Jackie

They found him, after thirteen years they found Alice's baby boy ... Oh God ...

    High heels clicked quickly down the white and black tiled hallway, people were milling about, all of them doing something important she was sure, but Alice didn’t care about those people, she was here for something even more important. She was dressed to the nines in her favourite outfit, hoping to make a good impression. She already had tears of excitement welling up in her eyes, they found him, they found her baby boy! Alice doubted he was much of a baby after seventeen years, but that didn’t matter. Why? Because it was her baby boy. Alice’s breathing turned erratic at the thought of seeing him again after losing him thirteen years ago, she was just so excited. She turned the corner and saw her closest friend, Brian Averys, waiting in front of one of the interrogation rooms. Briefly, Alice wondered why they’d need to interrogate Jackie, but the thought was soon overpowered by the much louder thought of seeing her baby boy. She raced to the man why had helped her raise her son and grabbed his arms, she couldn’t hold back the tears any longer.

    “You found him?” She asked the officer. “You found Jackie?” Tears raced down her face and she saw Brian’s lip quiver, he squeezed his eyes shut and hung his head. Alice paused and looked at the door to the small room.

    “Well come one then!” She insisted, preferring to take Brian’s silence as him trying to be a strong manly man instead of anything else. “Let’s go see him! Have you seen him already? What’s he look like? How is he? Is he hurt? Oh God please tell me he’s not hurt!” Alice paused and took a breath, laughing quietly to herself. “Oh wait, of course he’s not hurt, he’s here! He’d be in the hospital if he was hurt!” The petite woman laughed again, louder this time. Brian put his hands on her delicate shoulders and shook his head. His breathing was shaky and his eyes were full of tears, Alice felt a sense of dread build in her stomach.

    “He’s not hurt, Ally. He’s not hurting. It--” Brian took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. “It might not even be him, okay?”

    Alice was having a very hard time staying positive. After hearing what Brian had to say, and then being led away from the interrogation rooms, Alice was scared. She grabbed Brian’s hand tightly as he led her to an elevator, Alice briefly remembered how she coped with Jackie being kidnapped, she had moved away. She bought herself an island and moved there, preferring solitude over the pitying looks and desperate attempts to console her. She had only just moved back last year.

    Ding!

    That sound was far too cheery for what was about to happen.

    The doors slid open to reveal a lanky Asian man in a lab coat, his face was grim and his eyes had a certain combination of guilt and regret. Alice couldn’t bear it.

    “Where is he …” She whispered. Alice knew this floor, it was her least favourite in the whole building. This is where the bodies were kept, Alice could feel a scream building up in her throat. The man licked his lips nervously. His eyes flicked to Brian.

    “Are you sure this is a good idea?” He asked. Brian’s teary, bloodshot eyes narrowed. He nodded silently. The man looked back at Alice.

    “My name is Dr. Cho,” He began. “ Unfortunately, we need--”

    “Where is my son.” Alice interrupted. Dr. Cho gulped and closed his eyes.

    “This way, maybe.” He turned and started down the hallway, the click of Alice’s heels were somehow mournful as they started their journey.

    Alice refused to look anywhere but forward, she despised people other than family and close friends seeing the body of a loved one, she would honor those who laid on the passing tables. At the end of the hallway, a door stood. It was small and white and completely unremarkable, the sign just to the right of the door read: “Morge.” Dr. Cho held that door open for Alice and Brian now. Brian entered, but Alice froze. Her heart hammered in her chest, broken eyes looked at Brian.

    “It’s not him.” She whispered. “My baby boy isn’t dead. He can’t be.” Brian looked back with sad eyes, his face was splotchy. Alice wouldn’t put it behind him to cry while everyone was looking away. The tall man offered his hand.

    “Maybe it’s not.” He tried, but Alice saw through his act. He’d already seen the body, he already knows, thinks he knows, who it is. They just need one more person to identify it to make things official. Alice shook her head.

    “Brian, it’s not him.” She insisted through grit teeth, she refused to believe Jackie was dead. His father was cruel enough to take him, sure, but not a thing on this Earth is evil enough to kill him. Nothing. Brian reached out and grabbed his dear friend’s hand, he knew this would kill her, there was no way she was going home the same person after this.

    “Then come prove it.” He whispered. Tears slipped down Alice’s cheeks as she began to break. Her lower lip, bright red with her favourite lipstick, quivered. She began to shake and shook her head.

    “No.” She whimpered. Brian closed his eyes and pulled her into the room.

