was being beaten.
Finally Joshua said, "Do you know that dog?"
The sound of his voice brought Annabel of a trance like state. "No." She answered, seemingly unaware that she had spoken.
Suddenly, Annabel turned to Joshua, feeling the need to tell him about her research about premonitions and how she found out that she wasn't the only one that had had visions of death. "Do you want to come in?" She asked, motioning to the house with her head.
Joshua agreed and they walked into the house, silently; in the kitchen, the sound of Annabel's mother and father talking could be heard but other then that the house was silent.
Annabel and Joshua walked up to her room and Annabel closed the door. "You know, I was thinking about what you told me at Sara's mother's funeral, about my cousin seeing the place explode before it did. I got on the computer and researched it and he and I weren't the only people who had had a 'vision' of death." Annabel began. She continued telling Joshua everything that she had read, including the fact that her cousin had died in a freak accident a few weeks after the plane exploded.
Joshua listened to Annabel speak without uttering a word himself; he wasn't sure, however, that he believed everything she said, despite him wanting to believe it.
Annabel decided to leave the dream about Randy out of everything she told Joshua; once she was finished talking, she looked at Joshua to see what he thought about everything she had said.
Joshua, however, wasn't even sure what he thought about everything Annabel said so he had no words for her. There was another award silence and Joshua finally said he had to go; for once, Annabel was unhappy about seeing him leave.
Once Joshua was gone, Annabel wasn't sure what to do. Everyone in her family was given Randy some sort of condolence in their own way but Annabel didn't want to go downstairs and see her brother, she didn't want to see him the way he looked at Cassie's funeral.
Annabel stayed in her room until it was time for dinner but no one really ate too much. Everyone sat around the table in silence; Annabel picked at her food with her fork but only ate a few bites.
After everyone seemed assured that there was going to be no eating going on, Annabel's mother cleared the table and asked Annabel to help her wash the dishes. Annabel frowned; her mother only helped her wash the dishes when she wanted to talk about something.
As Annabel cleared the last of the dishes and the rest of her family left the dinning room, Annabel's mother uttered those words; "I need to talk to you about something."
Annabel grimaced as she joined her mother at the sink. "Now, Annabel, I need to talk to you about something very serous. And just listen to everything I have to say before you say anything. On the news there's been reports that you had a vision that theā¦." Annabel's mom began.
"Oh Jesus Mom." Annabel spat. Annabel, however, was more surprised to hear her mother talk about what had happened then angry; she was also afraid, afraid that now everyone would think she was some sort of a physic or a "freak".
"Annabel, listen to me. I just want to know if that's true." Her mother shut off the sink water and looked her daughter in the eye. "Is it true?" She asked.
Annabel didn't speak for several minutes because she didn't know how to answer her mother's question. Finally she said, "I really don't wanna talk about it."
Annabel started to leave the kitchen. "Annabel!" Her mother called after her but it was no use, Annabel was already halfway up the stairs to her room.
