Are You Afraid Of The Dark?, chapter 10
"NO!" Billie Joe cried desperately. Jane fell to the floor clutching her stomach.
"Hey Jane, remember telling me the most painful way to die was to get shot in the stomach? Remember that from the Da Vinci code? What does it feel like Jane? What does it feel like knowing you're going to die? Oh and what's that crappy song you're always listening to? Don't the words go something like 'what's life like bleeding on the floor?' How very apt. Don't you think it's funny Jane, you die in front of the people who you loved since you were seventeen. That was eleven years ago Jane. Isn't it funny how life turns out?"
"You bitch!" Billie screamed. "How can you do that to your own fucking sister who's looked after you for years? How can you?" He struggled against the ropes that were binding him to the chair and she cackled like a witch.
"I'll tell you how I can do it Silly Joe, it's because my conscience died a long time ago."
"Jay, can you hear me? Jay say something, please," Billie Joe pleaded, tears filling up in the corners of his eyes. Jane reached out and pulled at the ropes binding his legs with one arm, the other clutching her stomach.
"It hurts Billie... " she whispered, "it really hurts," she tried pulling the ropes once again and shifted positions, making her cry out in pain.
"Come on Jay, hold on, please hold on." Sarah stood watching the scene, her eyes glinting with perverse joy.
"Jay Jay's gonna die, Jay Jay's gonna die," she sang childishly. "Sarah's gonna get ya, Sarah's gonna get ya!" she shrieked with laughter and dropped the gun onto the floor, sitting down on the sofa. "I'll enjoy this, I'm going to jail anyway, those bozo's are gonna report me without a doubt so you know, might as well go in for something good. Might as well be remembered. Even if it's just as that girl who kidnapped that dick head band and killed her sister. Still, it's something to put on my CV now isn't it?"
"Don't listen to her Jay, you're gonna make it, don't give up, don't give up, please... "
"We're going in there." Mike said solemnly. "We have to. We don't know who's hurt. Let's hope it's Sarah."
"Why would Billie scream no for Sarah?" Tré asked.
"Shut up Tré!" Mike snapped as they jogged towards the house. They got inside and opened the basement door. They jogged down the steps to see Sarah sitting on the sofa with a demented smile on her face. There was a gun laying a few feet away from her. Mike rushed forward and grabbed the gun, pointing it at Sarah.
"Tré! Un-fucking-tie me!" Billie yelled desperately. Tré ran over to him and yelled at the sight of Jane on the floor. He hadn't noticed her until now. Mike turned around briefly and saw her.
"Fuck... " he muttered. When Tré had untied Billie Joe, he ran to get the phone while Billie took care of Jane.
"We need an ambulance, real quick. Our friend, she's been shot! I can't fucking calm down! The address? I don't know what the address is! Jay what's the address?" Tré was practically yelling down the phone.
"223... 223... " her breathing was becoming rapid and she was having trouble speaking. Tré could hardly hear her. He rounded on Sarah.
"What's the address of this place?" he demanded.
"Why should I tell you?" she asked. Mike walked over to her and grabbed her round the neck pointing the gun to her head.
"This is why you should tell us," he said.
"223... Belmont Avenue," she croaked. His grip around her neck was tight and she was struggling for breath. He let go of her and kept the gun pointed at her. Tré finished talking to the emergency services and disconnected the call. He turned around to see Billie Joe kneeling on the floor. He'd pulled Jane towards him so her back was resting against his knees and he had his arms around her.
"Come on Jay, the ambulance'll be here soon. Just hang on yeah? Hang on," there were tears rolling down his cheeks and Jane took his hand in hers and squeezed it.
"It hurts Billie... " she whispered, "it hurts so much."
"Doesn't it make you sick?" Sarah said loudly. "Just hurry up and fucking die Jay!" Billie Joe stiffened and turned to look at Sarah, pure rage evident in his eyes.
"Bill, just ignore her, don't listen to her," Billie Joe ignored Mike, got out from under Jane, making sure she was as comfortable as she could be on the floor, and walked over to Sarah angrily.
"You fucking bitch!" he backhanded her and she yelled in shock and pain.
"Billie no!!!" Tré yelled. "I want to hurt her just as much as you but you can't! Not now! Jay needs you! Think about Jay!" Billie turned away from Sarah and made to walk away. He clipped her shin with the back of his foot and she yelped.
"I'll go wait for the ambulance," Tré said quietly. Billie Joe sat down next to Jay and shifted her so she was lying more comfortably. He looked at the place where she'd been hit and her once white t-shirt had a dark circle of red steadily growing outwards from her stomach. Billie bit his lip and looked down at Jane.
