Dick and Jane

An assignment in my creative writing class assigned by Stephen King, from his book On Writing.

 

            “Wake up Nell, it’s morning,” Dick says gently shaking Nell.

            “I don’t want to get up Daddy, it’s too early,” She says rolling over.

            “But you have to, it’s the first day of school and you have to go.”

            “Oh, can I stay home with you Daddy? Pwease?”

            “Not today honey. It’s important you go to your very first day of school.”

            “Awww… Fine, you win this time Daddy.”

            “Alright, I’ll let you stay home another time. Come downstairs when you’re ready.”

            “Yup!”

            Dick closes the door behind him and grins a little, wondering if every day will be like this. “She is such a happy girl, luckily she was young when it all happened,” he says jogging down the stairs.

            As Dick finishes cooking the last few pancakes Nell comes crashing down the stairs.

            “Nell, be careful, you’re going to fall one of these times.”

            “No I won’t Daddy. I can’t fall.” She manages to get out through giggles. “Pancakes!? Yum,” she yells scrambling into her chair.

            Dick just smiles while putting one down on Nell’s plate. “Today is gonna be a good day,” he mutters to the air.

            After finishing breakfast and brushing their teeth they head out to the car.

            “You ready Nell, it is a big day for you.”

            “Sure am Daddy, I can’t wait to make a bunch of friends!”

            During the car ride to school Nell keeps asking questions of Dick’s first day at school. As much as he doesn’t remember he tells her what he imagined it was like.

            “Alright honey, I’ll be here to pick you up after school.”

            “OK Daddy, I love you,” Nell said walking away.

            “Love you too honey…”

            A small pain hits Dick’s heart at the sight of his young girl growing up. A father’s fear wants to run out there and just hold her, but he knows she needs to grow up. “Things can only get easier,” he mutters to the silence in the car. He pulls away from the school knowing his little one will be fine inside the school.

            He took the day off work so he could pick Nell up after school and make sure everything went fine. On his way home a flashback crosses in front of his eyes, from those painful years. He hoped to never think about those memories again, but they came up while thinking about Nell’s younger days. It seems impossible not to think about her.

            Some hours later Dick goes back to the school to wait for Nell. After wait for about ten minutes he decides to go into the school’s main office. “I’m looking for my daughter, her name is Nell.”

            “She was dismissed earlier by a miss, Jane I believe it was.”

            Dick’s eyes tear open faster than lightning at the shock of the words. He runs from the school and jumps into his car. He speeds away in a rush, adrenaline and fear pushing him beyond reason. Tears streaming down his eyes from fear of what could possibly happen.

            When he reaches home it is already dark outside and the only light coming from the house is the flicker of a television. An unfamiliar car sits in the driveway; he already knows who it belongs to, that b***h.

            “NELL!” He yells bursting through the door with such force he almost took it off the hinges. Stalking through the dark halls, guiding himself to that one room, the one with the light. His heartbeat racing for the fear of what he might find. He can very faintly hear the tune of “Hush Little Baby” coming from a voice that gives him chills. A tear rolls down his face and crashes into the floor.

            “Honey, your home, isn’t she so sweet?”

            “Why are you back? I thought the judge banned you from ever seeing her again!”

            “Don’t be silly, they could never take her from me, but I can take her from you.”

            Dick’s eyes fall to Nell’s body lying across Jane’s lap. “YOU B***H! HOW COULD YOU!?” He yelled, his voice cracking from the tears rolling down his face.

            “Easily, you took her from me, now I had to take her from you. Isn’t she so beautiful though?”

            “She was so young, she didn’t deserve this, you’re f*****g insane, she was your daughter and you killed her!”

            “Or was it me? You are the one who drove me to do it, so aren’t you as much to blame as I am?”

            That last sentence struck Dick worse and a knife in the heart. He was shaking uncontrollably and collapsed to his knees.

            “Now Nell and I can be together, and you will be all alone. Live with the grief in your heart.” And with those final words Jane held the gun to her head and pulls the trigger.