Her, To Home

*****

The Start

Oh, but don’t you know,

I fought, I lost, was scared for what?

See, with your eyes, heart,

It was you, the wound, scars and blood,

Hear, I’m calling out,

Don’t block me, I’ll shout more loud,

Oh, don’t you know,

My breath, my heart was taken away,

Without my knowing, stolen from days,

It was you, the thief who left me on bay,

I’m begging, on my knees,

Stop, don’t move, don’t dare to leave,

Oh, don’t you know,

My pride, lust and every last breath,

I give it up, block it out,

It was you I wanted, till life and even after death,

I’m fighting, bleeding free,

Don’t go, who else will help me heal?

Prologue

He was breathing hard, the gun his hands was holding was covered with sweat, his heart racing but the reason was not fear, never fear. His fear was bigger, worse, darker but he knew how to protect it, keep it out of sight. He had kept it out of sight, it was the reason he was fighting. He had to fight. He was protecting his fear.

He leaned against the wooden crate, closed his eyes and took few calming breaths, drowning the noise around, the smell of blood in the air was making it hard but he had managed, he brought the fear back in his thoughts and it was enough, enough to give him the lasting breaths he needed, give him the sense of calmness, peace to ignore the pain in his abdomen and come in sight of the death which awaits him.

He opened his eyes and came out of hide to walk in the fight again. Around him lay his own men and his men, dead, bleeding, injured but he only had eyes for one person; the blond man laughing as he shoot without a heart in his chest.

He knew he had few seconds, to end his own fate or the blond man’s. His wasn’t a choice, he had a fear to protect. He aimed his gun right at the blond man’s head whose eyes met his own a second too late before his laugh stuck in his throat and he dropped on the bloodied floor.

The silence which followed bothered him and yet it was the signal that the fight had ended, he had won. Around him, his men cheered and start dragging the dead man’s men under. Yes, they had won but the victory they had was nothing compare to what it meant for him. To them it meant sleeping without the fear of being awake in the middle of night because of an attack, being able to walk freely, women, drinking, freedom. To his, it meant only one thing.

As he walked outside the warehouse, his cell already in hand, the cold night warm against his skin, he called the number he have not called for two years.

“Hello?” A sleepy male voice answered.

“I’m coming home.” He said.

“Shit!”

*****

“Sara, June is here.” Her mother shouted from downstairs.

Sara smiled to herself as she raced down the stairs and into the kitchen where the sight of her mother greeted her. She gave a side grin to her mother as she glared at her daughter who was late, as usual.

“June is not your driver, you should have been ready already.” He mother said.

“You know, we won’t have to have this conversation every morning if you woul—-”

“One more word Sara O’Brian and I will make sure you walk home from now on.”

“Of course mother, since we are so poor and the two cars standing in the gar—–”

“Sara O’Brian!” Her mother ran after as as she herself laughed as she quickly grabbed a green apple and made a run for the front door but her mother was on her heels.

She opened the door and quickly made a run to the silver Volvo standing in her driveway in which her friend was already sitting, grinning at the sight of Sara and her mother. Sara quickly got into a car and after closed the door, shouted, “Step on it!” While laughing.

As June drove away, Sara stuck her tongue out on her mother who was still standing on the front door, her arms crossed on her chest but a grin on her face as she saw her daughter.

“I wonder when she will give up.” June said while grinning at her friend who was going through her bag for something.

“Ah ha!” Sara said excitedly as she pulled out her i-Pod, which by some amazement still survived after three years of living with Sara.

“No wonder your mum is not in favor of giving you a car.” June said with a laugh.

“What is that suppose to mean?” Sara asked absentmindedly while removing a piece of play dough from her i-Pod.

“Exactly.” June couldn’t help but laugh.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Sara ignored her friend as she put the headphones in her ears and hit the switched it on, only to find the battery dead. She cursed under her breath and threw it back into her bag, making June grin in her seat.

“You did the English test right?” June asked when they pulled into the school parking.

“Duh, the quiz was pretty obvious.” Sara said as she got out of the car.

“Quiz? What quiz?”

“Lesson five quiz.”

“Sara.”

“Yeah?”

“The test was of lesson seven and it was an essay, not quiz.”

Silence

While looking at the frozen posture of her friend, June couldn’t help it. She started laughing, loudly. She knew she shouldn’t have but it was something that happen everyday, literally. Even if June text Sara the details, Sara always managed to get it wrong, always. It was not that she wasn’t smart because she was, hell she was sure she will get the one of the highest marks today, it was just, she forgets, a lot.

When she calmed down, she saw Sara glaring at her with her arms crossed on her chest and her one foot tapping.

“This is your fault!” She accused her.

“How the hell is that my fault?!” June demanded while grinning.

“You texted me!”

“I remember texting you about the essay test which was of lesson seven. If you don’t believe me then I can show you the text.”

“Not that text!”

“Then which one?” June asked in confusing, going back in her mind to remember what else she texted Sara.

“The one that said Big Bang Theory was on!” And with that she stomped away from June who for a second stood there in surprise and then burst out laughing again.

Sara walked towards her locker in anger but slowed when she she felt the strange atmosphere around her. It was as everyone was staring at her. She did a swift sweep of herself thinking she might have forget to wear the same pair of shoe in both feet or something but she was fine. She tried to ignore the looks she was getting and reached her locker. Her mind running to everything that could have happened and she would have missed in the last 24 hours but she came up empty. She had not done anything and she had proof.

Before she could close her locker, June called her out from the end of the hallway. Sara would have walked away anyway but the look on June face stopped her as she ran towards her. She looked shocked, a little pale and breathless as she reached her.

“What’s wrong?” Sara asked softly, worried.

“You didn’t know then?” June demanded, still breathless.

“Know what, June?”

“He’s back.”

“Whose back?”

But June didn’t answer, her eyes were frozen on something behind her. If it was possible she had gone more pale. Sara searched her friend face and waved her hand in front of her eyes but her friend was frozen solid. Out of curiosity she turned the and the sight which greet her, turned her into a stone too.

The irony of this moment was pathetic. Even after all the passing of much time, her reaction, the sudden rush of happiness was shock to her. She hated the fact that even now, after everything, just the sight of him could effect her this much. The memories came to her like a fast forward film, even if she went in her most past memory, it was his face she remembered, almost like he was her first every memory. Even afterwards, she does not remember a single time when he wasn’t with her. The film soon came to a stop to the last time she saw him.

Her mind then went empty, blank, she couldn’t think anything, couldn’t see anything but him. She was aware of her heart as it raced so fast, she was afraid it would burst. She stared as his black eyes that never left her but unlike her frozen figure, his face was blank, hard as he stared at her. Where she knew she couldn’t breathe, he was walking like he didn’t had a care in world.

He didn’t stop when he reached her but leaned forward and kissed her hard, on the mouth.

The air left her lungs.

Maybe it was because it was her first kiss or because he had kissed her, she didn’t know but her lungs were burning, her lips were on fire. She was one fire.

It ended in a second. She stared at him with wide eyes as he stared back. His hand traced her forehead, nose, lips and then chin as it stopped on her throat. She knew, by God she knew he could feel her pulse, the heat on her cheeks.

“I’m home.”