Fear by A.P.W. Langelaan (e book reader pdf TXT) 📕

Water boiling

The tea-kettle started to whistle. Jasmin wiped with the back of her hands the sweat from her forehead. Sweat was dripping down her back and between her breasts. It gave her a shiver. Carefully she walked over to the stove and quickly turned off the gas. The whistling stopped and it got silent in the kitchen again. Her hands where shaking as she took the kettle from the stove. Suspicious she looked at the flame to see its really was turned off . She looked twice, just to make sure, before she went with the kettle to the table to pour the hot water into two cups who where there. The rich aroma prickled in her nose. There again it came up, the feeling for Christmas She grabbed hold onto the table. Her hands started to tremble. Now these pictures came back, these awful pictures from Christmas, years ago.

Ball games and fire.

It was a day before the 24th of December as it happened. Jasmin was playing with her big sister in the living room. Mom already shouted out, from the kitchen, to stop playing in the room. A moment later Mom stood in the room. »I’ll have to go to the shop to fetch me a some stuff. Beate you look after your sister and stop that playing in the room.« Mom left the house. Beate throw the ball to her little sister. » You heard what Mom said, no more playing in the room.« Jasmin threw the bal back to her sister. Beate played alone with the ball bouncing it a couple of times on the floor and the wall. Then she threw the ball with quite some force at the wall. It bounced back and dropped in the middle of the advents wreath on the table. Two candles dropped over. »That I’ll tell Mom,« Jasmin said in a angry voice as she looked at her big sister and grabbed the ball. Beate started to scream at Jasmin. To late the little girl noticed that her dress got on fire. With her little hands she tried to push the flames away but this didn’t work. Both girls were screaming now. Beate because of the fear and her little sister for pain. Beate pick-up the bucket which was standing next to the Christmas tree and throw the water over her sisters head. The flames on Jasmin where gone. To late Beate noticed that the flames tried to attack her. A part from the living room was alight. Some one shouted :FIRE. Jasmin saw her big Sister been surrounded by the flames which attacked her. Then she fainted and dropped to the floor.

Saved by through a monster.

Jasmin opened her eyes. Fear, she wanted to scream but she couldn’t breathe. Thick Gray smoke was covering the room. It smelled like burned finger nails. Now she wanted to weep, but even that didn’t work. As far as she could see the living room was devastated. Silently she spoke out the name from her sister. Her throat ached. »Id you found Th ...« it sounded out of a loudspeaker, not far way from her. Jasmin heard some noises. They sounded like hissing. Then she saw it. It had one eye and it was shining. The big black Monster crawled towards her and tried to grab her. Jasmin, terrified, crawled back as far as she could. The creature grabbed her by the arms. His Claws burned on her skin. It hurts, it really hurts, then again everything around her got black.

Hospital.

Bright lights were shining as Jasmin opened her eyes again. Faceless creatures stood around her. They were mumbling something she couldn’t understand. Metal machines were placed around her. Some of them gave a noise others where just blinking. One of these faceless creatures placed some gaze on her chest. Jasmin wanted to sit up and have a look at it but she didn’t have the power for it. The pain in her chest got stronger, she tried to cry, but no sound came out of her mouth. The bride light got stronger and was blending her now. The pain started to faint. Where was her sister, why hadn’t she saved her from this Monster. Where is Beate. Jasmin closed her eyes on started to think about what happened.

Recovering.

Jasmin had to stay a long time in the Hospital to recover. The she went to a rehab Centre were so stayed also a long time. It took a while before her skin healed. Scars would be left on her skin but she was alive. Slowly, she’s been told what happened. To her question, where Beate stayed and wasn’t visiting her, there was a silent for a long time. Almost a year after the accident, she’s been told that her big Sister died in the Fire. Jasmin cried more than a week. It had been a tragic accident what had happened to her. She’d been burned almost every where on her body, but thanks to the quick reaction of her Sister, Jasmin had survived it. Beate didn’t had this luck. One candle had dropped of the table and rolled under need one of the seats and ignited it. Beate got caught by the flames who seemed to surround her. The fire brigade arrived very in no time at the scene. Two men went in to look for the girls. In their gear, with the masks, bottles and the flash lights on the side of their helmets , they looked frightening. There communication only went over Radio. One of the men found her under need the burning sofa. She’s been brought out and taken care of. Now she laid here in the rehab.

Drinking tea.

Slowly Jasmin made it to let go from the table and carried the tray into the living room. Astrid was quietly sitting there and watching her to walk in. »How are you?« Jasmin nodded only. One could see and hear that she nervous. »How bad was it at the stove?« Jasmin nearly dropped the tray, but she made it in at the last second to place it on the small table in the living room. »It’s so different from the one I got at home, but I made it, or?.« Jasmin took the place next to Astrid. »Sorry, but I thought, as you now made such a good progress, it’s time to try something different,« said Astrid »Get you closer to the flames.« Jasmin sighed deeply. She leaned back. Yes it was right, Astrid her psychotherapist, who had been with her for all those years, had made her come quit far. Today, a day before Christmas she had thought about something special. And that’s why Jasmin had to go into the kitchen and pre pair the tea. Astrid, of course, had always kept an eye on Jasmin, just in case. »Bwaaa,« said Jasmin as she rose up. »Tea?« she asked Astrid. »Yes please with two lumps of sugar.« Jasmin dropped two piece of sugar in the cup and poured the liquid over it. »Hope you like it,« she said as she passed the cup to Astrid. Both chatted a while. Jamin looked suspicious at the advents wreath at the table. All four candles burned. The daughter from Astrid were playing in the hallway with a ball. Shortly after four, Jasmin left and wished Astrid and her daughters fun with the cooking. Astrid went into the kitchen to check the items she needed for cooking. »Sh ... ,« she said. »Girls, I need to go down to the shop, won’t be long!« The Girls didn’t answer they were playing in the living room with the ball.

Text: A.P.W. Langelaan 2012
Publication Date: 12-20-2012

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