Chapter Nine
Hear me
That evening, Angela had returned from her shift and was sitting in her bedroom looking at the photo of herself and Nigel at Fall Creek Falls.
All throughout her shift she couldn't help but think of the black bird creature that had saved her in the alleyway the previous night.
He had been concerned about walking home that night but luckily, she didn't have to work late and was able to return home when it was still daytime.
When she had arrived home, she had been bombarded by her concerned parents as they had also heard the news about the attacks she had learnt about back at the deli.
Flashback
Angela turned the key in the lock as she arrived back home.
"Mum? Dad? I'm back!"
"Angie?"
Her mother's voice was heard from the kitchen and Angela after removing her coat and dropping her bag as well as blow a kiss at her brother's picture followed her mother's voice.
"Hi mum!" Angela said, "You okay?"
Her mother who had been standing at the stove stirring in a large pot turned to face her daughter.
"Angie!" she said, her eyes were wide and scared and Angela almost took a step back.
"What's wrong mum?" she asked.
"Haven't you heard the news?" her mother asked as she pointed to a newspaper on the table "There's some crazy people here! A young man was attacked!"
Angela blinked then she realised what her mum was talking about.
"You mean that Neo Nazi kid?" she asked "Yeah! Tamsin brought the paper into work today and it's all over the news! That he was tortured and strung up in a tree!"
"It wasn't far from here Angie!" her mother said in a scared voice "There are crazy people out there and I'm worried about you going out there alone!"
"Janet!" Angela looked over to see her father walk in "Please calm down!"
"Joseph!" Angela's mother looked over "This is serious, some crazy people are out there, and I fear for our daughter's safety!"
"Mum…" Angela said but Janet just kept talking about the attack on the young man and how anyone could be next.
"They even wrote a note in blood saying, 'You're Next!'! and posted it to that family!" Janet continued to wail, until Joseph walked over and took her hands.
"Honey! Honey calm down!" he said, "Just breathe, okay?"
Angela stood still and quiet.
"If we both can agree, these people, whoever they are, they attacked certain groups, the Neo Nazi family they attacked a few days ago in the neighbouring town, and of course there was the Straight Truths Baptist Church, and this lad they attacked was part of the Neo Nazi Family outside Spencer."
Janet stared at her husband, but she seemed to calm down as she listened.
"Think about it Janet." Joseph said, "These people seem to want to attack these Neo Nazi's or any hate group at the moment, rather than just anyone they cross."
"But I'm still concerned!" Janet continued "And after what happened to Nigel, I fear for our daughter!"
As she spoke Nigel's name, Angela swallowed hard, and she saw her mother start to cry softly to which Joseph held her close.
"I know honey." He soothed "I know…."
Janet leaned into her husband and sobbed softly, and Angela lowered her head.
Joseph looked over to Angela.
"Why don't you go and change and relax for a bit? I'll call you when dinner's ready?"
"Okay dad." Angela replied and she turned from the kitchen to go to her room.
End Flashback
Angela sighed.
During the meal, her mother had said that she (Angela) shouldn't go to work alone and that she or her father would drive her, but Joseph said that it didn't need to be that extreme, but that if Angela was working late that he would collect her from work if needed and Angela agreed.
The conversation also brought back the memories of the raven like creature she had seen save her from the mugger and she thought about the attacks on the Neo Nazi's and the Straight Truths Baptist church in Chicago.
She had been aware that the attacks had involved people wearing animal costumes and one of them had been described as a large black bird, and she couldn't help but feel that who or rather what she had seen was the very one.
She felt torn as well as alone, and she had wanted to speak up about it, but she couldn't as she felt no-one would believe her.
She never mentioned it to anyone at work, and neither her parents, after the reaction her mother had at what she read about the recent attacks, she didn't want to cause her more distress.
She almost felt like texting Solomon what she had seen, but even there she hesitated as she wasn't sure he would believe her either.
He had messaged her earlier saying he had heard about the attacks and that he felt karma had come for the young man and she couldn't blame him especially since he had been one of the young men who had harassed his family because they were Jews.
Resting back on her pillow, Angela looked at the photo of her and Nigel.
"I wish you were here." She said, "There's so much I wish I could tell you, after all that happened tonight, I know what I saw, but I'm too scared to tell, no-one will believe me." A couple of tears fell as she thought back to the memories she had of Nigel and how he comforted and listened to her when she needed to speak out.
Flashback
A ten-year-old Angela lay on her bed hugging a teddy bear as she cried.
