Pain

"Sweetheart, come and have your dinner,” called Mrs. Allen. Harper was a nine year old girl. She went to the dinner table. Her mother served her the beef.

“Where’s Daddy?” she asked.

“Daddy’s working. An emergency rose up. He must be on his way,”

“I want to wait for him,” He soon came rushing in the house. He rang the doorbell. His wife ran to answer it.

“Your daughter waiting, doc,” she said laughing. He ran to his daughter.

“I’m so sorry, Harper. Daddy had a emergency,” he said.

“It’s okay Daddy,” he smiled. Harper was a very understanding girl. Her mother then brought carrot cake. They eat chatting and laughing. It was time for Harper’s bedtime. She was changed in her night clothes. Her dad was doing work on the dinner table on his laptop. She slowly came up to him.

“Yes, sweetheart. What do you want?”

“I want to go to the carnival, please," she said her eyes twinkling like a stars.

“Fine, but I want you to take care of yourself,” their dad said.

"Thanks, Daddy," she smiled running into her room. Her dad smirked and went into his room. His wife was sleeping. He kissed her and went to bed. It was the next morning, Harper was getting ready for the carnival.

"All your things are packed in your tote bag. Take care of yourself," she said.

"Yes, thanks Mum," Laura's driver came and picked Harper up. Her mother smiled and entered in the house. She smiled and entered in the house. Laura and Harper chatted the whole journey. They reached the carnival. It was a large fair with lots of rides. Harper and Laura ran away chattering laughing. The went to rides together.

“Laura, I am going to the washroom. Could you wait for me over here?” he asked.

“Sure,” smiled Laura. Harper came out of the washroom but Laura was not there. She tried searching but she couldn’t find her friend. She was worried. Dr Allen came back home from the hospital. Mrs. Allen was in the baby pool with her daughter, Nicole.

“Are they back yet?” he asked.

“No,” she said lifting her sunglasses.

“I think we should call her,” he said.

“Harper should be fine. Anyways, there might be a traffic jam,” She carried her daughter and wrapped her over a towel.

“Milly, just shower her and fed her. Fed her, when I call you too,” It was their dinner time, Mrs. Allen came down to have a dinner with her husband. Her daughter, was having her dinner.

“Where are they?” asked Dr Allen.

“I think I need to give Laura a call. It’s been so long,” There was no answer.

“I think we should go over to their house after dinner,”

“Laura isn’t not capable to take care of Harper. We will go to the fair and check,” he said stressed. It was a warm and chilly night, Mrs. Allen dressed in her leather boots, coat and leather gloves. Nicole was playing.

“Milly, I will be back late. I need to find my daughter. Please call us if she comes home,”

“Surely,” smiled Milly. The both parents left. They went to Laura’s house but they were out.

“I think we should go to the fair,” said Mrs Allen worriedly. The drove to the fair.

“I regret letting Harper go,” she said worriedly. They went searching in the fair. There was a thunderstorm.

“I think we should go,” They left. Very tensed. They reached home. Nicole was at home crying bitterly. Milly sent her to her mother. Her mother brought her to their master room. She slept slowly after crying.

“I am so worried where is Harper. She’s has not even eaten,” sobbed her mother. Milly came and carried the baby.

“Should we check at Laura’s house again?”

“Yes, or I am going to call the police,” They entered in their car hoping that they would find their daughter. Dr Allen started ring their doorbell angrily.

“Allen, relax!” said Mrs Allen.

“Relax? My daughter is out there. I don’t know how her condition is,” he shrieked. Laura’s mother a plump women with red hair opened the door crying.

“Where’s my daughter?” he relaxed. His wife made his calm down.

“Hi Jenny, my daughter is missing. I was just wondering If she was inside,”

“My Laura is missing too,” wept the women.

“Come in, come in,” called the fat women. They came in.

“Harper’s missing also,” said Mrs Allen.

“I called Rebecca and Tim’s mother said that her kids are also gone,”

“Oh, my gosh! I think we need to go to the police. Jen, I’ll meet you tomorrow, if you mind. We can plan and call Rebecca’s mother. I need to get the clothes. My husband and I plan with the police,”

“Sure, dear,” she said. Both Dr and Mrs Allen went home. They changed and went to work. Mrs Allen came out from the bathroom her eyes red and swollen.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“I just don’t want to loose another child. The child died in front of us. Before Harper, was born. It was her nineth birthday and she died from a truck accident,” sobbed Mrs Allen. She quickly hugged her husband. She then went to bed. It was the next morning, the police came.

