A.L.E.N - Between Shadows (Chapter 2)

Act 30

Mr. Edward Ross, Cathleen, and Liam were sitting in a classroom, having a conversation about what exactly happened about the accident. Liam grabbed his notebook to write it down, and Liam just said, "For the beginning, how did it all happen?"

Edward started talking about it: "It was in October, a very cold autumn day more or less in the afternoon," and flashback happened back in the 1977s.

October, 1977, with a bouquet of flowers clutched tightly in his trembling hands, Edward approached the nurse's station, his heart pounding in his chest. "Excuse me," he began, his voice barely above a whisper, "I'm looking for Kate. Where can I find her?"

The nurse glanced up from her schedule, her expression tinged with concern. "Dra. Kate is in room 8, undergoing treatment for a patient," she replied gently. "Do you want me to let her know that she...?"

But Edward cut her off with a shake of his head, a determined glint in his eyes. "No need to talk to her. I want to surprise her," he insisted, his voice tinged with excitement. With a nod of understanding, the nurse stepped aside, allowing Edward to make his way towards room 8.

Each step felt heavier than the last, the weight of anticipation and anxiety bearing down on him with suffocating force.

As he drew closer to the room, Edward's ears caught snippets of conversation drifting through the air. His heart lurched in his chest as he recognized Kate's voice, the strain and exhaustion evident in every word she spoke.

"I don't know what to do," she confessed, her voice tinged with frustration. "Having two daughters, Cathleen, who is 6, and Sam, who is now 2, it's tiring."

The reply came in a calm, reassuring tone, a stark contrast to Kate's mounting anxiety. "Kate, you are a great, hard-working mother," the voice affirmed. "I can't imagine how hard it is to raise them alone. But I know that you will make it through."

But before Kate could respond, the voice interrupted her with an urgency that sent a chill down Edward's spine. "I want to propose!" it exclaimed, followed by a softer, more measured tone. "I have the ring here."

In that moment, Edward's world shattered into a million pieces. The flowers slipped from his fingers, forgotten on the cold hospital floor, as a wave of betrayal washed over him.

"How could you...? You son of..." His voice cracked with anger and disbelief as he burst into the room, his eyes locking onto the figure standing before Kate.

But Kate's desperate plea fell on deaf ears as Edward's rage consumed him. With a violent lunge, he made to strike out at Alen, his fists clenched in a fury that threatened to consume them all.

The chaos escalated as Kate, caught in the crossfire, stumbled backwards, her body colliding with an unforgiving iron bench.

The sickening thud reverberated through the room, followed by a deafening silence as realization dawned on Edward.

"Kate!" His cry was raw with anguish as he rushed to her side, his hands trembling as he cradled her unconscious form.

But amidst the chaos, Alen's panicked voice pierced the air, a desperate plea for understanding in a situation spiraling out of control.

As the flames licked at the air, Edward's world narrowed to a singular focus: Kate, lying vulnerable and broken before him. And as the fire consumed everything in its path, he could only cling to her, a silent vow etched in his heart to protect her at all costs.