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Ghost
For fuck’s sake, has she really passed out again? I was just helping her. No one hits a woman. I don’t care who they are. Walking back through the park to the shop, I kick the door open, placing her down on the couch before making coffee. I wait for her to come around, pacing the shop floor like a caged animal, my anger not once settling.
Sitting on the edge of explosion, the more I look at her face, the angrier I get. If I'm not fucken mistaken, there are bruises on her arms, neck and stomach. Her hoodie has risen up exposing small parts of bruised midriff flesh, along with her sleeve.
Moving over to her, I sit on the table, pulling up her top. I see that her tiny body is littered with them, new and old, angry colors and paler ones. What the fuck is going on in the apartment for this to be happening to her? I run my fingers softly over them trying to wipe them away, anger sitting in the back of my throat like bile burning. Just like that, as fast as the darkness takes her the light comes and her eyes snap open as she jerks up, kicking her legs out and connecting her heel right on my jaw. “FUCK.” I grab it in pain.
“Don’t touch me please, don’t dirty me anymore,” she whimpers as she gasps for air.
Standing up, I grab her legs. “Poppet, it’s me, Ghost. You need to calm the fuck down.”
She opens her eyes and on seeing me, her breathing settles a little, shame washing over her face, mixed with shock. “Sorry,” is all she says. That’s it, before she jumps up, running from my store and down the street, not even glancing at Red’s.
“FUCK, FUCK!” What is up with this woman? Grabbing my jacket and keys, I fucking run after her, running is not what I like to do, but her? Well I would like to do, issues and all.
Timberly
No looking back, no thinking, just running, run from him, from there from this. How can this guy just turn my life upside down and not blink an eye? I don’t get it, I sure as hell don’t understand it. He doesn’t know me, he doesn’t know my life, my misery, the bad things, the kicks to the guts, the way this hurt, not being able to breathe, and then boom, he goes and makes it worse by being all caveman-like. Running in there and causing more pain, its wrath will be so bad by the time I get home. The apartment will be on fire with their anger by the time I get there, and there will be no one to hear my screams as they attack me yet another night, my soul, my body, sacrificed to feed their anger, pleasure, their needs and pay her debts.
Inside I'm screaming like a siren pleading, screaming to just let me be more than this, but no one’s listening. My out, it's coming, it has to be. I thought it was him, but he has caused a storm that I'm no way near strong enough to handle. I have to walk in it and hope that it doesn’t shatter me beyond repair.
Finally stopping at the lake, I sit down on the cool grass that’s still damp with the night's dew, trying to catch my breath. Looking out. I’m thinking how hard it would be to jump in there and just sink? Could I? Could I escape this mayhem that way? I wonder if my body would allow me to hold my breath long enough to drown.
Falling onto my back, looking up at the blue sky I watch the clouds dance together with the sun. What I wouldn’t give to be that high up and untouchable. I love the little light spots that form in my eyes from looking at the sun. It blurs the reality of the life that’s so sad. Blinking them back, I’m surprised to see him standing over me hovering, looking deep into my soul. His eyes are pained, his perfect face his hurt with lines of anger, worry and concern. A small smile forms on his lips showing a dimple to the side of his cheek, his hair falling down over his eye. He’s an angel, a dark angel, maybe even my saving grace, I'm unsure. My eyes watering, I blink a few times.
“Poppet?” he says, his voice is slick and pure. Shutting my eyes, I allow the sun and his words wash over me. “Poppet please, I'm sorry but...”
Cutting him off, I snap, “but what? hey, but what?” cold and clipped it flows out I'm shocked at myself, but I'm hurt, anger I don’t know if he would ever understand. I feel more words wash over me then.
“Talk to me, tell me,” he says, sadness lacing his tone.
“Tell you what?” I snap out not wanting to do this, not knowing how.
“It all, I need to know,” he states like he really would like to know.
“You don’t, you won’t, and I can’t,” I tell him.
“Why?” he asks so persistent.
“I'm afraid that you will hate me, for the sins, the dirt, the life, the tears and the pain you just won’t get.” It all just flows out of my mouth before I know I’ve even said it.
“Try me,” he counters me; all the time something new.
“Best thing you can do is run turn and go forget about me.”
“NO!” he spits out, scaring me.
“Yes, I won’t taint you or your life with this, with me.” Rolling over onto my stomach, I lay my face on my arms tears falling. I don’t even know why.
Ghost
Scrubbing my hands over my face, I watch her heave as the tears fall from her body, silently. I don’t know why she thinks that I would be deterred from her because of what? Her life there in that block? Shit I’ve been there, done that. I was saved, and I will save her if it kills me. I won’t let her turn me away.
Rolling onto my side, I just lay there, watching her slowly stretching my fingers out closer to her body, to her hands. I can feel the heat mixed with the chill from her seeping across the grass. I can see the tips of her fingers under her arm. Stretching out, I take her fingers in mine, linking them together and just hold them.
She tenses but doesn’t pull away, I let out a sigh of relief. Her warmth is so welcomed to a heart as cold as mine. I lap her up, the silence, the heat... in this moment, I won’t let anything take it away. I’ll kill them for what they have done to her mind and body, and I'll build her back up piece by piece, whether she likes it or not. I'm not going anywhere.
After what seems like an eternity she finally speaks, “Why are you still here?”
I pull her hand further out and roll her onto her side so I can look into her eyes. “You, you’re why I'm still here. This...” Touching her cheek, I run my fingers down her face all the way to her heart where I hold my palm over it, “and this.” Well what do you know, she holds her breath and shuts her eyes. “Please don’t fear me, I won’t hurt you, don’t shut me out.”
“Why do you want me, you don’t know me?”
“You’re fucking stunning and you intrigue my senses. You have a pull on me from the first time I ever saw you. You sit in my senses like a firefly kisses the flames, and the fact that my dick stands to attention whenever you’re around, I'm like a fucking horny dog.” I see the smile form on her sweet lips.
“Well you going in there fighting like your Ail is no way to know me or help, you don’t know what you have done!”
“Tell me, I have all day.” Razing my brow down at her.
“I don’t, I can’t.” Her voice is sharp her eyes won’t meet mine.
“Yes you can and you will I’ll wait” I leave no room in my tone for an answer but yet she still answers.
“Well time is not something I have” This time her eyes meet mine and I see the truth in her words dance over her iris.
“We all have time, Timberly, some more than others.”
I P=pull her into me so she can’t escape, I roll onto my back with her in the crook of my arm, wrapping my fingers round her shoulders and placing my other arm behind my head. I watch the clouds and people pass us by, this is nice, this is life. “This makes me feel normal, you know.” I say to her to break through the silence and fear. Maybe I should tell her about me, my life, my truth, then maybe she will see that hers can’t scare a demon like me.