To Leap From Heaven [A Romantic Thriller]

34.

When Catherine had fired the volley of bullets in the direction of the fleeing shadow, one bullet had ripped a hole through Carl's shoulder. He had given a yelp, like that of a wounded puppy, and holding his one arm with his free hand had fled the mansion. Despite his big mouth, and big-boy bravado, he had a low tolerance for pain, and without his firearm he was a coward. With difficulty he unlocked his hired vehicle, and could hardly start the engine to get away. Pain seared through his body, and he had to clench his teeth to make it go away. He finally succeeded, and sped away like the devil was after him.

Blood gushed from the wound, and streaked his clothes and the car, but that was the least of his worries. His only goal was to reach his motel room. Once there, he would assess the damage and take remedial action. Carl did not dare to stop at a drugstore for what he needed, and the last thing he wanted was to go to a hospital. There he would get the proper treatment, but they might get the police involved. Taking the country's volatile situation into consideration, it would be best to avoid contact with people, especially the police.

As soon as he entered his room he phoned the proprietress and ordered the painkillers. He went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. His one eye was swollen and half closed. Blood cakes ran from under his nose, and his arm was not as bad as he had thought. He cleaned himself up as best he could, and when the painkillers were delivered he took a few and washed it down with brandy. He poured brandy over the open wound, and almost screamed out in pain. Carl tore up some of his clothes, and used them as bandages, after which he fell into a light sleep.

Images of his life flashed through the heavy fog of hallucination. A woman stood in front of a little boy, but try as he may, he could not see her face which was partly obscured by shadows. He was convinced it was his mother and he whispered, “Mother, I have been looking for you. I'm your son. Don't you recognize me? They say you never wanted me, that you never loved me, but here you are, and I'm so glad. No one who came to the orphanage to adopt children took me. Now I know why. It is because I was waiting for you to come and fetch me, and you did. Take me home, mother, and we will be happy together. We can go look for my father, and we'll be a happy family. It is something I have always wanted, and I am no longer an orphan, I have parents, and I love them, and they love me too.”

The woman stood and looked at the boy. She could not move, and neither could he. A gulf separated them, and crossover was not possible for either one. The woman dissolved and became one with the darkness. The boy became a man, and a variety of the jobs he had, random people he had met, and girlfriends crossed his mind, until he came full circle back to Catherine. “I love you Catherine. I always have, and always will. Why can't you love me the same way? What's wrong with me?”

Because of the unattended wound he  developed a fever. He curled into a fetal position, and hugged his body. Although his body was gripped by a hot fever, he felt cold. “Hold me, Catherine. I am so cold. Mother, are you there? Talk to me. Sing me a lullaby, I want to hear you sing. No one has ever told me a bedtime story. Will you tell me a story, please? You have such a beautiful voice.”

His mind wandered from pillar to post, and in and out of a labyrinth of a thousand thoughts, images, and emotions. They did not remain for long in his disordered  brain, and at times they became mixed up. His supposed mother's face turned into Catherine's, and he called them by different names. At times he whispered, and at other times he screamed out loud. His head throbbed, and so was his body, and his soul was on fire. The night seemed as if it would never end, and neither would his torture.

He stood on the brink of an abyss and looking down into it filled him with an unknown terror. But the darkness seemed to beckon him to take the leap and end it all. He hesitated, but the pull from the deep pit acted like a magnet and he was unable to resist. It called his name and no longer able to resist its persistent call, he spread his arms, closed his eyes, and took the plunge. He had an idea what was waiting for him at the end of his journey, but he did not want to see it. The wind swished past him, distorting his face, and making it impossible to hear anything else.