Dark
thoughts preoccupied Ricky’s young mind.
He desperately wanted to jinx it this time. He didn’t want Timmy’s sister to die. That’s why Ricky spoke up after the omens
appeared to him again and again. Every
other time he had a premonition he stayed quiet and it came true. He hoped by speaking up this time the dark
visions wouldn’t come true. Nevertheless,
they did. Little Jessica slipped and
fell on the ice and her head solidly thudded on the icy pavement. After two days in the hospital, she was
gone.
His
heart accused him. Guilt consumed him. You caused it, Ricky. You uttered the words and sealed her fate. Ricky replayed it all and felt he had no
choice. Those ominous pictures that
played across his mind’s eye always became reality. Ricky hoped bringing it to light would break
the chain of events. Keeping them secret
never made a difference.
What
was this power he had? Was it a power or
curse? If the visions were ever happy
occasions he would gladly accept them. Instead,
they always spoke of some fearsome and dark future incident. How he wished he could control the apparitions.
Ricky
saw the faces around him. They knew of his
prophecy. Their accusing eyes haunted
him. The crushing blow was Timmy. With bloodshot eyes Timmy screamed, “Why’d
you have to say it?”
Overwhelming
guilt consumed him but but no words would form in Ricky’s mouth.
Timmy
continued, “That was such a horrible thing to say about Jessica. Why would you say that?”
Finally,
Ricky mumbled, “I wanted it all to stop.”
Timmy
glared at Ricky. “What kind of answer
that?”
Silence.
Despair
and anger growing, Timmy screamed, “Answer me.”
Ricky
knew it was no use. Who would believe he
sometimes knew the future? It was random
things he saw but they always came true.
Sadly, it was only bad things that came to pass. Tears streaming down the faces of the boys
standing on the precipice of their friendship, Ricky finally said the only
thing that made sense, “I’m sorry.”
“I’m
sorry? That’s it?” A volcanic rage erupted in Timmy and he
rushed at Ricky and tackled him into the snowbank. His only thought was to pummel the one who
pronounced the deadly accident of his sister.
Consumed with guilt, Ricky let it happen. It was his way to atone for this sin. He knew he deserved it.
Timmy
swung two times and recognized no hint of resistance. He slugged away five, six and seven times
more when the futility of it all overwhelmed him. His sister wouldn’t return. Timmy fell over to the side of his friend. Both boys sobbed releasing torrents of pain
that racked them.
Ricky
looked at his friend while wiping blood from his nose. Timmy recognized utter brokenness in Ricky’s
eyes. Suddenly he knew it was fruitless
to unleash rage the way he did. He
wanted to feel better but he only felt worse.
Timmy got up and extended his hand to Ricky. Ricky got up with the help of his friend. The two walked home. Both were still broken but they were still
friends.