“Morning, we are asking for you and your wife to come to identify the body of Harper Allen,” Dr Allen had no answer. His eyes were red. His wife had heard the news and dropped the breakfast. Dr Allen closed the door and his wife fell on the floor. Her eyes red with tears coming out.

“Not to worry, darling. It might not be our daughter. Come on, let’s go,” They sat in the car. Mrs Allen wiping her tears with her hands. They reached the mortuary. They went to the room where the body was. They opened the cover and it was their daughter. Both the parents were shocked. Mrs Allen started crying loudly holding Harper’s hand.

“Harper!” she sobbed loudly. The body had to be sent for a post- mortem. Her body was all stiff and her head had blood. Her mother was crying her heart out.

“Let’s go now, Liz,” said Dr Allen holding his wife’s hand. They entered in their car.

“Why must this happen to us? Why must I lose 2 children?” she said crying loudly. Her husband did not answer her. He was also in tears himself. They reached home. Mrs. Allen was crying loudly. She ran upstairs to her daughter’s room. She looked at her daughter’s photograph and sobbed. Her husband came. He brought her into their master bedroom. Her face was red from crying. He gave her a glass of water to drink. She drank it. They were both very upset. She looked at Harper’s picture on the wall and cried. It was dinner time, there was porridge.

“I miss calling Harper for dinner,” said her mother to herself. It was bed time. They sat in bed crying. Mrs. Allen lay in tears on her laying on her husband’s laps tearing.

“Who did this to Harper?” she asked.

“I need to see the report tomorrow. We also need to make the funeral arrangements,” he said wiping his tears.

“I just wonder why this is happening to us. First, Ellie now Harper. Why can’t I see my children growing up?” she asked. Dr Allen didn’t reply. They didn’t sleep at all night. It was morning, Dr Allen was going to the hospital. Mrs. Allen was making the funeral arrangement. She was putting a large photo of Harper in the hall way.

“She died of starvation,”

“I need to call Jenny here. I want to know what actually opened to our daughter,” They called Jenny and Laura. Laura was upset.Jenny came,

“I’m so sorry for your lost, Elizabeth. I know losing a child must be very difficult,” said Jenny.

“Laura, I need to know what happened to Harper?” she asked.

“She needed to go to the washroom and she told me to wait for her outside. I totally forgot about her and went home,”

“You forgot my daughter?” barked Dr Allen.

“I am really sorry, I forgot about her,” They immediately left. Jenny said before entering the car,

“Take care of yourself. We will come for the funeral,” she smiled. Mrs. Allen tried to smile and entered inside the house.

“We need to make funeral arrangements,” said Dr Allen.

“Indeed,” she said. They sat down making the arrangements with Hiro next to them. Mrs. Allen switched on her phone. It was a picture of Harper.

“Laura and her mother are coming,”

“No! They are the ones who caused this. Just tell them is among family members,” said Dr Allen. They planned until it was dinner time. Dinner was soup.

“Everyone listen up, from now onwards. No one is ever allowed in this house without our permission. Remember, to, there will be a large portrait of Harper.

“Yes, Madam,” all the servants exclaimed. It was bed time, Mrs Allen lay down in bed. She poured a glass of water for herself.

“Darling, what are you taking?”

“Sleeping pills, I can’t sleep at night thinking about Harper,” she said putting the pill in her mouth. She slept quickly. Dr Allen sighed and slept. It was the next morning, it was the funeral. Everyone was dressed in black. They were at the grave. Mrs Allen wore a black dress with a hat and black sunglasses. The weather was so bright. She stood leaning over her husband’s shoulders tears rolling down her cheeks. The funeral was over and they went home. Mrs Allen went to her Harper’s room and locked the door.

“Liz, please open the door,” called her husband.

“Darling, please leave me alone for a bit,” she said. She hugged her daughter’s clothes and cried. Dr Allen was carrying Nicole. Mrs Allen came out. Her face was red from crying. It started raining heavily, and thundering. Nicole started crying bitterly. Her mother came out carried her.

“There’s nothing to be scared, darling. Mum’s here,” she said. Nicole was still crying bitterly.

“Darling, come let me carry her,” said Dr Allen. He carried Nicole and brought her to the playroom. Mrs. Allen lay down with Hiro sleeping next to her. Dr Allen came down carrying Nicole. He sent her to the servant. His wife got up for dinner. They ate their dinner without any laughter and went to bed. Their life went on like this.