8-
Clotilde clasped her hands together and squealed in excitement “Poor Taylor! He must really have not liked that.”
“He was like ‘oh man! This can’t be happening!’ But then again, he lived… Zoe didn’t”
“Zac watch your sister.”
“Mom, she’s in the backyard, there’s nothing to watch. Anyways… she’s three, what’s she gonna to do?”
Diana sighed, it was Zoe’s birthday and she was making her a cake. All she needed was half an hour free of kids to finish.
“Please Zachary, I don’t have time for this alright? Just do me one favor and watch her for a bit.”
Zac glared at her and walked into the backyard. He’d smoke a cigarette and watch the baby.
Looking around for his sister, he cursed silently at himself for having to babysit. Realizing she wasn’t there, and the door leading to the street was open, he froze. Uh oh.
“Mom!” he ran into the kitchen, “Where’s Zoe? Mom she’s not there… the door is open… Mom where’s Zoe?”
Diana dropped her cookbook and ran into the backyard.
“Zoe” she called out, “Sweetie, where are you?”
She began to panic and ran into the garage.
“Zoe?? Zoe mommy’s got a cake for you.. “
They searched the house, they searched the neighbors’ houses, they searched the street.
Diana began to cry and lost complete control.
“ZAC WHERE IS SHE? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING HER… WHERE IS SHE?!”
Avery, Taylor, Jessica, and Isaac were home and by this time they had all assembled into the garage.
Diana didn’t know what to do. She looked over at her family in desperation and saw Zachary turn pale.
“The highway!” he gasped, and darted towards the street. A few minutes down the road he was there….
Crossing the intersection.
“Zoe!” he yelled and continued running.
She turned at the sounds of his screams and smiled.
“Zaccy.. it’s my birfday today!” he barely heard her chirp happily.
“Zaccy, today I’m three!” The cars zoomed by.
She began walking over to him, oblivious of the cars. Nothing could hurt her on this day, it was her day.
Zac was running at her in full speed. She crossed into another lane, realizing in horror that the driver on a cell phone was oblivious of the little girl with a white ribbon in her hair less than ten feet away from him. Finally, he looked up.
“Holy shit!!” the driver cursed.
A horn blasted, and the driver slammed on the brakes.
Zac felt his stomach turn as he ran.
It was too late. The car smashed into the child’s tiny body and killed her on impact. Zac was there three seconds later, and fell to the floor as he picked up his dead little sister.
“You’re okay…Zoe, you’re okay..”
The driver ran out of the car and felt her pulse.
He bowed his head and began to cry.
Zac looked back towards the direction of his house and then back at his little sister. He picked her up, and his arms were soaked in blood. He began to run.
As he reached his yard he collapsed onto the grass with his dead little sister in his arms.
“I didn’t watch her…”
The white ribbon on her head had turned red.
The last thing he heard before he blacked out was… this long wail. He realized it was coming from within him.
<< >>
-home-
