The Unsuspecting Victim, chapter 3
Tre didn't want to believe what he was seeing. He quickly turned around and headed for the door. Mike stood there staring while Adrienne ran after Tre.
"Please," plead Adie. "Just believe. For Billie Joe's sake," she said.
"Billie Joe is dead!" cried Tre, letting his tears flow freely. "It's my mind playing tricks on me," he said stalking back to the hospital room.
"Leave him," said Mike. Adrienne nodded in agreement.
As Tre entered the hospital room he stared at his friend, lying lifeless on the bed.
"I'll miss you," he said, placing his hand in Billie Joe's and squeezing it. Billie Joe was becoming cold and very pale in and his lips were a pale blue in color. Tre placed his head next to his friend's and within a few minutes he drifted off to sleep.
"I believe in you," said Mike.
"Thank you," said Billie.
He gave Mike one of his heartwarming smiles which made Mike choke up with tears. Billie Joe turned around and sat back down next to Andy. Adrienne wanted to go up to her husband and give him an almighty hug. But of course she couldn't. She started crying fresh tears and grasped Mike.
"Who d-did this?" sobbed Adrienne.
"I can find out," said Billie before Mike had time to answer.
"Why didn't you do it before then?" asked Mike.
"Because I was stuck at the hospital with you guys. Duh," said Billie.
"Don't be cocky Billie," laughed Andy.
"Anyway, how do we find out?" asked Adie, breaking up the conversation with the three men. Billie Joe didn't answer. He drew one big breath and stared at the floor.
"What are you doing?" questioned Mike.
"Shhhh," said Andy. "He needs to concentrate."
Billie lurched his head backwards and closed his eyes. He drew bigger and bigger breaths before eventually falling to the floor.
"Billie!" screeched Adrienne.
"You okay?" asked Andy crouching down by his son.
"Ouch," exclaimed Billie. "I never knew that hurt your head so much."
Billie smiled at Adie which made her cry even more.
"I'm sorry for leaving you both," apologized Billie to Adie and Mike.
"You know it w-wasn't your fault," stuttered Mike through tears. "Who d-did it?" he asked.
"You really want to know?" asked Billie.
"Yeah," said Adie. "Yeah we do."
"You'll be a bit shocked," said Billie.
"Just tell us already," said Andy.
"John Kiffmeyer," said Billie.
"W-what!?" asked Adie outraged.
"You heard me," said Billie. "But now I've done my job, I've gotta go," he said.
"Go where?" asked Adie worriedly.
"You won't see me again unless it is an absolute emergency. But don't worry cause I'll always be here. I'll always be watching you," he said.
"Please B-Billie, don't leave," cried Adie harder than ever.
"B-Bill," said Mike. But it was too late. Billie Joe faded into the distance.
"Billie," cried Adie dropping to her knees.
"I'm still here baby," said Billie placing his hand on her shoulder. Even though she couldn't hear him she could still feel his soft touch.
"Bye bye sweetie," she murmured.
"Bye bye."
Adrienne headed towards Joseph and Jakob and when they saw her tear stained face they knew this wasn't going to be good.
"Mom," said Joseph. "What's wrong with Dad? I know it's something to do with him because whenever we mention him to Gran she starts crying."
Adrienne tried not to make eye contact with the boys. Tears were now flowing down her face and she was trying desperately to wipe them away.
"Is Daddy alright?" asked Jakob who was clutching a teddy.
"Joseph, can I speak to you alone?" asked Adie. Joseph nodded his head and a nurse bundled Jake out of the room.
"Joseph. Promise not to t-tell your brother th-this because he won't understand," Adie stuttered.
"I promise," said Joseph, who knew something was terribly wrong because Adie kept turning away to wipe away free-falling tears.
"How c-can I put this Joe. Joseph....." Adrienne started to cry.
"Mom, Dad is....." Joseph paused. "Dad is d-dead isn't he?" Joseph cried.
Adrienne nodded. She embraced her son in her arms as they cried their eyes out.
"Be brave. For your father," said Adrienne.
"I will," said Joe.
