You Make The Pain Go Away

Chapter 9: Spilling of Hearts

Chapter 9

The coming days passed by under scrutiny. Each school day started and ended with Clyde and Dana walking together. Then after school was finished at 2:30. They'd both arrive home at 3pm and sleep until 11pm then the team of 3 would do experiments until 3am. Following that they would do homework or lesson work every morning until school started back up at 9:00am.

It had been going great for Dana who had already gotten used to the rigorous schedule, but for Clyde who was beginning to look sicker and sicker every day that passed. Dana knew she had to change something. After a week and a half passed, she relinquished control and gave Clyde a week off. During this, Dana had planned to study the results in depth and try and pick out some clues that might not be as easy to see as some of the strange results they got.

Ms Queens offered to help but even Dana could see the bags under her teacher's eyes growing deeper everyday.

"Have a nice day! Let me know if you need help with the homework. I'll be sleeping though till around 11 or 12." Dana said as she waved to Clyde who continued to his own driveway.

"Sounds good, I'll let you know. Thanks!"

Like clock work, as her parents arrived home, all her hope drained. The helplessness, sadness, pain and fear all began to drown her. It was past 7pm when they arrived and in the deepest sleep she could be in, Dana's dreams ran rampant.

She saw herself, numb to the world. Completely a shell. It wasn't going to be stopped, she was going to die a slow death and there was nothing she could do.

Dana awoke with a start, wiping the sweat off of her brow. Her heartbeat drummed sickeningly loud in her ears. She pulled her knees up to her chin to lay her head on them.

Using the dim light given off by the alarm clock, which read 11:10pm, she tiptoed off her bed and down the hall. Ever so softly, she went to the small window at the end of the hallway. It's 20x20 frame giving her a landscape view of the Woodlows house. She clasped the small LED flashlight that rested on the window sill and clicked it on. Pointing it out towards Clydes house she waited. As the minutes ticked by, she grazed the off switch her her thumb. Hoping to get a response.

Then, as if Clyde had heard her plea, a small light flicked on in the attic window. Dana switched the flashlight on and off 5 times, giving him the signal for 5 minutes. A reply came almost immediately of 5 flickers. Then she switched off the flashlight to ran back to her room for warmer clothes.

Dressed in a long sleeve, a hoodie, and an overcoat. She ran in her wholly socks and slippers to meet him at the end of his driveway.

"What's up?" Clyde said as he approached.

Dana shrugged, then nuzzled her face into her overly fluffy coat collar.

Almost as though it was instinct, Clydes arms slid around Dana's shoulder to tuck her softly into his shoulder.

"Let's walk." He said softly, and then they did. Each step eroding the heavy weight on Dana's shoulders until finally she said,

"I'm going to die."

Clyde must not have heard, or didn't process because he didn't make a noise. Dana didn't know if she should say it again or just let the subject drop. She resigned to let her looming death fade from the conversation.

"When? Like now?" Clydes arm slowly tightened around her, giving her the feeling of warmth and protection.

"In the next few years. My radius has been increasing every couple of feet each year. It might not seem like a lot but-"

"It's a lot." Clyde stopped walking. Dana turned slowly to look up at him but he pulled her into a hug before she could look at his face. His body was flush against hers as one arm curled around her shoulder and the other cupped her head in a protective motion. "It is definitely a lot."

And without any extra prompting, Dana began to cry. Fat ugly tears spilled down her cheeks. Bitter resentment escaped in the gasps she took. She clung to the only thing she had, the only boy that could hold her and not taint her own thoughts.

Clyde clutched her harder, his empathetic nature making his heart break along with Dana's.

"We'll find a way to fix it." Clyde said and Dana squeezed him tighter. He had said 'we'll" find a way, which made Dana not feel as alone. This was no longer her burden to bear alone.

The walk home had been filled with the silent night air and the occasional recovering sniffles from Dana betraying nose. Clyde walked Dana back all the way to her front door, not even pausing to give her a choice. In all honesty, Dana didn't want to be alone but she knew it was time to face reality.

She waved Clyde goodbye, then watched his back as he made his way to his own house. Her life wouldn't be as lonely as she'd thought, there was light on her path and a partner to walk down it with her.

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