"I'm not gonna die am I? I won't will I Billie? Promise me... "
"You won't, I promise. Especially not if I have anything to do with it."
"Oh quit fucking lying! You know as well as I do Jane that it takes fifteen minutes for you to die once you've been shot in the stomach! The acids in your stomach burn you from the inside out. It's even better than reading about it... you know, watching it first hand." Jane grabbed Billie Joe's hand quickly and squeezed it tight.
"I'm scared Billie. She's right. I'm gonna die aren't I? I'm scared."
"No, no you're not gonna die. Just hold on a little longer. Come on Jay, please."
"She's right though Billie, it does only take fifteen minutes, it's what it said in the story!"
"But that's exactly what it is! It's a story! Come on babe, you're not gonna die, I'll make sure of it. "
"Don't... "
"What?"
"Don't make promises you can't keep." Billie Joe pulled her tighter to him and tears rolled down his cheeks as he held onto her in silence.
"Ah fuck! This is getting too much! I'm outta here... " Sarah disgustedly as she watched Billie Joe's behaviour. She got up but the gun that Mike was pointing at her clicked. It was loaded.
"Sit, the fuck, down," he said calmly. Sarah gulped and sat down, eyes staring widely at the gun. He glanced up the stairs quickly, keeping one eye on Sarah. "Why is this ambulance taking so long?" he cried frustratedly. Right on cue Tré appeared at the top of the stairs followed by three paramedics. Their eyes widened at the sight of Mike pointing the gun at Sarah.
"It's ok; she's the bitch that shot Jay. Now quit fucking staring and help Jay!" The paramedics burst into action and mended Jane up as best they could, just so she could hold on long enough to reach the hospital.
"Hey Jay? You fancy going on a helicopter?" one of the paramedics asked.
"Yeah... " Jay said quietly.
"You wanna come with?" another paramedic asked the tearful Billie Joe. He nodded solemnly and followed them up the stairs and into the helicopter.
"And now we wait for the cops... "
"How long ago did you call them?"
"Just after the ambulance... "
"Should be here soon."
"Hold on Jay, we're almost there. We're almost there, you're gonna be ok," Billie Joe whispered quietly to Jane.
"Billie... I... I feel... so tired... so so tired... " she shut her eyes and her grip on Billie's hand ceased.
"Hey Jane, remember telling me the most painful way to die was to get shot in the stomach? Remember that from the Da Vinci code? What does it feel like Jane? What does it feel like knowing you're going to die? Oh and what's that crappy song you're always listening to? Don't the words go something like 'what's life like bleeding on the floor?' How very apt. Don't you think it's funny Jane, you die in front of the people who you loved since you were seventeen. That was eleven years ago Jane. Isn't it funny how life turns out?"
"You bitch!" Billie screamed. "How can you do that to your own fucking sister who's looked after you for years? How can you?" He struggled against the ropes that were binding him to the chair and she cackled like a witch.
"I'll tell you how I can do it Silly Joe, it's because my conscience died a long time ago."
"Jay, can you hear me? Jay say something, please," Billie Joe pleaded, tears filling up in the corners of his eyes. Jane reached out and pulled at the ropes binding his legs with one arm, the other clutching her stomach.
"It hurts Billie... " she whispered, "it really hurts," she tried pulling the ropes once again and shifted positions, making her cry out in pain.
"Come on Jay, hold on, please hold on." Sarah stood watching the scene, her eyes glinting with perverse joy.
"Jay Jay's gonna die, Jay Jay's gonna die," she sang childishly. "Sarah's gonna get ya, Sarah's gonna get ya!" she shrieked with laughter and dropped the gun onto the floor, sitting down on the sofa. "I'll enjoy this, I'm going to jail anyway, those bozo's are gonna report me without a doubt so you know, might as well go in for something good. Might as well be remembered. Even if it's just as that girl who kidnapped that dick head band and killed her sister. Still, it's something to put on my CV now isn't it?"
"Don't listen to her Jay, you're gonna make it, don't give up, don't give up, please... "
"We're going in there." Mike said solemnly. "We have to. We don't know who's hurt. Let's hope it's Sarah."
"Why would Billie scream no for Sarah?" Tré asked.
"Shut up Tré!" Mike snapped as they jogged towards the house. They got inside and opened the basement door. They jogged down the steps to see Sarah sitting on the sofa with a demented smile on her face. There was a gun laying a few feet away from her. Mike rushed forward and grabbed the gun, pointing it at Sarah.
