Falling Towards Light #33-36
I hope these aren't too abrupt. I took certain liberties with the short stories about the event to make it smoother but they are different scenes...
33. Too Much
While we were walking through the Public Gardens in late summer/early fall, Carolyn started pulling me towards the back of the park. Running in heels was never one of my favorite things, but my companion didn’t even pretend to listen to my objections. Then I heard someone screaming in pain and I was the one pulling her along.
When we rounded a curve, I saw who was being beaten. It was Peter.
Carolyn insulted the leader of the small gang and knocked one of his cronies out with a swing of her cane. She always did have style.
However, I couldn’t let one of my girls get hurt so I jumped into the fray and kept them away from her. I was trying to knock the leader out when I heard Carolyn gasp in fright and pain. I turned around just in time to see her attacker fall to the ground and then something hard and cold pierced my back.
The explosion of pain sent me to my knees.
34. Not Enough
I stayed with Anita until the doctors took her away. Unable to stay in the lobby anymore, I went to the washroom. And then the memories came:
Being in the lobby as a child, waiting for any news from the doctors on the status of my brother. Waiting amidst the scent of the bleeding, the sick, the dying, the healthy and the tired with an Aunt who didn’t believe in relying on others. She only told me why once I asked twenty times. Mom and Dad died under the ice, but they managed to push Kyle back up onto the surface since he was the smallest. I heard that Dad tried to get Mom out of the water but the ice-water stole his strength before he succeeded.
I made it to an empty toilet when I thought I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I remembered the exact moment I realized that the funny smell that hung around some of the patients was death, the moment I backed away from someone who had chopped off their finger by accident because I could actually feel his pain run over my skin like a thousand little needles. The groans, the whimpers, the screams, the pain, the blood, the despair. Finally receiving the news that my brother had joined my parents.
The realization that my family was really gone.
And then Kelly came and I wasn’t alone anymore.
35. Sixth Sense
“Are you okay?” I asked Kelly later on.
“I almost lost you both and I didn’t even realize it.” She whispered as I sat on her lap, wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her head against my chest. “You two are the only ones I have and I didn’t sense a thing. I always thought I’d be able to you know? But I couldn’t.”
“We’re okay. And you do have other people who care about you.” I disagreed.
“None of them know me. After we broke up in college, I managed to keep myself together out of pride but I can’t do that again. It’s hard to risk everything when you’ve lost your family that way.”
“I think your parents have their heads on sideways.” I said mildly, hating the exhaustion in her voice.
“They hate me.” Kelly said again.
“They’re idiots.” Anita rasped, finally coming back to us.
“Anita!” Kelly’s hold on me tightened as she twisted her body sideways in order to face Anita. “You’re awake!”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily!” Anita’s laugh sounded more like a cackle.
“Anita.” Kelly said sweetly, standing up.
“Yes superwoman?”
“Don’t you ever change.” And then my girlfriend leaned over the hospital bed and kissed Anita on the lips. I heard Anita take a sharp breath, the heart monitor started to beep more frequently, and she gave a happy but confused moan.
Anita wrapped her arms around Kelly, deepening the kiss even as Kelly tried to pull away. I could feel her passion from where I sat, years of longing and regret charging the atmosphere around them until the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It made me feel a lot like a voyeur actually.
Then, Kelly was backing away, her breathing wild. “I’ll be back.” She promised, practically running out of the room.
36. Smell.
That night, Kelly was quieter than usual. I crawled on top of her, resting my head between the pillow of her small breasts with a leg on either side of her body. Her arms wrapped around my waist as I slid my hand beneath the pillow. The scent of her captured my attention: the light sweat from the day, the fruitiness of her shampoo, the mintyness of her toothpaste, and the smell that was uniquely Kelly.
“Will you be okay?” I asked.
“I will if you stay with me.” She whispered. “I need you here.”
“I’m not planning on going anywhere. You’re too comfy.”
“I’m being serious.”
“So am I.” I stretched enough to kiss the underside of her chin. “I’m staying with you no matter what you chose to do with Anita.”
