Through Fire

Chapter 7 - Roman

It was hard to watch the aftermath effects Allie's dangerous experience had on her. She became really withdrawn and reluctant to be around people, became so quiet and distant. It angers me beyond reason to think about what happened, and what almost happened to my girl... My Thea. The thought of some low, disgusting dirt bag touching Allie the way he did, hurting her, and the intention he had... Infuriation is an understatement. There isn't a word to describe the boiling, feral anger in my gut, the one that makes me want to tear this area apart until I find that god damn shit bag.

I seriously want to kill the guy, and I've never felt like this before. Not even the hatred for my father has reached this level of actual malicious intent. He was terrible to me growing up, hurt me in ways no one will ever experience, but I didn't care about myself enough to feel the way I do now for Allie's assailant. She is... beyond everything to me. That guy tried to violate my whole world, the light and love of my life, my Aleithea. I will kill him if I see him.

The experience snuffed out her light. That fact, the one I witness every day, is the hardest one to watch develop. Her life and her joy, her shining happiness and her vibrancy has been smothered. I feel so helpless... I try so hard to bring her joy back, and it scares me to discover how much I need it once it's suddenly gone. I just want to see her smile again. Not those little smiles that last a brief second when I say something sweet to her. I need to see her face shine when she beams, I want her big goofy smiles to come back, I need to hear her belly-laugh.

I do everything I can to comfort Allie, to bury the memory of what happened with every ounce of my love and protection, but it never seems like enough. She tells me time heals all wounds and that that's all she needs to be her old self again. I know she's right. I just can't stand the fact that this whole thing is something I can't fix, caused by something I couldn't prevent. But I won't stop trying to help mend my Thea.

Sitting on the porch of the lower cabin, I hold a slumbering Chloe in my lap as I stare blankly from the wooden bench swing. One of my uncles is in the yard ahead of me kicking a soccer ball around with a few of my young cousins and Sage's other two siblings. A dark cloud has been hanging over my mind all day, and I often find myself brooding alone in my thoughts. Allie has been in the upper cabin since this morning 'taking a nap,' her usual excuse to be alone. My mother has been asking me about Allie's well-being a lot. Everyone has been noticing her sudden change, how could they not? Her liveliness and her spirit brighten the whole place up, and now it has suddenly vanished. Janie has been especially worried about her. I just tell everyone she's coming down with something and needs a lot of rest. My mother constantly sends me up with soup and toast and crackers and tea for her, but I've noticed she doesn't consume much of it. I've never been so worried about someone like this. We've got to get her out and moving, doing fun things after she's had her time of solitude. That's the next step, I think.

A car pulls into the drive, bringing me from my thoughts. Sage appears from the driver's side, moving around the vehicle to meet up with another figure from the passenger's seat. I move Sage's little sister off of me gently as I peer down curiously at the approaching pair. Who has he brought back with him?

He nods at me as I wait for them on the steps of the porch, and I recognize the short girl as Allie's friend from school, looking different with a new haircut.

"Hey, guys," I greet, and Kaitlin flutters her fingers at me.

"Sup? Mazie texted me about Allie before I left Worthing. I thought she might like to be with Kait for a bit. Thought this situation could call for her best friend." I nodded, a flood of relief washing over me as I praised his forethought. I hadn't considered that. Kaitlin will probably help a lot, in much different ways than I can.

"Where is she? I'm dying to see her..." she said, her eyes expressing her worry.

"She' in the upper cabin in her room, I believe. She's been wanting to be alone since it happened, but I think she'll be really happy to see you."

I lead Kait towards the upper cabin, and Sage says he's going to go tell the adults about our visitor for Allie. Kait makes gentle small talk on our way into and through the cabin, mostly comments and complimets about the place. Once we reach Allie's room, I knock on the closed door as Kaitlin waits silently beside me.

"Thea? It's Rome. I have a surprise for you."

We both pause before her voice sounds from behind the door.

"A... surprise? You can come in."

I gesture for Kaitlin to wait for just a moment as I open the door and slide in the frame, my heart sinking like it always does at the sight of my girl. She picks her head up from where she was lying unmoving, her eyes dull as they meet mine. "What kind of surprise?"

"Sage brought you something back from Worthing that he thought you'd like." I look into the hall and nod at Kaitlin, who passes me through the door into Allie's room. Hope warms my heart as the sight of Kaitlin brings the light of joy flashing into Thea's eyes as she gasps softly and sits up.

"Kait!" she exclaims, and I sight a mist in her eyes right before Kaitlin joins her on the bed to gather her in her arms. The two girls hug each other tightly and exchange excited greetings and 'I've missed you's and 'so much has happened's. They're both wiping tears from their eyes when the embrace ends, and Allie looks up at me.

"Thank you so much, Roman... Tell Sage I said thanks..." I smile at her, her happiness and relief filling me with the same.

"Of course, darlin'," I tell her softly before I take my leave.

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Steel here. I keep apologizing for this, but it's ooooobvious I haven't had much inspiration to write in a long while. And I realize the updates are short as well, but the next one should be coming shortly (IPROMISE.) so be expecting another soon! It took me practically all day to write this one, but that's what happens when you sit down to write with no solid plan of how this chapter's content will goooo.. But I have a preeeeetty good vision of what the next chapter will look like by writing this one, so no worries ;) Thanks for puttin' up with me!

I've also been pondering the idea of taking certain scenes and drawing them as comic pages. Not sure if that'll turn into reality, but I definitely want to draw some of the characters soon for 'er body.

Hee. :B