Adrienne tossed and turned in bed expecting to feel Billie Joe by her side, but nothing was there. It was just like when he was on tour except this time he wasn't coming home. All evening, the only thing that had been on the news was Billie Joe's death. Billie Joe's funeral was to be held in a week's time and then after that he was going to be cremated. He wanted his spirit set free. Adrienne let out a new flood of tears. She hadn't wanted to leave him at the hospital on his own but the police had to run tests on his body. She didn't like the thought of that. Strangers touching Billie Joe, her Billie Joe.
She glanced at her watch; the time was 2 am and she couldn't get to sleep. She switched on the lamp and reached for her sleeping tablets. She took two out and placed them on her tongue. She grabbed a glass of water and swallowed the pills down.
"Why you?" sobbed Adie. "Why you?"
She didn't know that Billie Joe was actually sitting next to her. He closed his eyes even though he couldn't go to sleep now that he was a ghost.
The door burst open and Jakob came flying in. He ran up to Adie and jumped onto the part of the bed where Billie Joe was lying. This made Billie transport to the other side of Adie. Adrienne wrapped her arms around her son. She wiped away his tears and kissed him on the cheek. She lay there with him until she heard him softly snoring. Then she got out of bed, careful not to wake Jake up.
She walked out of the bedroom and headed down the stairs to make a coffee. Adrienne thought about what Billie Joe had said. John killed him. Was it true? And did she even see Billie Joe or was it a fantasy she had made up to make her feel better?
She thought for a moment and then she remembered something. Mike and Tre had seen Billie's ghost too. Tre didn't want to believe it, but he still saw him.
Adrienne rushed out of the kitchen and headed for the phone. She dialed Mike's number and waited for a reply. She was just about to hang up when surprisingly, he answered. "H-hello," he said.
"M-mike, it's Adie," answered Adrienne.
"Oh, hi. W-what do you want?" he stuttered. He tried to hide his tears but he just couldn't.
"We need to talk," said Adrienne.
"Okay. But w-what about?" he said. At the mention of that name, Mike broke out in fits of tears. Adrienne tried not to but eventually she too broke out in raspy sobs.
"J-just come over m-my house," she said.
Mike didn't answer, he just hung up. Adrienne headed towards the TV and switched it on. MTV appeared on the screen and Adrienne let out a small smile when she heard a familiar voice.
"Billie," she whispered.
She sat down on the sofa, taking in the soft, emotional sounds of Wake Me Up When September Ends before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.
"Please," plead Adie. "Just believe. For Billie Joe's sake," she said.
"Billie Joe is dead!" cried Tre, letting his tears flow freely. "It's my mind playing tricks on me," he said stalking back to the hospital room.
"Leave him," said Mike. Adrienne nodded in agreement.
As Tre entered the hospital room he stared at his friend, lying lifeless on the bed.
"I'll miss you," he said, placing his hand in Billie Joe's and squeezing it. Billie Joe was becoming cold and very pale in and his lips were a pale blue in color. Tre placed his head next to his friend's and within a few minutes he drifted off to sleep.
"I believe in you," said Mike.
"Thank you," said Billie.
He gave Mike one of his heartwarming smiles which made Mike choke up with tears. Billie Joe turned around and sat back down next to Andy. Adrienne wanted to go up to her husband and give him an almighty hug. But of course she couldn't. She started crying fresh tears and grasped Mike.
"Who d-did this?" sobbed Adrienne.
"I can find out," said Billie before Mike had time to answer.
"Why didn't you do it before then?" asked Mike.
"Because I was stuck at the hospital with you guys. Duh," said Billie.
"Don't be cocky Billie," laughed Andy.
"Anyway, how do we find out?" asked Adie, breaking up the conversation with the three men. Billie Joe didn't answer. He drew one big breath and stared at the floor.
"What are you doing?" questioned Mike.
"Shhhh," said Andy. "He needs to concentrate."
Billie lurched his head backwards and closed his eyes. He drew bigger and bigger breaths before eventually falling to the floor.
"Billie!" screeched Adrienne.
"You okay?" asked Andy crouching down by his son.
"Ouch," exclaimed Billie. "I never knew that hurt your head so much."
Billie smiled at Adie which made her cry even more.
"I'm sorry for leaving you both," apologized Billie to Adie and Mike.
"You know it w-wasn't your fault," stuttered Mike through tears. "Who d-did it?" he asked.
"You really want to know?" asked Billie.
"Yeah," said Adie. "Yeah we do."
"You'll be a bit shocked," said Billie.