“But you two are so close now…”
“Yeah, but I’m here, aren’t I?”
Index Table
33. Too Much
While we were walking through the Public Gardens in late summer/early fall, Carolyn started pulling me towards the back of the park. Running in heels was never one of my favorite things, but my companion didn’t even pretend to listen to my objections. Then I heard someone screaming in pain and I was the one pulling her along.
When we rounded a curve, I saw who was being beaten. It was Peter.
Carolyn insulted the leader of the small gang and knocked one of his cronies out with a swing of her cane. She always did have style.
However, I couldn’t let one of my girls get hurt so I jumped into the fray and kept them away from her. I was trying to knock the leader out when I heard Carolyn gasp in fright and pain. I turned around just in time to see her attacker fall to the ground and then something hard and cold pierced my back.
The explosion of pain sent me to my knees.
34. Not Enough
I stayed with Anita until the doctors took her away. Unable to stay in the lobby anymore, I went to the washroom. And then the memories came:
Being in the lobby as a child, waiting for any news from the doctors on the status of my brother. Waiting amidst the scent of the bleeding, the sick, the dying, the healthy and the tired with an Aunt who didn’t believe in relying on others. She only told me why once I asked twenty times. Mom and Dad died under the ice, but they managed to push Kyle back up onto the surface since he was the smallest. I heard that Dad tried to get Mom out of the water but the ice-water stole his strength before he succeeded.
I made it to an empty toilet when I thought I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I remembered the exact moment I realized that the funny smell that hung around some of the patients was death, the moment I backed away from someone who had chopped off their finger by accident because I could actually feel his pain run over my skin like a thousand little needles. The groans, the whimpers, the screams, the pain, the blood, the despair. Finally receiving the news that my brother had joined my parents.
The realization that my family was really gone.
And then Kelly came and I wasn’t alone anymore.
35. Sixth Sense
“Are you okay?” I asked Kelly later on.
“I almost lost you both and I didn’t even realize it.” She whispered as I sat on her lap, wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her head against my chest. “You two are the only ones I have and I didn’t sense a thing. I always thought I’d be able to you know? But I couldn’t.”
“We’re okay. And you do have other people who care about you.” I disagreed.
“None of them know me. After we broke up in college, I managed to keep myself together out of pride but I can’t do that again. It’s hard to risk everything when you’ve lost your family that way.”
“I think your parents have their heads on sideways.” I said mildly, hating the exhaustion in her voice.
“They hate me.” Kelly said again.
“They’re idiots.” Anita rasped, finally coming back to us.
“Anita!” Kelly’s hold on me tightened as she twisted her body sideways in order to face Anita. “You’re awake!”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily!” Anita’s laugh sounded more like a cackle.
“Anita.” Kelly said sweetly, standing up.
“Yes superwoman?”
“Don’t you ever change.” And then my girlfriend leaned over the hospital bed and kissed Anita on the lips. I heard Anita take a sharp breath, the heart monitor started to beep more frequently, and she gave a happy but confused moan.
Anita wrapped her arms around Kelly, deepening the kiss even as Kelly tried to pull away. I could feel her passion from where I sat, years of longing and regret charging the atmosphere around them until the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It made me feel a lot like a voyeur actually.
Then, Kelly was backing away, her breathing wild. “I’ll be back.” She promised, practically running out of the room.
36. Smell.
That night, Kelly was quieter than usual. I crawled on top of her, resting my head between the pillow of her small breasts with a leg on either side of her body. Her arms wrapped around my waist as I slid my hand beneath the pillow. The scent of her captured my attention: the light sweat from the day, the fruitiness of her shampoo, the mintyness of her toothpaste, and the smell that was uniquely Kelly.
“Will you be okay?” I asked.
“I will if you stay with me.” She whispered. “I need you here.”
“I’m not planning on going anywhere. You’re too comfy.”
“I’m being serious.”
“So am I.” I stretched enough to kiss the underside of her chin. “I’m staying with you no matter what you chose to do with Anita.”
“But you two are so close now…”
“Yeah, but I’m here, aren’t I?”
Index Table