#e.z

Jamie Zellicoe rubbed furiously at his eyes. He wouldn’t let his parents see him cry – no way. He pulled his little brother Nick closer into his side with one arm, waving to his parents with his other. Their mother was crying into a hanky, smiling, waving happily. Their father looked like he was in a daze, a small hint of a smile on his face as he stood looking through the now-transparent wall. Their mother took a step closer to the wall, pulling out a scrap of paper and a pen from her purse.

Jamie stepped closer to the wall as well, pulling Nick with him to see their Mom. She was still crying, but had managed to write in shaky handwriting on her bit of paper, and now held it up for them to see. Jamie strained his eyes to see without getting too close to the barrier – it still hurt like hell to touch – and could just about make out what it said.

Love you boys so so much. Where’s your brother?

Jamie bit his lip until he drew blood in an effort not to break down crying on the spot. Nick looked up at him innocently.

“Do we tell her that the bats got him?” He asked, too young or too oblivious to understand the meaning of his words. Jamie stifled a sob. Or a scream. Neither would be too surprising.

“No.” He forced out, grabbing his brother again. Ignoring their mother’s confusion and hurt, he turned and started walking back to the town. Today wasn’t the day to break that bit of news to their parents.  Hadn’t they all been through enough hell – did they have to tell everyone on the other side what had happened to their kids? To their own brothers, sisters, friends?