Read Online Crash II: Highrise Hell by Michael Robertson - Free Book Online
Authors: Michael Robertson
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Action & Adventure, Crime, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Crime Fiction, Thrillers & Suspense
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drank." The silence surrounded them, and George stared at the table. His ribs ached. "I had a family once. I had a wife and a boy. Zach was the perfect child. So bright and fierce."
When he looked up, all three of them were watching at him, hung on every word. "He died."
Ravi's mum gasped.
"I had a few beers after I'd put him to bed one night. I was watching the football that I'd recorded from earlier that day. He was a good kid. At two, he slept through the night. We were lucky that we had such a good sleeper."
The silence encouraged him to fill it. "I'd put a pizza in the oven and fell asleep." The flickering light softened, and his eyes burned as tears rose to the surface. "Sorry, you don't need to be hearing this."
It was Ravi who spoke this time. "Carry on, George. We want to know."
"I didn't wake up until the fire service were kicking the front door down." A growl tore his voice. "It was too fucking late by then. He was gone." Slipping his hand up his top, he felt the swirls of burned skin on his ribcage. "The flames set my top on fire. I can still smell the mix of my own burning flesh and sweatshirt. I hate to think about the pain Zach would have gone through. I've been told that a lot of people die in their sleep because of smoke inhalation." Pulling a deep breath into his tightening lungs, George sighed. "I hope he never woke up."
When he looked up, he saw that Mrs. Vadher was crying freely, and both Ravi and his dad were speechless. "Sorry to put a downer on things, but that's why I don't drink. It's also why I can't leave my sister to struggle on in this new world with an arsehole like Dean. I owe her and her unborn child for Zach's sake. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure they're okay."
Although George's stomach was turning backflips, he ate the last mouthful of food. It suddenly tasted bitter, but it would have been rude to leave it. He should have offered to wash up, but he wanted out of there. The screech his chair made when he stood up tore through the flat. "Thank you for the lovely dinner, Mrs. Vadher. I think I need to go to bed now."
Standing up, she walked to the door with him. Just before George walked out, she held his right hand in both of hers and looked up at him. "You're a dear heart, George. Thank you for the food. And thank you for looking after our boy. He tells us that you're good to him."
Looking down at her frail hands, George felt her warmth. It opened his heart, and no amount of swallowing could suppress his tears. Biting down on his lip, he nodded and walked out into the hallway.
Night Shift
Opening his eyes, George remained still and watched his breath. This winter had been long. Too long.
Despite having four duvets and three layers of clothes, his bones were still cold.
Without Ravi's collection of clocks, George had no idea of the time. All he knew for sure was that it was daylight outside. The sun pushed against his drawn curtains and created a dusky hue in his bedroom.
* * *
Hours passed while George laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. Voices echoed in the hallway at points in the day, making him flinch in anticipation of a knock. The last thing he wanted was to see anyone, especially not one of Dean's little muppets.
He'd gotten out of bed twice. Once to go to the toilet, and once to grab some dry crackers. They'd turned into a sticky paste in his mouth, sucked all of the moisture from his body, and ushered in a dehydration headache that stabbed into his eyeballs. But not even the blinding pain motivated him to get up and get a drink.
The time with Ravi and his family showed him that some people still had plenty to be thankful for. In a life where so much had been lost, they'd managed to keep a hold of what mattered most.
Where was his sister? How was she holding up?
* * *
After another hour or so, the damp of the room had clogged George's sinuses. Letting out another exhausted groan, he opened and closed his mouth, the
When he looked up, all three of them were watching at him, hung on every word. "He died."
Ravi's mum gasped.
"I had a few beers after I'd put him to bed one night. I was watching the football that I'd recorded from earlier that day. He was a good kid. At two, he slept through the night. We were lucky that we had such a good sleeper."
The silence encouraged him to fill it. "I'd put a pizza in the oven and fell asleep." The flickering light softened, and his eyes burned as tears rose to the surface. "Sorry, you don't need to be hearing this."
It was Ravi who spoke this time. "Carry on, George. We want to know."
"I didn't wake up until the fire service were kicking the front door down." A growl tore his voice. "It was too fucking late by then. He was gone." Slipping his hand up his top, he felt the swirls of burned skin on his ribcage. "The flames set my top on fire. I can still smell the mix of my own burning flesh and sweatshirt. I hate to think about the pain Zach would have gone through. I've been told that a lot of people die in their sleep because of smoke inhalation." Pulling a deep breath into his tightening lungs, George sighed. "I hope he never woke up."
When he looked up, he saw that Mrs. Vadher was crying freely, and both Ravi and his dad were speechless. "Sorry to put a downer on things, but that's why I don't drink. It's also why I can't leave my sister to struggle on in this new world with an arsehole like Dean. I owe her and her unborn child for Zach's sake. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure they're okay."
Although George's stomach was turning backflips, he ate the last mouthful of food. It suddenly tasted bitter, but it would have been rude to leave it. He should have offered to wash up, but he wanted out of there. The screech his chair made when he stood up tore through the flat. "Thank you for the lovely dinner, Mrs. Vadher. I think I need to go to bed now."
Standing up, she walked to the door with him. Just before George walked out, she held his right hand in both of hers and looked up at him. "You're a dear heart, George. Thank you for the food. And thank you for looking after our boy. He tells us that you're good to him."
Looking down at her frail hands, George felt her warmth. It opened his heart, and no amount of swallowing could suppress his tears. Biting down on his lip, he nodded and walked out into the hallway.
Night Shift
Opening his eyes, George remained still and watched his breath. This winter had been long. Too long.
Despite having four duvets and three layers of clothes, his bones were still cold.
Without Ravi's collection of clocks, George had no idea of the time. All he knew for sure was that it was daylight outside. The sun pushed against his drawn curtains and created a dusky hue in his bedroom.
* * *
Hours passed while George laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. Voices echoed in the hallway at points in the day, making him flinch in anticipation of a knock. The last thing he wanted was to see anyone, especially not one of Dean's little muppets.
He'd gotten out of bed twice. Once to go to the toilet, and once to grab some dry crackers. They'd turned into a sticky paste in his mouth, sucked all of the moisture from his body, and ushered in a dehydration headache that stabbed into his eyeballs. But not even the blinding pain motivated him to get up and get a drink.
The time with Ravi and his family showed him that some people still had plenty to be thankful for. In a life where so much had been lost, they'd managed to keep a hold of what mattered most.
Where was his sister? How was she holding up?
* * *
After another hour or so, the damp of the room had clogged George's sinuses. Letting out another exhausted groan, he opened and closed his mouth, the
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