The Night Children

Chapter 3

Edited

"So let me get this straight. You wanted to eat outside in the freezing cold so you could watch the sunset?"

I nodded dismissively, avoiding her scrutinising gaze to quickly rinse the plate of any meaty smell. I heard Mum snort as if my answer was the stupidest thing on the entire earth and I couldn't blame her. I never was the type of person who could think of excuses quickly let alone lie. It was only when Mum remained silent that I finally realised what I had said to her this morning. I was actually thoroughly surprised she was talking to me.

I turned to see her sitting down at the kitchen table, looking troubled and upset, her talkative mood disappearing. She looked even more defeated than yesterday, the rings under her eyes as dark as the cloud that seemed to hang over her head. Her cheeks were hollowed out, her once rounded face jutted. She had aged almost painfully fast ever since Dad died, and I could only hope I didn't look the same.

I felt a wave of pity and regret wash through me and I sighed, guilt rinsing over me as easily as rain.

"Look Mum, about this morning," I paused, trying to think of something to say to mend the harsh truth I spat at her this morning. But the truth was something she needed to hear, and I knew I didn't regret what I necessarily said but more so how I said it.

"Renee." Her soft voice cut through my thoughts and I blinked to see her bite at her lip, her gaze staring off into the distance. She seemed to struggle to say anything, so I resorted to grabbing the chair opposite her and took a seat.

"Mum, what I said, it wasn't right. I shouldn't have said it." I began in an effort to guide her response but instead her eyes pricked with tears. I swallowed uneasily. I was used to Mum bursting into tears in front of me but even now it still filled me with shame to know her tears were because of me.

"Renee, it's okay." She whispered, her eyes nothing but pools of sadness. "It was the truth." I stared at her, blinking in shock. Mum had never admitted Dad passed away. She was always in denial, repeatedly saying he wasn't dead but merrily lost.

I slowly reached out and wrapped my fingers around her fists. "Mum, look at me."

She slowly looked up, lazy tears sliding down her cheek. She disregarded them, instead she worried at her lip, biting down on it until I saw the blood seep into her mouth. "Dad will come back to us, you'll see."

But Mum shook her head to move her hands away from mine, leaving me to stare at her in pity. "Renee, you know that's not true."

Shock buzzed around me. "Mum, they never found his body, he could still be out there for all we know."

I saw her body quake as a sob attacked her chest, raking her lungs so she struggled to utter words. Tears continued to dribble down her cheek onto the table, her eyelashes dampening with their presence. Wisps of brown hair clung to her cheek, making her look more of a wreck than she had ever been.

I reached out to comfort her but she swatted me away.

"No Renee. After seven years with no sign of him," She struggled to take a breath before continuing, "He's dead, just like you said."

I couldn't help my heart jolt unexpectedly, sending numbness down to my core. The truth hurts, but it's the truth. I always knew Dad died on the day he was reported missing from work, having gone shooting for wild animals in the forest. Co-workers noticed that he hadn't returned after several hours of hunting and went searching for him. It was the very day that an avalanche struck the town, burying acres of the woods and grasslands in several metres of snow.

Police stated the next day that the most likely cause of his death was from hypothermia or an animal attack. However, they never found his body to justify their assumptions.