"Just tell us already," said Andy.
"John Kiffmeyer," said Billie.
"W-what!?" asked Adie outraged.
"You heard me," said Billie. "But now I've done my job, I've gotta go," he said.
"Go where?" asked Adie worriedly.
"You won't see me again unless it is an absolute emergency. But don't worry cause I'll always be here. I'll always be watching you," he said.
"Please B-Billie, don't leave," cried Adie harder than ever.
"B-Bill," said Mike. But it was too late. Billie Joe faded into the distance.
"Billie," cried Adie dropping to her knees.
"I'm still here baby," said Billie placing his hand on her shoulder. Even though she couldn't hear him she could still feel his soft touch.
"Bye bye sweetie," she murmured.
"Bye bye."
Adrienne headed towards Joseph and Jakob and when they saw her tear stained face they knew this wasn't going to be good.
"Mom," said Joseph. "What's wrong with Dad? I know it's something to do with him because whenever we mention him to Gran she starts crying."
Adrienne tried not to make eye contact with the boys. Tears were now flowing down her face and she was trying desperately to wipe them away.
"Is Daddy alright?" asked Jakob who was clutching a teddy.
"Joseph, can I speak to you alone?" asked Adie. Joseph nodded his head and a nurse bundled Jake out of the room.
"Joseph. Promise not to t-tell your brother th-this because he won't understand," Adie stuttered.
"I promise," said Joseph, who knew something was terribly wrong because Adie kept turning away to wipe away free-falling tears.
"How c-can I put this Joe. Joseph....." Adrienne started to cry.
"Mom, Dad is....." Joseph paused. "Dad is d-dead isn't he?" Joseph cried.
Adrienne nodded. She embraced her son in her arms as they cried their eyes out.
"Be brave. For your father," said Adrienne.
"I will," said Joe.
Adrienne tossed and turned in bed expecting to feel Billie Joe by her side, but nothing was there. It was just like when he was on tour except this time he wasn't coming home. All evening, the only thing that had been on the news was Billie Joe's death. Billie Joe's funeral was to be held in a week's time and then after that he was going to be cremated. He wanted his spirit set free. Adrienne let out a new flood of tears. She hadn't wanted to leave him at the hospital on his own but the police had to run tests on his body. She didn't like the thought of that. Strangers touching Billie Joe, her Billie Joe.
She glanced at her watch; the time was 2 am and she couldn't get to sleep. She switched on the lamp and reached for her sleeping tablets. She took two out and placed them on her tongue. She grabbed a glass of water and swallowed the pills down.
"Why you?" sobbed Adie. "Why you?"
She didn't know that Billie Joe was actually sitting next to her. He closed his eyes even though he couldn't go to sleep now that he was a ghost.
The door burst open and Jakob came flying in. He ran up to Adie and jumped onto the part of the bed where Billie Joe was lying. This made Billie transport to the other side of Adie. Adrienne wrapped her arms around her son. She wiped away his tears and kissed him on the cheek. She lay there with him until she heard him softly snoring. Then she got out of bed, careful not to wake Jake up.
She walked out of the bedroom and headed down the stairs to make a coffee. Adrienne thought about what Billie Joe had said. John killed him. Was it true? And did she even see Billie Joe or was it a fantasy she had made up to make her feel better?
She thought for a moment and then she remembered something. Mike and Tre had seen Billie's ghost too. Tre didn't want to believe it, but he still saw him.
Adrienne rushed out of the kitchen and headed for the phone. She dialed Mike's number and waited for a reply. She was just about to hang up when surprisingly, he answered. "H-hello," he said.
"M-mike, it's Adie," answered Adrienne.
"Oh, hi. W-what do you want?" he stuttered. He tried to hide his tears but he just couldn't.
"We need to talk," said Adrienne.
"Okay. But w-what about?" he said. At the mention of that name, Mike broke out in fits of tears. Adrienne tried not to but eventually she too broke out in raspy sobs.
"J-just come over m-my house," she said.
Mike didn't answer, he just hung up. Adrienne headed towards the TV and switched it on. MTV appeared on the screen and Adrienne let out a small smile when she heard a familiar voice.
"Billie," she whispered.
She sat down on the sofa, taking in the soft, emotional sounds of Wake Me Up When September Ends before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.
Previous | Page 3/3
