xp_logs | Hope and her parents: Manifestation

Hope manifests...

Many thanks to Johanna and Jeff for socking Hope's parents.

Trigger warning: description of a heart attack

Hope sat up straight, her hands neatly folded on her lap, as her mother spoke to her. She could barely keep her eyes from going to the window, where the late sunlight was still visible, or the book she had brought downstairs to read. But instead of reading her parents had entered and they had sat down for one of their talks. "Yes mother." Hope nodded.

"Hope, honey, your father and I have to talk to you," Catherine said, folding her hands in front of her and keeping her voice even and soft, "First, why don't you tell us what you think this is about."

"I don't know, mother." Hope lowered her gaze slightly, staring at her folded hands. Her mind quickly ran through the day, the week before her, searching when she had done something that could be out of turn. There was only one thing though.... "Maybe about what happened at the violin competition?"

"That's it exactly," Catherine said, looking over at her husband, "Now, before we start I want to say I am happy with the progress you're making, but..."

"What your mother is trying to say, sweetheart, is that we're proud of you, of course we are, but you've got to remember the bigger picture." Jason exchanged a glance with his wife before looking back to Hope. "For example, what happened with you and Simon after the competition?"

"He was angry with me, father. Angry that I had done better then him in the competition." Hope stared even more fiercely at her hands. I don't want to be here... "And then he broke up with me."

"Exactly. Which wasn't very nice of him at all, and we're sorry that he hurt you, but... what do you think would've happened if you'd let him win the competition, pumpkin? Would he have broken up with you then?" Jason only wanted the best for his daughter, which was his number one source of stress: trying to ensure that she was looked after by working so hard, in the hopes that she would secure a good future for herself. If she continued to sabotage herself like she had with the competition then all his work would be for naught, which was stressing him even further.

One of Hope's hands twisted in the white skirt she was wearing. "I think... I think he would not have been angry with me." Her voice became even softer. "And then he would not have broken up with me. I would have been able to congratulate him and be happy with and for him."

"If you understand that," Catherine said, "then you should get why we're talking to you now, honey," she said, "Most men don't want a girl who is better than they are at something. And it's not always fair, but it's what you have to do. We're thinking about your future here, honey."

"You do know that's what's most important to your mother and I, right? We're only doing what's best for you in the long run, kiddo." With that Jason reached out and put his hand on his daughter's shoulder, squeezing it gently before patting it twice and pulling his hand back.

"Yes, father, I understand." I don't want to be here. I want to be somewhere else. Hope nodded obediently. "I will make my apologies to Simon the next time I see him. Perhaps he will have changed his mind. Or should I allow him to come to me?" She'd rather avoid anymore lectures like today.

"You should apologize to him, honey," Catherine said with a simple nod, "And when you do, make sure you keep your eyes down just a bit. I know you have the soft voice down - those speaking lessons have really helped, haven't they, Jason?" she said with a look at her husband.

Jason nodded in agreement. "They really have, dear." He turned and gave his daughter a wry smile. "Your mother's right, Hope. Maybe if you apologize, telling him how sorry you are, and that you made a mistake, he might come back around. Just be sure you tell him he should've won and that he's better, that might work." A thought occurred to him and he snapped his fingers before turning back to his wife. "Maybe we can invite him and his parents over for dinner and Hope can do it then?"

"But father... I would be so embar..." Hope started to protest, but she quickly reigned herself in and bowed her head. "That is an excellent idea, father. Otherwise I will apologize to him as soon as I see him again at violin instruction." Inside though everything was churning. Apologize to Simon in front of his parents and her own? I wish I was somewhere else. I wish I could just fly far away. Hope suddenly started feeling strange. Her head was getting really light and she shook it to clear it.

"Jason..." Catherine's voice trailed off. Their daughter had slumped over and something was floating above her body.

"I think I have their phone number in my cell..." Jason had been fumbling for his phone ever since the idea popped into his head, but he stopped when he saw what his daughter was doing. She wasn't sitting upright any longer, and while his first reaction was to rush over to her side, he stopped when he saw what was hovering over her prone form. It was ghost like, translucent, but it looked like... it couldn't be, but it resembled Hope herself. Had she died and somehow her spirit was floating before them? Jason stood there transfixed, not sure whether he should move to help her or run away.

"Hope!" It was all too much for him to handle. Before he could decide what to do searing pain burned through his chest, his left arm burning like it was on fire. With his right hand he clutched his chest, moving his mouth but not saying a word due to his chest feeling like a pick-up truck was parked on it, crushing the life out of him. He fell to one knee before collapsing to one side, his eyes closed and his face turning purple.

It was strange... She could 'hear' her parents talking and she could 'see' her father falling down, but when she wanted to reach out to him, her body refused to move. And her sight was strange... Many kinds colorful lines, blobs and shapes danced over her vision and her parents were surrounded with a bright nimbus of light. Her father's nimbus was dimming quickly though, while her mother's fluctuated with madly swirling colors. She had no idea what it meant... ~Dad?~

"Jason!" Catherine was down by her husband's side at a moment, not only because it was what a good wife would do but because she was genuinely worried. She looked back over at her daughter too and reached for the cellphone, dialing 911.

"911, please state the nature of your emergency," the too calm voice on the other end said.

"Hello?" Catherine started, her voice trembling, "My husband and my daughter both collapsed..."

Hope once again attempted to reach out to her parents, before everything started feeling heavy and everything slowly faded to black.