Weather

I wanna go outside and play. The weather is absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately I am stuck inside at work.

Oh Well.

Torn
30

It was Maureen’s turn to take a deep breath.

Deciding that the breath hadn’t helped she got up and started to pace the length of the patio.

Julius looked on, worried.

Finally Maureen stopped and looked at the vampire. “Are you telling me that I have a role to play in this war of good versus evil?”

“Kyra… you have no knowledge of your own strength, of the goodness inside of you. You are important to us, to the survival of all of creation.”

“I cannot be what you say!”

“… but you are.

You are one of the chosen ones, whether you want to be or not. I’m sorry that it has to be this way.”

“And what about my family? If what you are saying is true, than I am expected to live and then lead forces for the side of good into war!

How am I supposed to take care of my family? How am I supposed to raise my daughter if I am fighting a war that I never asked to be a part of?”

Julius couldn’t take it any longer. “Do you think that I wanted this? Do you think that I want any part of this war?” he shouted. “No! I would much rather live in peace than face any more of this war.”

He took a deep breath and swallowed, bringing his anger under control. He then approached Maureen and took her hand.

“I have lost almost everything and everyone that I have ever cared about because of this war. I have had homes destroyed, and loved ones taken away. I held you as you died, sure that my heart would never know love again.”

Julius stopped, realizing what he had just said.

Maureen looked into his eyes, but he could see that she was not all there.

Suddenly she let go of his hand and started running. He was so taken aback that he didn’t immediately start to follow her. She had disappeared into the woods before he even got moving.

Shaking off his shock, Julius followed Maureen into the woods.

***

Maureen could feel the sting of twigs and leaves on her face and arms. She didn’t care. All she knew was that she had to escape; she had to get away from the flood of thoughts that could be mistaken for memories.

She felt the heat of tears streaming down her cheeks. She tried to wipe them away, but managed to trip over a fallen branch.

She didn’t want to stand back up. She was tired and just wanted to hide. She crawled into a copse of trees, leaned against one of them, and allowed the tears to flow freely.

***

Julius was careful in his looking for Maureen. She had been distraught, and had run aimlessly. Still, the undergrowth was thick enough that he could lose her trail if he wasn’t careful.

He stopped. The trail of broken twigs and crumpled leaves had ended. He noticed a branch lying on the ground; he thought that if she hadn’t been looking where she was going she might have tripped on it. He saw no indication, however, that she had continued her journey from this point.

Thinking that he must have missed a place where he changed direction he started to turn back along the trail. Then he heard a soft whimper to his left.

He moved around a growth of trees and saw Maureen leaning against one, tears still gleaming on her face.

She didn’t look good, small scratches covered her face and arms. He could also see the toll that even such a small run had taken on her. She still didn’t have enough strength to handle such exertion.

He forced himself to make a noise, so as not to startle her. He knelt and placed a hand gently on her arm. She winced at the touch, whether from the sting of scratches or the touch itself he did not know.

He looked at her ankle, it was slightly swollen. He had been right about the branch.

“Are you ready to go home?” he asked gently.

Maureen turned her tearstained face toward him and nodded gently.

“Can you walk?”

Maureen held onto his arm as she tried to right herself. For a moment it looked as if she was going to be able to walk, but as soon as she put her weight on her swollen ankle she let out a soft whimper.

“Put your arms around my neck.”

Julius slid an arm around her waist as she clasped her hands at the back of his neck. He then slid his other arms behind her knees and lifted her off of the ground.

“So fragile,” he thought to himself. “So powerful, and yet so fragile.”

Maureen laid her head against his shoulder. For the moment she could do nothing but accept the comfort that was given her.

Julius thought that she had fallen asleep when he felt her softly crying into his shoulder. He stopped long enough to softly kiss the top of her head, and then he continued the return journey to her home.