Dnaleri

Ch-14

True to her word, Heather’s mother and her father had protected her and nourished her back to health. When she’d found the courage, Rebecca had explained everything to them in a flood of tears and anguish. Heather had never left Rebecca’s side, giving the young girl support and security, and Rebecca felt warmth and joy in her life again, and she never wanted it to end.

Unfortunately, her evil past caught up to her.

Her father had gone on the run, having murdered four more women, including Colin’s mother, and left the community in fear. The police had discovered that he’d also had an accomplice, the one who’d staked out the homes for potential victims. One day, he happened upon Heather’s house, seeing that the girls and Heather’s mother were home alone. The accomplice had broken in, intent on retrieving Rebecca only to have three bullets put into him by Heather’s mother.

When the police came to Heather’s house, her parents told them the whole story, including Rebecca’s escape. The accomplice was arrested, but managed to escape, vanishing along with Rebecca’s father. The poor girl was left with horrible nightmares and constant anxiety to be left alone.

Heather’s parents took her under their wing, and they did everything they could to cure her of her nightmares. Therapists, hypnosis, everything they could think of, but nothing worked. This continued until destiny intervened again.

With Rebecca’s father and partner on the run and the threat still on Rebecca’s life, Witness Protection stepped in and planned to take her away. Heather and her family protested, saying that they could protect the little girl and would gladly do so. But their pleas were in vain. Rebecca was heart broken to have to lose yet another family and have to face the world alone. She didn’t know where she was going or who with, it was all a big scary mystery. At the airport, she and Heather said their final goodbyes and hugged each other until their arms went numb.

“Y-you won’t forget me?” Rebecca wept; not wanting to let her only family and friend go.

“I’ll never forget! I will find you when it’s safe, I promise with all my heart.” Heather said, tears streaming down her face.

*****************

All these years later, and the young woman could clearly remember the heartache. Though she was grateful to Penny for taking her in, Rebecca wondered what her life would have been like if she’d been allowed to stay with Heather’s family. She at least would have had one true friend to rely on, and not have been so lonely. Perhaps she wouldn’t be so timid and pathetic, a better half for Jacob as well.

“Rebecca, what’s wrong?” Jacob asked, worried. Rebecca turned to him in shock. “You’re crying.” He whipped away her tears gently.

“I…I was remembering.” Rebecca whispered softly, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “My old friend Heather.” Jacob waited patiently as she gained the composure to tell him the events that lead to her losing her best friend and family. She’d never talked about it, even with Penny, but with Jacob she felt she could tell him everything and he would make it better. When she finished, shedding a few more tears, he squeezed her cold fingers.

“Thank you for telling me.” He cooed. “How did this come up though?” Rebecca looked over at the girls again who were now joined by their parents just as another young woman approached, asking a question as she showed them a picture. The parents nodded and pointed over to where Rebecca and Jacob were and Rebecca instantly became pale as the remaining snow on the beach. He followed her gaze and saw that the woman was staring back, equally shocked. “Rebecca…?” he called, shaking her gently.

“H-Heather…” Rebecca squeaked. In an instant, the woman was running down the peer at the speed of light. Rebecca didn’t realize it until it was too late, as her body automatically jumped up out of her wheelchair. Her broken leg protested and crumpled just as Heather reached out and caught Rebecca, both bursting into happy tears.