They Took Her

 “Why are you leaving?” She said softly, grogginess of sleep muffling her words, her brilliant red hair was splayed out over her pillow, her ivory skin showing, arms and legs half tangled in a massive silky duvet and half over it, her piercing green eyes, over a perfectly curved nose, hazed over from just waking up. Her full lips dry, she licked them once to moisten them.

“Because, it’s safer for you this way.” He closed his eyes, not daring to look at her still form on the bed… She became instantly alert, sitting up quickly in bed she reaches for his hand.

“But we talked about that, I’m fine… please don’t go… not again” He voice grew smaller, she glanced at the picture of them on the nightstand, it was taken by a stranger in January when they had gone ice skating, She was clinging to him in her skates, trying not to fall, and he laughed easily in the picture, now his eyes looked sad and empty. He wouldn’t look at her, and that hurt more, if he was leaving her, she deserved a true good-bye this time. “I’m safer with you… you know that.” He sighed

“Let go of my hand, and maybe grow up.” He pulled away from her, and she bit her lip… that stung, he pulled on his coat, and stamped out of the small room, she heard his steps steadily through the tiny apartment, and then heard the finalised door slam. She slumped back down in her bed. The place felt empty already, and was so quiet that she could hear the ticking of her wall clock in the next room.  She began to cry. Racking sobs that took over her whole body. He could hear her, he stood just outside the door to her apartment, he wanted to run back in and bury her in his arms, where she would feel right, where he would feel like his whole world had been compacted, just to fit snuggly in his arms. A single tear had escaped and make a steady track down his face, he wiped it away angrily. And strode down the hallway, down three flights of stairs and out the small ugly lobby, onto the city street. Once outside, cold February air bit his cheeks instantly. He pulled a pack of Pall Malls from his pocket counting and recounting again, he took one out and lit it. A cherry of an ember sparked at the end, he inhaled deeply, holding the smoke, and then exhaling. He walked away; away from her, away from his world, his love and his life. He had work to do. As he walked the sun grew brighter, it hurt his eyes, and he had been up all night crying knowing full well what he would have to do come morning. He had spent that night watching her sleep. Listening to her even breathing, she had said his name a couple times with a smile in her dreams. That smile made him feel better.

They came in when she had cried herself back to sleep. Raiding the apartment silently, moving through swiftly. Then they found her. When they came in they were wearing normal clothing, but on their faces they wore children’s Halloween masks. She woke with a start, and then screamed, louder than she ever had, her lungs bursting with air. They took her.

Outside, even blocks away he heard her scream. He ran back as fast as he could. Bursting through the door, everything was askew and out of place, his horror grew for the silence scared him near to death. He went to the bedroom, to find it empty, the duvet thrown hastily on the floor, and the picture of the two of them in January lay on the ground facedown, the glass broken. He shook it to get rid of all the broken pieces, then pulled the picture from its frame. He fell to his knees and let out a roar of rage and pain, she was gone… they took her, they would hurt her he knew for sure, it was all his fault, he should have been there, he thought she would be safer with him gone… but now she was in more danger. He had to save her.

Author's Note

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