I've Found What I'm Looking For

Chapter 7

So what did he do? He left...

He just didn't have the strength for this, right now, right here... he didn't want to have the drama deep in his heart.

Soon he stood just at the doors, the night slowly turning into dawn and Calloway took a heavy breath in when his ride finally came.

What was it?

Oh, just a helicopter.

The propellers were loud and blustery as it landed on the free stretch of land across the way, and the old tired lion got into it, getting ready to leave.

He just had no strength left.

He watched through the window as the land below him began to grow small from the higher and higher height he was gaining in the sky.

He closed his eyes weakly for a second, taking a deep breath out, before turning his gaze at the pilot and asking.

"Not going to spend Christmas with your loved ones?"

"Ah, I'll be back by morning." The antelope pilot said and Calloway stilted his lips in a half smile, half frown as he looked back up to the dark sky and how the sun was starting to split in the horizon, a warm golden light tracing the line between earth and sky.

"But it already is..." The lion uttered to himself and sighed heavily, pressing himself back on the seat.

When Ash got home, she was surrounded quickly by her family members, all of them in shock and horror at the sight of her cask.

"Ash!" Her mother cried, rushing to her side and looking at the hard molded plastic around her arm, "How could you do this to yourself!"

"I-" Ash muttered, not knowing exactly what words she should get out, "I... didn't want him... to go."

There was a small silence then at that moment and her brother only said, after taking a swig of his beer can.

"You could've just thrown a brick through the window."

Ash's mouth dropped open with his ill advice and she only sighed heavily, walking back into the warm toasty house, but with her head down in shame.

"I... I just-"

"Look, it doesn't matter now," Her mother said quickly to them all, and hurried up after Ash, placing her hand on her daughter's weak shoulder gently as she continued, "Everyone we love is here and safe and that's all that matters."

"Here, here." Someone ushered out and the rest of the family, besides Ash cheered in unionism and truth of this fact.

But that was not the case for Ash. No, the one she loved so much right now was gone once more... and she would have to nurse a broken heart for the rest of the holidays.

As the sun began to light up the sky the hours that passed, at seven in the morning, with terrible sleep, Ash found herself back on the porch and looking at the heavily clouded sky that hung just above her head.

Everyone's head.

She hoped that Calloway was okay... she had lied to herself when she had left him at the hospital last night. Lying and thinking that if she just said no to her heart, things would be okay again.

But she was wrong... and the emotional pain was so deep, tears balled in her eyes as she closed them, the tears running down her cheeks like little streams.

Calloway felt the same pain, although now he was miles and miles away.

The helicopter was approaching his mansion quickly, flight the fastest way to travel, and he gulped hard as he saw the lonesome large house awaiting for his sad pained self to return.