Charlotte began to cry. Tess held her gently holding the living memory of
her sister. Alex sat Claire's lifeless body in his arms. The ambulance came
and went taking Claire's still body with them. Tess and Alex stood for more
than an hour bound by their grief. Alex began to pull himself together.
"Tell everyone what happened take Charlotte I couldn't bear it tonight" he
said quietly through a voice thick with suppressed emotion. Alex then got
to his feet and hopped slowly onto Hannibal.
He arrived home and tended to the horse. Nick grinned as him came in his
body still numb with the shock of loosing the one thing that made his life
worth living.
"Did ya date stand you up hey al?" asked Nick a stupid smile on his face.
"You have no idea do you? She was the one thing that made me tick made
every day seem all the brighter now she's been taken away I loved her and
will forever" Alex shouted his hatred of losing Claire pounding through his
veins.
"Hey take it easy mate what's up?" asked Nick suddenly loosing the grin and
looking concerned.
"Claire she's.. she's dead" said Alex breaking down into hopeless tears.
"Oh my god your kidding? Oh god that's awful is Charlotte okay?" said Nick
looking utterly mortified about teasing Alex. Alex leaned against the back
of the couch sobbing his heart out.
"She meant the world to me We had something that I could never have with
someone else it was beyond love" Alex said tears pouring down his face.....
Tess got home looking like a stunned mullet. "Hey Tess where ya been we've
had dinner" said Becky as Tess entered the room her normally cheerful face
white and shocked.
"What's wrong?" asked Meg taking one look at Tess and guiding her to the
couch. Tess broke out into violent sobs.
"Claire she had a car crash" said Tess through sobs the suppressed emotion
spilling over and taking control making her body shake.
"Is she okay Where? Tess darling tell me" said Meg.
"She died Meg she was beyond saving" cried Tess. "Oh my god.." said Meg
tears leaking out of her eyes. Becky sat slowly down on the couch. Jodi
stood transfixed in the door way with a bowl in her hand...
That night Alex couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in bed, trying to make himself comfortable but nothing seemed to be working. All he could think about was Claire. Could she see him or hear him somehow? Alex didn't believe in ghosts or spirits but he so desperately wished Claire were with him.
He tossed the bedcovers off and sat at the side of the bed with his face in his hands. He drew in a deep breath, held it, and let it out. Deep breathing usually helped him calm his nerves, but nothing could calm him now Claire was gone. Alex stood up and stumbled to the kitchen. He turned the light on but it was too bright on his sore and swollen eyes that he turned it off and sat at the table in the dark.
Tess was lying on her side with her arms huddled tight beneath her chest. She woke when she heard a noise, a scraping on the creaky floorboards. She clenched the pillow and whispered "Whose out there?" Tess was starting to freak out - she was alone now that Claire was gone, that huge house was all hers and she didn't like sleeping on her own. She sat up and hugged her knees, and then she saw Claire standing at the door in her blue, flannelette pyjamas. "Claire?" Tess was shocked. "Yea?" Claire said, half asleep. She seemed pretty real, and Tess started to wonder if she was just dreaming that Claire had been in a car accident. "What are you doing here?" "Oh, just getting a drink. Do you want one?" "No thanks" Said Tess. "Ok, well, see ya in the morning." "Goodnight" Tess lay back down on the pillow. She was so relieved - it was all a dream. She couldn't wait until the morning.
The next morning Tess woke to the sound of the usual birds singing and lambs calling. It had to be the perfect day. She put on her dressing gown and wandered down to breakfast, smiling. "Nice day isn't it?" She said to Meg who was cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast.
Meg put the pan down and went over to Tess, her eyes were swollen and Tess realised something was wrong. "Look Tess, I know it's hard, but you have to face reality, you cant pretend Claire's here forever. Don't force yourself to get over it, just let it out, Tess, let it out." Tess started to shake. "No! Where's Claire?" Then she remembered what happened yesterday - it wasn't a dream, she was only dreaming that Claire had appeared to her. She felt so stupid and they cried in each other's arms.
Alex didn't want to eat anything. He wasn't even hungry, or thirsty - he just wanted Claire. Nick came in teary-eyed but you could tell he was trying to be strong. "Want toast?" he asked tossing two pieces of stale bread into the toaster. "No." Alex mumbled like a grumpy teenager. "Cornflakes?" Alex didn't answer. "What do you want then?" "Claire. just Claire." Alex stood up and walked out. He decided that he had to pull himself together, and he would spend the day in the fields working to keep his mind of it, pretend it all didn't happen.
That night Alex couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in bed, trying to make himself comfortable but nothing seemed to be working. All he could think about was Claire. Could she see him or hear him somehow? Alex didn't believe in ghosts or spirits but he so desperately wished Claire were with him.
He tossed the bedcovers off and sat at the side of the bed with his face in his hands. He drew in a deep breath, held it, and let it out. Deep breathing usually helped him calm his nerves, but nothing could calm him now Claire was gone. Alex stood up and stumbled to the kitchen. He turned the light on but it was too bright on his sore and swollen eyes that he turned it off and sat at the table in the dark.
Tess was lying on her side with her arms huddled tight beneath her chest. She woke when she heard a noise, a scraping on the creaky floorboards. She clenched the pillow and whispered "Whose out there?" Tess was starting to freak out - she was alone now that Claire was gone, that huge house was all hers and she didn't like sleeping on her own. She sat up and hugged her knees, and then she saw Claire standing at the door in her blue, flannelette pyjamas. "Claire?" Tess was shocked. "Yea?" Claire said, half asleep. She seemed pretty real, and Tess started to wonder if she was just dreaming that Claire had been in a car accident. "What are you doing here?" "Oh, just getting a drink. Do you want one?" "No thanks" Said Tess. "Ok, well, see ya in the morning." "Goodnight" Tess lay back down on the pillow. She was so relieved - it was all a dream. She couldn't wait until the morning.
The next morning Tess woke to the sound of the usual birds singing and lambs calling. It had to be the perfect day. She put on her dressing gown and wandered down to breakfast, smiling. "Nice day isn't it?" She said to Meg who was cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast.
Meg put the pan down and went over to Tess, her eyes were swollen and Tess realised something was wrong. "Look Tess, I know it's hard, but you have to face reality, you cant pretend Claire's here forever. Don't force yourself to get over it, just let it out, Tess, let it out." Tess started to shake. "No! Where's Claire?" Then she remembered what happened yesterday - it wasn't a dream, she was only dreaming that Claire had appeared to her. She felt so stupid and they cried in each other's arms.
Alex didn't want to eat anything. He wasn't even hungry, or thirsty - he just wanted Claire. Nick came in teary-eyed but you could tell he was trying to be strong. "Want toast?" he asked tossing two pieces of stale bread into the toaster. "No." Alex mumbled like a grumpy teenager. "Cornflakes?" Alex didn't answer. "What do you want then?" "Claire. just Claire." Alex stood up and walked out. He decided that he had to pull himself together, and he would spend the day in the fields working to keep his mind of it, pretend it all didn't happen.