Lost Girl

Chapter Eight: Falling

 Hames didn't show up for school the next day. Amaris waited at the front of the school for him to appear. But he didn't arrive there either. She took in a deep breath and began the trek.

Getting on and off the T wasn't the problem, it was walking through the neighborhood where Hames told her not to walk alone that made her heart pound. Keeping her head down, she ignored the calls telling her to come to them and walked toward the back of the park.

Getting to the run-down house, she saw the red flashing lights. Running toward the lights, she ran into the house to see them rolling out a black body bag.
Breath caught in her throat as the bodies from her memory resurfaced. Dead bodies piled on the floor, she pushed the memory aside as the commissioner walked toward her. "Who are you?"

She shook her head. "I'm nobody. Just a friend. Is it true...?"

The Commissioner's lips former into a fine line. "Do you happen to be Mari?"

"Yes Sir," she replied.

The man pulled an envelope from the inside pocket of his coat and handed it to her. "This was addressed to you."

Her focus, which had been on the envelope, turned back to the Commissioner as she tentatively took the note. The man walked away as the walkie-talkie blared words into the silent air.

Amaris opened the envelope, taking out the notebook paper. Finished reading the messy scrawl, she slipped the letter back into the envelope and shoved it into her back pocket. Dropping her school bag on the ground, she took off past the coroner and ran to the T.

Begging not to be too late, she kept moving as the T dropped her off at her stop. Bursting out the sliding doors, she bolted toward Northwood Bridge.

Only five more blocks. Come on, come on. She couldn't let it happen, not to him. He couldn't go down like this, he deserved much more than the hand he got. He didn't know he deserved better. She had to show him that he was worth it.

Facing the crosswalk she pressed the walk button. When it didn't give the signal, she pressed the button again. The cars didn't stop. Groaning, she ran into oncoming traffic. Horns blared in warning within the current of the concrete river.

She stopped on the outside of the demolition site. Looking up, she could see someone on one of the top floors of the shambled mill. Red bricks converged with the river, leaving murky puddles of the past washed away. Bursting out of her stupor, like a popped bubble to sprang toward her very real reality.

She ran into the building. Ignoring the cautionary signs posted on the walls. Skipping steps on the crumbling stairwell. Not seeing anyone on the individual floors she pressed forward.

Hold on. Please, please hold on. Wait for me.

She got to the top floor to see him standing there, looking out over the street below.

"Hames," Amaris whispered.

He turned towards her. Shades off and hair barely covering his mismatched eyes, void of hope. She stood trembling. Almost in slow motion, she could see him falling apart.

He laughed to himself. "Weird. I could see your hope die."

She could feel tears well in her eyes. "Please, Hames. Talk to me."

He shook his head and stepped away from her. "Why do you care?"

Tears streamed down her face. Seeing her, sadness crept into his eyes and echoed in the halls of his mind.

She choked down a sob. "Because I think I love you. And you deserve to live, I know it. I know that's what David would have wanted for you."

He shook his head before shouting, "David is dead! He's gone and I'm alone."

Amaris shook her head. "You're not alone, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." Amaris pleaded through silent tears.

He shook his head, "you don't get it. YOu have people. A good home and a good life. I have nothing!"

She bit her tongue at the wrong accusation before saying the words. "Please. Come down from there and we can talk about this."

He took another step away from her and shook his head disapprovingly. "I need to do this. I need to follow."He said through tears. "I'm sorry." He backed his body away and through the broken window and into the winds.

She didn't scream or yell. But the wind pushed the hair away from her running body as she jumped through the broken window after him.

His eyes widened as she pulled him against her, or he pulled himself to her. A thought for another life.

They tumbled through the air. Colors flashing before her eyes, wind howling around them. Reaching toward the building to grasp something, anything that would slow their fall.

Failing to do so, she tried to position herself so she would take the brunt of it. He kept switching their positions. When gravity pulled them toward the earth, they both hit the ground with shocking force.