Chapter 7: Bob's Return to the Living.

"Helga you have a phone call" Arnold told her. She got up and walked to the phone. (duh of course she walked, its not like she can fly or nething! I'm such a nit sometimes)

"Hello?" she asked. Arnold stood on the side and watched as all the color drained from helgas face and her mouth drop. "What do you mean you cant find her!? Where is she?" she screamed into the receiver. She listened then slammed the phone down. "My mother left the hospital! Can you believe that? Not only that but they have supplies missing! Drugs, she stole drugs! Not even her own drugs for crying out loud!" she screamed. Arnold stood back from her. He hadnt seen this kind of outburst since . . . well it had been a long time . . .

"Where do they think she's gone?" he asked. Helga glared at him a moment. He took a step back.

"They don't know" she said her face changing into a thoughtful frown. "But I think I might" she told him. "Grab a coat, we're going to the cemetary" she declared. Arnold grabbed his coat and they were off.

When they arrived there were police enerywhere. "Wonder what happened?" Arnold asked. Helga's throat tightened as she realised where the police were exactly. They walked that way. They were at Bob's grave. "- just dug him up and moved the body, broke the coffin clasps too" they heard a guy telling the police.

"Excuse me" they heard someone behind them say. They turned. "You shouldnt be in this area. That's why we have the tape" the policeman said pointing at it.

"This is my fathers grave. I have more right to be here than you do" Helga snapped. The policeman looked at her a moment.

"Was your fathers grave" he told her. He's not there anymore" he said. Helga looked at him. Was he kidding? How does a dead person leave his grave? She thought. Then realised. Miriam.

"Helga are you okay?" Arnold asked. She looked at him. Why did she suddenly fell like laughing? Miriam had come and dug Bob up! And taken his body away! She turned and hurried from the site. There was nothing funny about it! Yet she felt like laughing. She had done this once before, after everything had first started. She had managed to collapse in hysterical laughter, and crawl to the stairs from her room and slid down them. Miriam had thought she was drunk, and had gone to check her "secret" stash in the back of the pantry. Bob had gone to check his beer. But they both came back and declared that nothing was missing. It had made her laugh harder and harder until she couldn't breath and she had passed out! (note: that can happen! I have done that before and all I had to drink was three cans of coke (as in cola...the drink) it was so funny. Oh and lots of lollies and sugar...) she had woken up in hospital. She fell to the ground. And a giggle raised in her throat. She tried swallowing but it hurt. "Helga are you okay?" Arnold asked again kneeling beside her. She looked at his concerned face. That was it. She giggled then laughed. Arnold moved away from her a bit.

"She ... sh sh sheeeee...stole hi hihi his bod bod bodeeeeeeeeeeee" she said through laughter. She laughed harder.

"Why are you laughing Helga. It's not funny its a serious offence" Arnold said. His tone made hr laugh more. She couldn't stop. Her stomach was cramping but she kept right on laughing. She finally had a break.

"I know its not funny" she said seriously. The she laughed again.

"I think we better go home" Arnold said. He picked her up and she reduced her laughing to extensive giggling. She just would not shut-up. Half way home she stopped laughing suddenly and then started to cry. Arnold looked at her again. What was wrong with her? First she's laughing like there's no to-bloody-morrow then she's bawling.

"How are you feeling Eleanor?" Arnold's grandma asked coming in. Helga looked at her. She still couldn't believe she had lost it at the cemetary, then in the bus!

"Fine" she said quietly. Arnold had got her back to the bording house in one piece, but it was a near thing. She almost walked out in front of a car, twice! And tripped coming up the stairs. Arnold had practically carried her up them to her room. He had helped her into bed then told her he would get her something to drink. He hadn't come back. Not that Helga could blame him. She doubted she would have to!

"That's good. Arnold just got back. He has got some information for you regarding your mother's dissapearance and your fathers body snatching" she said stroking her hair back. "I wish I had had a daughter" she said suddenly, sighing. She got up and left.

"Well they suspect your mom" Arnold said walking in. Helga opened her eyes. Well look who had come back.

"Big suprise" Helga muttered. She was fed up with it. She had kept so much anger back, swalloed it and swallowed it till it felt like it was eating her insides. Why should she be nice and polite all the time? Life was a bitch. Why couldn't she be a bitch back?

"You wouldn't by any chance know where she would be would you?" Arnold asked.

"I'm tired Arnold. The last thing I feel like doing is thinking" she said. Though she had a fair Idea where she would be. "Home probably" she said.

"No" Arnold said shaking his head. "They checked there" he said. Helga looked at him. They had checked? Already? And Miriam wasn't there with the body. She smiled. How quickly she had thought of her father as "the body". "Are you going to start laughing again?" Arnold asked backing towards the door.

"No"

"Oh. Good. I never knew anyone could laugh that much" he said thoughtfully.

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