Death II

Storm ran downstairs like her life depended on it, skipping two stairs at a time, coming to a stand still at the bottom of the staircase when she saw her stepmother, Jess, crying close to someone that had been covered with a white cloak from head to toe.

Their family doctor was beside Jess, his hands on her shoulders, while some other men in uniform were just stepping into the house since the front door was open.

Storm could hear the sirens; the ambulance was ready to take her old man to the morgue.

Storm just stood there, watching the flurry of activities going on but not moving one bit from her position, until the family doctor caught sight of her.

"Storm, I am sorry about your loss. Come here." He said gently and she found herself moving toward him, literally walking like a robot.

She saw her step mother look up then.

The latter's eyes released a fresh bout of tears when she saw Storm walking towards them.

'She can't be feeling pity for me. She is not permitted to pretend like that.'

Storm thought angrily, wishing she could release a punch on the woman's face, but for the mournful occasion.

Surprisingly, she wasn't feeling anything, not even when Jess kept shouting that her father was a good man and shouldn't have died and all that.

Storm remained as a robot; no feelings and no emotions.

"How did he die? He was alright yesterday night when I had last seen him. How could he have died like that?'' Storm asked Jack, the family doctor.

She was so numb that even when he put his hands on her shoulders in a bid to comfort her, she felt nothing.

She was sure the doctor was surprised that she wasn't crying and weeping out loud like her step mother.

But why should she? Her father had betrayed her first.

"Heart failure. According to your mother, it had happened around three this morning." Jack stated, and Storm shut her eyes, the thought of Jess being her mother, almost causing her to gag.

But why hadn't the evil woman called her then?

Jess knew that she had healing powers.

Her father had told the woman one time whilst dead drunk, and Jess had confirmed it by asking her old man to play dead.

Innocent her had fallen into the trap then.

"Why hadn't you called me up when his heart was failing?"

Storm turned aside and asked the woman who had been the genesis of the real problems that she and her father had faced; it was just that her father had been blind to it. And perhaps that had caused his death too.

If Jess had wanted to really save him, her stepmother would have called for her help when it happened. But she didn't. She wanted him dead.

This realization surprised Storm, but she knew it was the truth. No wonder Miranda had been happy.

But what do they gain from this?

They were the rich folks, her father had been relying on them. So, why had they pushed him out of the way? And why should she even weep for a man who had no care for his real daughter?

"Called you? I didn't think you would want to see the ghastly sight of your father's helplessness and death.'' Jess mourned, beginning to weep out loud again when the men, perhaps tired of listening to mournful cries, bent down and put the body on a stretcher, before carrying it up.

Storm ignored Jess' lies and fake tears, and walked up to the men who were about to carry the body out of the house.

"Wait...let me see him for the last time." She said, almost scoffing when she saw the fear that flashed across Jess' face.

Her stepmother had thought that she wanted to bring her father back from the dead.

However, that was impossible even though Storm wished it wasn't. Her healing powers were just for healing, not raising people from the dead.

The men had stopped at her call though, waiting patiently as she walked slowly toward them.

She rolled down the blanket to see her father's peaceful face. He was like someone who had no care in the word. Peaceful was the best word for it. But still, she didn't cry nor did she feel anything.

"Goodbye Dad." She muttered, biting her lips as she watched one of the men roll back the cloth and cover her father's face. She didn't stop them again.

Turning around, she saw her step mother in the arms of the doctor. He seemed to be comforting her.

Shaking her head, Storm trudged her way upstairs, wanting to be alone. And even when she came across Miranda standing at the top of the staircase, she just passed her by, not even saying a word to her fake condolences.

She entered her room and shut the door softly.

Slumping down on her bed, she waited for the tears to come, but nothing happened. Giving up, she picked up a Sydney Sheldon's novel by her bedside and began to read, wanting to take the mind off the fact that she was an orphan now.

A sound at her window had her bringing the book down. She stared at the window, wondering what could be making the sound. Was someone out there? She thought, getting up from her bed, and walking toward the window.

Her mouth fell agape when she saw Kaden right outside her window, his handsome face shrouded in sadness. He must have heard of her father's death already.

Storm opened the window for him to come in, whilst wondering if this was his first time doing this.

Had he come into her room when she was sleeping? She thought, remembering that she had felt a light kiss on her forehead, before drifting into the best sleep she ever had yesterday night.

Storm had thought that it had been a dream, but seeing the ease with which he scaled the walls and came in, she was beginning to think that Kaden had been in her room last night.