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THE ROOM SHE was now sitting in had lavish furniture and pastel paintings. The wall was colored a vibrant maroon, with expensive fabrics and leathers seamed to the chairs and couches. Her mind had been rendered blank, she couldn't fathom anything not anymore amidst the thick, damp air that clawed at her lungs. She was alone in the excruciating silence, where she was left to listen to her own strangled and shallow breaths. In and out.
The door suddenly slammed open, with Everett running inside. She held out her arms to him, as soon as she spotted him. And he climbed onto her lap, with his arms wrapping around her torso. Snuggling his face into her chest just like they did in the few hours past. Sobs from the little boy reverberated around the room. The cloth of her dress was dampened with the fat tears that streamed down his face. Her arms tightened around him. For a couple of minutes, they stayed like that saying nothing. He began to hiccup, into her chest. Her hand gently rubbed circles on his back.
"You promised" the little boy mumbled into her chest. Tears collected at the corner of her eyes when she heard the brokenness of his voice. Rubbing at them hastily, she pushed the young boy off her chest to look at her.
"And I won't break that promise. I will always be here with you, no matter what happens." She jutted her pointer finger to the left side of his chest. "I will be right there with you, whenever you need me. " She unclamped the worn leather watch on her wrist and tightened it around his wrist. The tiny cogs were still working, the clock face was paneled with a scratched blurry film of glass. But the small metal hands kept moving even after all these years with the same ticking precision they had the first time the relic was given to her.
She pointed towards the faded face of the clock. "To remind you that I will always be there no matter what, and I want you to protect it when I am gone." His fingers tightened around her arm, looking at her with pleading eyes.
"I don't want you to go, I don't want you to leave. Please." His hands clasped her face, cupping her cheeks.
"I have to Everett, but I will try my best to come back to you, I can tell you that," Orianna said, with a heavy voice. It was taking everything in her not to crack and crumble from the heavyweight of consternation that strangled her throat every time she tried to take a full breath of air.
"Please really really try"
"I will" she nodded her head. She knew the reality of this situation, she was dealing with experienced killers. There was little to no chance of her making it out alive. But she couldn't reveal that kind of news to the boy, not now. She trusted the people around her to take care of him. The one person she couldn't live without. He was going to be ok, at least that's what she told herself repeatedly. His hands dropped from her face, reaching into his pant pocket pulling out something, the item enclosed tight within his fist. Taking her hand that laid limp on his shoulder, he placed it on her palm closing her fingers around it and pushing it to her chest. It was smooth, and cool to her touch.
