"I can't just leave it like this", you think. You quickly decide to say something, anything!
"Maria wait..." You remove your hands from your face and sit up on your bed to look at Maria, your eyes lock, she holds her clothes close to her chest, and she looks like she's on the verge of tears, "Maria... sit back down, please..."
She slowly does as you ask, sitting down on the edge of your bed, placing her clothes on her lap, she breaks eye contact with you to stare at the floor, seemingly unable to handle the heavy awkwardness in the air. Although you initiated the conversation, you're just as lost for words as her, you two sit there saying nothing for several excruciatingly long seconds.
"Maria... did..." It almost pains you to speak, you cringe with every word, and the awkward atmosphere in the room is almost oppressive, "Did you want to have sex with me?"
Maria hunches over, resting her elbows on her legs and burying her face in her hands.
You speak up again, "I... I just need to know..."
"I don't know," she says with a monotone expression.
Confused, you repeat her answer back to her, "You... don't know?"
"I don't know, ok!" she moves one of her hands away from her face to exaggerate the point, Maria soon speaks up to explain herself more "I just... I thought that's what you wanted..."
"What I wanted?" you question, "What did YOU want?"
Seemingly irritated with the questioning, Maria faces towards the sky with her eyes still closed, she clenches her hands into fists until her knuckles turn white. "I just wanted to be with you Lucas!"
She once again hides her face, in her hands, and in a much quieter tone she speaks again, "I just wanted to be with you..."
A heavy silence suffocates the room. Neither of you can even look at each other, both of your minds are racing and emotions are high, you're the first to speak up, "Why...?"
Maria sadly chuckles at the question, "Because you're the only one who ever cared about me..."
"But... what about mom and dad? They love you, I'm sure of it!" you confidently exclaim.
Maria dismisses your remark, "They don't actually care about me, I'm just an object to them... something that'll only be missed until they can replace it... "
A short silence hangs in the air until it is once again broken by you, "So why... why did you choose now to do all of this?"
"Because I don't have any time left..." Maria says softly, "it was either now or never... "
"Wha- what do you mean?", you're taken aback by her answer.
Maria finally looks up, and stares you dead in the eyes, "Time is running out Lucas when that sunsets, all of this ends, I don't have any proof, but I feel it, and every time I think about it, I can feel my heart drop... knowing there's nothing I can do about it, I'm just on a conveyor belt heading to my inevitable end, God... it makes my stomach churn with anxiety... It makes me sick. I don't want it to all end, Lucas," tears start to roll down Maria's face, "I'm not ready... I- I feel like my life has been a waste, and with you gone all the time I- I had no one, I've been so alone..."
"Lucas..." Her voice is audibly shaking now, "I'm scared..."
You were speechless, you had no idea what she was talking about, and especially had no idea how to console her, "I- I don't understand Maria..."
"Lucas... will you hold me... and just tell me everything is going to be ok?"
Asking no more questions you agree with her request, she quietly sobs into your shoulder as the room slowly grows darker, and the sunsets, just as it does every day.
End.
YOU ARE READING
Windows To The Heart
Short StoryIn this visual novel inspired "Choose your own adventure" story, experience something that was mostly written in a few hazy hours, a story about love, death, family, and most importantly, choice. Told from the point of view of Lucas, a homesick rich...