    It was cold in there. At least thirty silver cabinets lined the room, fifteen either side. The floor was black tile and it was so cold. Alice hung her head and forced her eyes shut as Brian lead her to the left. She heard one of the cabinets open and something roll out in front of her. She hiccupped in a breath.

    “Alice.” Brian pleaded. “Please, it looks like him, but it might not be. I need you to tell us it’s not him ‘cause-‘cause I can’t do it.” Alice shook her head and began to cry in fear, she threw herself into Brian’s large chest and began to sob. This wasn’t happening, it couldn’t happen. Her baby boy can’t be dead, he can’t be. Brian rubbed circles into his friend’s back and tried to calm her down.

    “Alice,” He begged, she could hear the tears in his shaking voice. “Alice you have to look, I know it’s hard but you have to look. Please for the love of God, Ally, tell me it’s not him. Tell me my nephew isn’t on this table.” His voice cracked with emotion. “Please, Ally!” Alice sobbed harder, this was too much, she couldn’t do it, but she had to. This can’t be her baby and the more she puts off confirming that, the more some other family waits for news. Still sobbing, Alice turned around and looked at the body in front of her.

    “NOOOOOO!” She shrieked. Her knees gave out and she collapsed by the boy. He was seventeen years old, pale as snow, covered in bruises, and sporting Jackie’s birthmark, three little dots like a triangle right above his left eyebrow. Alice screamed hysterically.

    “NOOOOOOOOO! GOD NO!” She clutched the self that held her baby. “WHY? I TRIED SO HARD!” She was a shattered woman. Resting her head on the cold metal she sobbed for her child. She could hear nothing but her sobs, she could feel nothing but an inability to breathe, and she wanted nothing but death. Gripping the sliding shelf tightly, Alice screamed her rage for the man who did this, she knew it was Jackson’s father. No man held more evil in his heart than that monster. The rage in her scream was quickly replaced by grief. Her baby, her boy, was dead. She forced herself to look at the teen in front of her.

    “Oh, Jackie. My sweet baby boy.” She cupped his cold face in her hands, distantly she heard Dr. Cho advising her not to do that, she also heard Brian threaten to kill him if he tried to stop her. “My little boy, what did they do to you, Sweetie? What happened to you?” Alice choked up.

    “Why did they hurt you, Baby? Why did they take my sweet little boy away?” Alice was vaguely certain she wasn’t speaking clearly anymore, but she didn’t care at all. She wasn’t speaking for an audience, she was speaking for her boy. Another wave of misery hit Alice like a truck. She nearly collapsed again, instead, though, she pressed her forehead to her son’s and screamed.

    “JACKIE! I love you so much! I’m so sorry I left you! I’m so sorry I didn’t look hard enough!” Alice choked on her emotion. “I’M SO SORRY!!!”

Alice felt a heavy weight settle around her middle, Brian pulled her to his chest.

    “Ally,” He whispered. “Ally, please we have to go now. I’ll take you home.” Alice couldn’t stand on her own anymore.

    “NO!” She shrieked again. “NO, I’M NOT LEAVING HIM!” She tried to pull away from Brian, putting every last ounce of her strength into getting back to her baby, the one she left to die. She couldn’t abandon him now, she couldn’t leave his side. She kicked Brian, beat his chest with bony fists, and reached desperately for her child. She sobbed to the sky.

    “KILL ME! TAKE ME INSTEAD. PLEASE! I DESERVE TO DIE MORE THAN MY BABY DOES. BRING HIM BACK AND TAKE ME!” Brian slammed her against his chest and collapsed to the floor.

    “STOP IT!,” He demanded. “DON’T YOU EVER SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!” Alice made to slap him but he pinned her to the ground. Brian loomed over the petite woman, he looked furious but the tears streaming down his red face took away any fear in Alice’s heart.

    “Don’t you dare leave me.” He insisted with quiet desperation. “We are the only ones left in either of our families. Don’t you dare leave me too.” His lip quivered and he hiccupped in fear. “If you left, then I’d really be alone, and can’t lose my son and my sister at the same time Ally, I can’t do it.” The two held each other's gaze for a long time before they both began sobbing again, screaming obscenities at the sky and swearing to kill every last person who hurt their little boy. For the love of God, no one would rest until John Banks was dead. Especially not Alice.

Author's Note

This was supposed to make the reader cry, but somtething makes me feel like it didn't work. Anything you can think of saying is helpful and I hope you didn't like this sad little story at all!!