The Last Laugh novel Chapter 49

Heather's POV:

*I'm sitting by yellow lake. Our lake. Mom is probably looking for me, I don't care. I might get punished. But dad will defend me. I know he will.

I'm thinking. But someone touches my shoulder. I turn. Sheridan!

I smile and stand up to hug him. I'm only ten but I believe I love him. Though I don't really understand how love works.

"I bought you something," he says and hands me a packet of cinnamon biscuits. My favorites.

"Thank you," I kiss his cheek. He smiles. We both redden.

"Wanna swim?" he asks.

"No, you go. I'll sit and watch."

"Okay."

He takes off his T-shirt and jumps into the lake. I giggle as water splashes on me.

I sit down and watch him.

He plays and I laugh.

All of a sudden, he starts crying in the water and looks at me. I panic.

"What's wrong?!" I ask. He keeps on crying. He stares at me and blows a kiss to me.

Then he disappears and I see blood in the water.

I scream. I scream. I scream!

"Nooo! Sheridan!" I close my eyes in pain.

When I open them, I'm in my office crying.

I'm twenty two.

Sawyer and mom are standing in front me.

"The bastard is dead!" Mom screams in a shrill voice.

"Get over it! You're twenty two, you idiot!" Sawyer adds.

"Nooo!" I scream and grip my hair.

I close my eyes and start pulling my hair off. Screaming.

"Stop!" I hear someone angrily say and person grabs both my hands.

I open my eyes.

It's– Ace??

He's standing right there in the office with me. He's angry with me.

"Why? Are you doing this yourself??" he asks angrily.

"Sheridan! Sheridan!" I begin to scream crying painfully, "He's dead!"

He wraps me forcefully in his arms and tries to calm me down.

"Be calm, Heather! He promised to be back. He will be."

I stare at him.

"He'll come back for you," he says.

He hugs me. I hug him back, feeling relieved. I close my eyes.

By the time I open them, I'm ten years old.

Sheridan is sitting by me, his hand holding mine.

I smile. He smiles back. We stare at yellow lake together.

I'm at peace.*

**

"Heather? Heather?? Get up!" I heard Shirley saying. I woke up. I was all sweaty in my bed and my heartbeat was faster than usual. I sat up, breathing fast.

"Wh– what happened??" I asked confused.

"You had a bad dream. You were screaming Sheridan."

I remembered. I put my head in my hands and tried to calm down.

"It– it was a very strange dream, Shirl," I said, beginning to sob.

"Oh, honey," she hugged me, "What was it about?" she asked.

I took my time and explained the whole dream.

"Ace??" she asked surprised.

"Y– yeah..."

"After he calmed you down, you were back with Sheridan?"

"Yes," I was as confused as much as Shirley.

"Why him?"