If only I had known

He turned the key in the lock and opened the door. To his horror, he saw a set of pale feet, hanging just above the door frame. Instantly, he knew. He didn't exactly know how he knew, but he did. It may have been the light blue shade of polish, spread evenly among each nail. But, he knew that was not it. It was the same thing that made him go into the abandoned building and up the creaky old stairs into the attic. It was the heart wrenching feeling, like some one stabbing a knife into his chest and twisting.

He always knew the key she had given him the day they met would mean something. But this, this he was not expecting. She had been fine, taken off her meds about a year ago. They only did that when they were better, right? She had promised him she would come to him if she ever needed him. And she had, many times. When she had her horrifying nightmares, or when she found herself slipping back into her old ways, losing to the cold, hard metal blades. She had seemed slightly more distant, but avoided the subject and always reassured him that she was fine. How could he have been so stupid! So blind! She was dying a little everyday and he couldn't even save her! Now, here she was, no longer among the living.

"Oh, Sara. My dear, dear Sara. How did it come to this?" He asked aloud. Hoping he would wake up and have it all be a nightmare.

He stayed there for a while, partly waiting for the cover of darkness, and partly because he needed closure.

"If only I had known....." He murmured into her hair as he removed her neck from the rope.

After pulling her free, he looked outside to be sure that night had fallen. He held her in his arms, with silent tears running down his cheeks. "Oh Sara, I wish you could have stayed. Maybe we could've been happy, you know? Maybe I could have fixed you."

He carried her all the way to the woods, and layed her beneath the weeping willow, right near the river. It was where they first met. They had both been escaping something that day and, in a way, they finally had.

He left her there, in total peace, and headed back up toward the old home. He walked back along the creaky stairs, and into the attic. He knelt down to say a prayer for forgiveness. When he got up, he noticed the wrinkled piece of lined paper.

Dear tom,

I am sorry I had to leave like this, but you must understand. They kept calling to me, the things in the dark. They begged me to come, taunted me when I refused. But, worst of all, I kept seeing THEM. The ones who took my freedom, my life. They tortured me everyday for 16 years. I won't let them do it any longer. 

I'm so, so sorry,

Sara

The handwriting was scrawled and rushed. He crumpled it up and stuffed it in his pocket as he closed the door. He inserted the key, the key that had changed every thing, and locked the attic once more.

He had the feeling when he walked in that she had lived here. Turns out THEY had too. He poured the lighter fuel and light the match. 

So, he set her forever free with the smoke billowing out of that house of hell. 

Author's Note

possibly going to make into book. Let me know what you think! Helpful criticism and comments are greatly appreciated.