"Tré! Un-fucking-tie me!" Billie yelled desperately. Tré ran over to him and yelled at the sight of Jane on the floor. He hadn't noticed her until now. Mike turned around briefly and saw her.
"Fuck... " he muttered. When Tré had untied Billie Joe, he ran to get the phone while Billie took care of Jane.
"We need an ambulance, real quick. Our friend, she's been shot! I can't fucking calm down! The address? I don't know what the address is! Jay what's the address?" Tré was practically yelling down the phone.
"223... 223... " her breathing was becoming rapid and she was having trouble speaking. Tré could hardly hear her. He rounded on Sarah.
"What's the address of this place?" he demanded.
"Why should I tell you?" she asked. Mike walked over to her and grabbed her round the neck pointing the gun to her head.
"This is why you should tell us," he said.
"223... Belmont Avenue," she croaked. His grip around her neck was tight and she was struggling for breath. He let go of her and kept the gun pointed at her. Tré finished talking to the emergency services and disconnected the call. He turned around to see Billie Joe kneeling on the floor. He'd pulled Jane towards him so her back was resting against his knees and he had his arms around her.
"Come on Jay, the ambulance'll be here soon. Just hang on yeah? Hang on," there were tears rolling down his cheeks and Jane took his hand in hers and squeezed it.
"It hurts Billie... " she whispered, "it hurts so much."
"Doesn't it make you sick?" Sarah said loudly. "Just hurry up and fucking die Jay!" Billie Joe stiffened and turned to look at Sarah, pure rage evident in his eyes.
"Bill, just ignore her, don't listen to her," Billie Joe ignored Mike, got out from under Jane, making sure she was as comfortable as she could be on the floor, and walked over to Sarah angrily.
"You fucking bitch!" he backhanded her and she yelled in shock and pain.
"Billie no!!!" Tré yelled. "I want to hurt her just as much as you but you can't! Not now! Jay needs you! Think about Jay!" Billie turned away from Sarah and made to walk away. He clipped her shin with the back of his foot and she yelped.
"I'll go wait for the ambulance," Tré said quietly. Billie Joe sat down next to Jay and shifted her so she was lying more comfortably. He looked at the place where she'd been hit and her once white t-shirt had a dark circle of red steadily growing outwards from her stomach. Billie bit his lip and looked down at Jane.
"I'm not gonna die am I? I won't will I Billie? Promise me... "
"You won't, I promise. Especially not if I have anything to do with it."
"Oh quit fucking lying! You know as well as I do Jane that it takes fifteen minutes for you to die once you've been shot in the stomach! The acids in your stomach burn you from the inside out. It's even better than reading about it... you know, watching it first hand." Jane grabbed Billie Joe's hand quickly and squeezed it tight.
"I'm scared Billie. She's right. I'm gonna die aren't I? I'm scared."
"No, no you're not gonna die. Just hold on a little longer. Come on Jay, please."
"She's right though Billie, it does only take fifteen minutes, it's what it said in the story!"
"But that's exactly what it is! It's a story! Come on babe, you're not gonna die, I'll make sure of it. "
"Don't... "
"What?"
"Don't make promises you can't keep." Billie Joe pulled her tighter to him and tears rolled down his cheeks as he held onto her in silence.
"Ah fuck! This is getting too much! I'm outta here... " Sarah disgustedly as she watched Billie Joe's behaviour. She got up but the gun that Mike was pointing at her clicked. It was loaded.
"Sit, the fuck, down," he said calmly. Sarah gulped and sat down, eyes staring widely at the gun. He glanced up the stairs quickly, keeping one eye on Sarah. "Why is this ambulance taking so long?" he cried frustratedly. Right on cue Tré appeared at the top of the stairs followed by three paramedics. Their eyes widened at the sight of Mike pointing the gun at Sarah.
"It's ok; she's the bitch that shot Jay. Now quit fucking staring and help Jay!" The paramedics burst into action and mended Jane up as best they could, just so she could hold on long enough to reach the hospital.
"Hey Jay? You fancy going on a helicopter?" one of the paramedics asked.
"Yeah... " Jay said quietly.
"You wanna come with?" another paramedic asked the tearful Billie Joe. He nodded solemnly and followed them up the stairs and into the helicopter.
"And now we wait for the cops... "
"How long ago did you call them?"
"Just after the ambulance... "
"Should be here soon."
"Hold on Jay, we're almost there. We're almost there, you're gonna be ok," Billie Joe whispered quietly to Jane.
"Billie... I... I feel... so tired... so so tired... " she shut her eyes and her grip on Billie's hand ceased.
