I was sitting on the couch in my room, alone. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, still playing with the flames of the candle and lighting the lighter over and over. The phone rang twice until he picked up "Hello?" he said answering the phone.
"Hi...” I whispered my voice cracking.
"What’s wrong?" he asked, I could hear the worry in his voice.
"My aunt’s gone and I’m alone." I said quietly.
"Amy...Do you want me to come over?" he asked, trying to calm me.
"Yes...” I said starting to cry. I hadn’t seen him in over a week. I missed him.
"I'll be over in ten minutes. Sit tight. Don’t do anything." He said sternly.
"Ok," I whispered.
"I love you Amy. I'll see you soon." he promised.
"I love you too Eric. Bye...” I said. Then he hung up. I stared at the candle. It had been blown out. There was no noise throughout the house except the clicking of the lighter as I lit it and of my deep breathing. The room felt smaller when I was alone in the house, I would be alone for two weeks, I had to get used to it. I pulled my blanket over me and watched the snow fall outside, winter was a beautiful season, if it wasn’t the second anniversary of my parents' death I’d probably be outside in the snow.
When I was younger, I used to play in the snow every day when we came here, it was so much fun, snow angels, snowmen, snow forts, and snowball fights. I missed all that. There was even a pond in back we could go skate on if I wanted to.
"AMY?" I heard Eric call from upstairs, interrupting my thought. He was making his way downstairs when he saw me sitting on my couch in the corner with my lighter and a candle. Eric had blonde hair and light brown eyes. He was wearing a white button up shirt and light faded jeans. I wonder if tears were showing or if he just knew if I was upset. He ran over to me and pulled me up, hugging me tightly to him. "I’m sorry I wasn't here sooner. I didn't want to bother you today." he whispered, kissing my forehead.
I started to cry and pressed my face into his chest "I’m sorry…" I grumbled into his chest, it came out muffled.
"Don’t be." he said and ran his fingers through my hair. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It wasn’t your fault." He said wiping my tears off my face.
“Ok...” I whispered and pulled away from his chest. Knowing it was a lie. It was my fault…everything always was..
“Amy,” he said looking into my eyes. “I love you.” He whispered and kissed me.
“I love you too.”
“Let's get out of this house..” he muttered.
“I...I don’t feel up to it…” I whispered.
“Please, I want to help you through today, and being here wont help any, it will just bring back bad memories…” he looked at me sympathetically, knowing me too well.
“Ok…” I sighed.
“Let me get your shoes and your jacket.” He said going upstairs and motioning me to follow him.
I walked reluctantly upstairs, waiting for something to knock me down. I wish something would. I could probably get away with it all ending here if I made it look like an accident...but what would Eric do? Not a good idea….
I made my way to the top of the flight of stairs and watched Eric go into the closet, coming out with my favorite jacket and shoes. He knows me too well… I smiled at the thought and hugged him tightly “I love you…” I whispered in his ear, and he kissed my cheek softly.
“Put these on.” He said handing me my shoes. I slipped them on and smiled lightly.
“Ok...” I pulled the skates on over my multi-colored Christmas socks. These skates were kind of small on me and made it uncomfortable. But, Eric wanted to skate, so I guess I have to use these. I tied them slowly and messed up a few times. Eric helped me tie my right one because I was getting frustrated. He laughed and pulled me up.
“You look cute in those skates.” He said smiling.
“Thanks.” I said blushing again.
“Let's get skating then!” He said happily and got onto the ice, waving toward him, showing to follow.
“Umm…I’m not that good at skating….” I mumbled. But he already knew that, he loved skating and I hated it.
“Take my hand then.” He said offering my hand. I took it, he was so warm, even in this fuzzy coat, and I was still cold. “Be careful, don’t slip,” he soothed, as soon as he said that, I stumbled on the ice and fell.
“Ow...” I whispered.
“Amy? Are you alright?” he asked sitting down next to me.
“Yea...just twisted my ankle a little, I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?” he asked quietly.
“Yea…” I mumbled. And held back tears, this wasn’t just twisted, I think it was broken.
“Do you want to go inside or do you think you’ll be ok out here?” he asked helping me on my feet.
“Ow!” I shrieked, grabbing my ankle and falling back to the ground.
“Amy?!” Eric yelled, shocked. “This is worse than just a twisted ankle isn’t it?” he asked quietly.
“I…yea...” I said and stopped because it looked wrong. “What the-..ERIC! GET OFF THE ICE!” I screamed.
“What? Why?” he asked looking around quickly. When I had fell, the skate had cracked the ice under me, there was a huge crack in the ice, and this ice wasn’t thick enough to hold two people and have a huge gash in it, it was going to break.
“Look!” I yelled, pointing to the gash, about two feet away. His eyes widened and he pulled me up. The ice broke more and my feet lost the ice.
“HELP!” I screamed, struggling to stay over the water.
I drifted downward, my eyes closed and I made no more noise, this is how it would end, cold, alone, away from Eric, on the second anniversary of my parents’ death.
“AMY!” I heard, and then it all went quiet. After a few minutes, I felt warm, soft, hands pulling me out of the water. The hands checked my pulse, pushed on my chest and opened my mouth, warm lips touched mine and breathed air into them. I knew it was Eric who was helping me.
“Amy, please open your eyes, give me a sign your ok.” Eric whispered, I could tell he was crying. ‘don’t cry,’ I wanted to say, ‘I’m ok!’ I wanted to yell at him, I wanted to hug him, to kiss him, but I couldn’t, I couldn’t move. I could hear everything, feel everything, but I couldn’t move.
“I…” I mumbled.
“Amy?! Are you ok?!” he yelled at me, hugging me tightly.
“Ok.” I whispered, moving my hand a little.
“Good, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that to you. I thought I lost you.” He whispered.
“Don’t worry.” I whispered. I was getting my strength back.
“Let me get you inside” he said quietly.
I opened my eyes and looked at him, he was so concerned. “I…my lighter...” I whispered, staring at it, it had fallen out of my pocket and was lying on the ice, a not broken part that would have held up.
“Here, I’ll get you it.” He said smiling.
“No, would if the ice breaks?”
“It won’t.”
“Would if it does?”
“It won’t.” He repeated, staring on to the ice.
“No!” I yelled, the ice was starting to break, it wasn’t going to hold him, and he was going to fall under.
He looked around him and looked at me, shocked. “What?” he asked, as soon as he did, the ice underneath him broke.
“AMY!” he screamed as he fell.
“No!” I screamed crying.
He tried to stay up but he couldn’t. The numbness was pulling him down, he tried to grab on to the side, but it broke.
I tried to crawl on to the ice and help him, but I couldn’t. My ankle was broken, and it wouldn’t let me move. I watched him struggle and couldn’t do anything. Tears ran down my cheeks. Eric was going to die. And I couldn’t help him. I was just going to sit here and watch him suffer.
“Amy…” I heard him whisper; he went under the water and never came up.
I woke up in tears; I was trembling and couldn’t see anything through the tears in my eyes. “Eric?” I whispered and blinked out the tears.
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