It had been a difficult day at school, first, she hadn't slept well the night before, then she had to go to school tired, then she had been pestered by a couple of her peers as well as got told off by a couple of teachers, and by the end of the day she felt she couldn't take it anymore and decided to lock herself in her room.
She didn't know how long she had been laying there when she heard a knock on her door.
"Little sister?"
She looked up alone as she heard the voice of her older brother.
"Nigel?" she asked.
"Yeah!" Nigel called through the door "Can I come in?"
Angela quickly wiped her eyes and nodded before calling: "Sure! Come in!"
The door opened and she saw her older brother come in, a tall young man with a kind smile and wearing an air force uniform having just come off duty at the local Airfield.
"Hey Angie!" he smiled and walked over and sat on the bed then he looked at her face.
"Awww, what's with the tears kiddo?"
Angela sniffed and looked down.
"Awww, come on squirt!" her brother coaxed "You know you can talk to me about anything?"
Angela looked up at her twenty-two-year-old brother who smiled down at her.
Even though he was twelve years older than her, he was the most affectionate and protective brother she could ask for and he had been there for her since the day she was born, and always took care of her, whether it was holding her hands when she learnt to walk, helped her learn to talk, made her laugh when she felt sad, played with her, and took care of her when their parents weren't around.
Taking a breath, Angela told him about her difficult day at school and before long she broke down and she lay on his lap and her stroked her hair comfortingly.
"Awww baby sis!" she heard him speak "I'm so sorry, we all have bad days, but we need to be strong and believe in a better tomorrow, but when times are dark, remember I'm always there for you."
Angela cried softly, but she felt comfort in Nigel's words as he spoke, and she rolled over and looked up at him.
"Will you always be there for me Nigel?" she asked.
"Of course, I will!" Nigel winked as he pulled Angela up to face him "You're my little sister and I intend to keep you safe!"
He scooped Angela into his arms.
"Come here you!" he said playfully and squeezed her so tightly Angela couldn't help but smile.
"Remember kiddo!" Nigel said "I'm always here if you need me! And as it's almost the weekend, how about we have a picnic at our favourite spot at Fall Creek Falls and we can talk some more eh?"
Hearing that Angela looked up at him.
"I'd love that very much!" she said with a smile.
"Then it's a date!" Nigel winked.
End Flashback
"Angie?"
Angela almost jumped out of her skin as she heard her mother's voice on the other side bringing her out of her daydream.
"Huh? Mum?" she asked.
"Are you alright? Who are you talking to?"
"No-one!" Angela called back.
"May I come in?" her mother called.
"Sure!" Angela answered and the door opened, and her mother walked in.
"Hey sweetie." She said as she approached and sat on Angela's bed, and she caught sight of the photo in her daughter's hand, and she sighed.
"I know honey, I miss him too." She lifted a hand to her face to wipe a tear away.
"I wish he was with us now mum." Angela said, "I wanted to talk to him about those people who attacked the Neo Nazis."
Her mother nodded.
"I'm sure." She said, "And I have to say, along with your father, no doubt they deserved what they got, but we must be careful, who's to say they might not attack anyone in their way?"
"What would Nigel say about these people?" Angela asked, "The ones attacking those haters?"
Janet sighed.
"I don't know sweetie." She said, "But as long as I had known your brother, he was a man who respected all, no matter where they came from or what religion they followed, but he hated bullies, so I suppose he may have supported these crazy people attacking the Neo Nazis, but at the same time, we would have preferred a different way around it."
Janet sighed again.
"I suppose we will never know honey, but if he were here, he would want to make sure you were safe, so until this matter with these crazy people is taken care of, please let myself or your father pick you up from work if you're working the late shift? Please?"
Angela sighed.
"Okay mum." She said, "If it makes you feel alright?"
"Thank you, baby." Janet said, "After Nigel's death, and you're all we have…."
"I understand mum." Angela replied, "But I promise you, I'll be okay."
Janet smiled softly.
"Thank you honey." She said and she kissed Angela's cheek "Goodnight baby." She stood up and left the room and Angela lay back on her bed.
She didn't have work tomorrow, so she decided to take the chance to go to Fall Creek Falls for a solo picnic and reflect.
"I think I need a chance to think, after all I went through last night." She spoke to the photograph "And I feel the need to talk to you, and at the place I felt close to you."
She lifted the covers of her bed and snuggled down and placed the photo under her pillow.
"Goodnight Nigel." She whispered, "I love you…. I miss you…"
Poor Angela, she feels alone and wishes she could talk to someone, and the one who could listen to her without judging is Nigel who is no longer with her.