Black Wing [Watty Awards 2012]

Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I don’t think I can take it anymore. It feels like it has been years since I last seen Gabriel, I can still see him when I close my eyes. Those piercing eyes looking into my own as I cried, his soft hands holding the side of my face, telling me that we will see eachother again, no matter what.

Sometimes, I think he told me that just because it was what I wanted to hear.

It’s been a month, a month! That’s the amount of time I have gone without seeing Gabriel, without touching, kissing him. And it’s killing me.

My dad was becoming suspicious because Gabriel couldn’t have been gone for a month looking at colleges. I didn’t bother correcting him anymore, to me; it was obvious Gabriel wasn’t coming back. But there was always that slither of hope in the back of my mind that he would.

My dad and I have grew closer though, now that the weather was warming up we have taken several trips down to the fishing pond (even though I still can’t get a grip on fishing) and I still visit my mother sometimes, though those times have lessened.

Isaac seems to have grown more comfortable around me, which I am thankful for, and we can have a normal civilized conversation now. This is mostly because of the confession he made to me; I think it has helped him slightly, being able to get that load of his chest.

I was sitting at my desk doodling on a scrap piece of paper, when Isaac showed up with a smile on his face, “Good news, Amelia, good news!” he said.

I looked at him, waiting, when I realised he wanted me to ask what it was instead of him actually telling me, I sighed, “Okay, what is it?”

“The Gods have made a decision about Gabriel, they will be telling him tonight”

I froze, the pencil I was holding hovered over the paper, my breath started coming out in pants. I couldn’t believe it! After all this time they have finally come up with a decision?!

“So he could be coming home tonight?”  I asked, nervousness creeping into my tone.

He smiled at me softly, “You know that whatever the outcome, you will either be stuck with me or Gabriel”

That just makes it worse. To keep one I would have to lose the other. I didn’t really want to say goodbye to Isaac, me and him seemed to have grown close over this past month and I really liked having him as a friend.

But to keep him meant I would have to lose Gabriel, and I don’t think I could handle that.

I had been thinking over the past few weeks about what Isaac had said ‘Only if the Gods chose to bring Gabriel back to earth…’ I couldn’t understand why everything rested on Gabriel coming back here. Why everything came back to Gabriel committing suicide.

I had once read something about the ‘never-ending ripples’ and how one decision someone makes can affect so many other lives, otherwise known as ripples.

Gabriel had made the decision, and countless lives have been affected because of it. Me, Casey, Isaac, not to mention Ollie, and probably a handful of others lives aswell. But I couldn’t point the finger at Gabriel, it didn’t feel right. He did it for a reason, partly because of me, but mostly because of his father.

I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact his father used to beat him. It was just one of those things you read about but you never really experience for yourself or one of your close friends.

“So… it is good news, right?” Isaac seemed hesitant and I wasn’t surprised. I had been sitting there for God knows how long staring blankly at the wall, lost in my own thoughts.