10 Minute Failure

Chapter 2: That Heart-Toring Event

"What.. Soap do you use?" He asked her, avoiding eye contact.

Elara's eyes turned round as her cheeks turned a peachy pink at his query; Vance, unfortunately for her, noticed this.

"Pardon?-" She asked unable to apprehend his words.

He sighed, leaning back onto nothing.
"What.. Shampoo?" He inquired again in a tone softer than before.

"... Dove."

As soon as Vance was ready to comment on that, his phone rang.

♬♩♪The dance of the sugar plum fairy~ twirling, floating, whirling and turnin-♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♬~

Beep

Without noticing the caller ID, Vance embarrassingly picked up his phone, clearing his throat and keeping the screen onto his now red right ear.

Elara looked away trying to hold back her laughter since his phone rang, what an amusing ringtone.. She thought.

She raised a brow at his new expressions.

His face had turned white as he talked to whosoever was on the phone. It seemed as if all the blood had sunk to his lower body part, his face appeared so pale yet serene, perfect to match his tough-supressed personality.

His outsides appeared serene, but blood gushed inside his organs, penetrating through the thin vegetative cells; his mind had ceased to further emote. His heart skipped a beat, not out of love, but fear.

Elara, on realising this, soon got concerned. His alien expressions were now taking shape. Elara wanted to elaborate on that.

So she did.

"What's wrong?" She started.

Vance looked at her with guilt in his empty hazel eyes.
"I will.. Be right there soon." With that, he hung the call.

"My cat just died."

Elara was flabbergasted. What the actual fuck? Was he kidding?

"What?"

"I got a call from my neighbor.. He's saying that she got chased by some wild dogs."

Elara was speechless. What the hell?

"Hurry. Let's go." Elara demanded.

She grabbed him by his sleeve, dragging him to her car.

"Type in the address. Quickly." He did so, hoping for a miracle subconsciously.

They rushed to the hospital where Vance's cat has been admitted to, seconds before she left this world.

And his.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Vance's POV

I held her soft yet cold body into my arms. Her fur caressed my skin as if she was comforting me from being so upset. My eyes were watery, tensed, ready to tear anytime. The tension never helped.

She looked like a plushie, a little bloody.

I raised a finger, gently touching her whiskers, they didn't twitch anymore.

I wanted to cry.

I wanted to weep like a toddler, which felt ironic coming out from a grown adult.

I just wanted to shed those tears.

I craved that feeling of relaxation after a breakdown.

I held her closer, not wanting to ever bury her and submit her to those hideous maggots. She'd just melt away into the soil and never come back.

"Oh, please.. Come back."

A tear rolled down my cheek, my eyes burning from that alkaline fluid leaking out.

I felt a hand over my shoulder, I immediately knew who it was.

"I know exactly how you feel." Xavier started, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Vance wiped his tears which were flooding out. It was a rare sight even for Xavier.

Xavier, Vance's best friend had rushed to the hospital after getting the news from none other than Elara herself. She did what she felt was right, and she indeed was, right.

Xavier took things into his own hands by declaring to capture those wild dogs with the help of a few wildlife professionals. Not to harm them, but to take them further from the city and train them for better use.

"Take a break, seriously this time." Xavier stated.

Vance was lost in his own deep conceptions. Blaming himself for his cat's brutal fate and what not. Xavier wanted to let Vance know that none of this was his fault.

Vance looked up, trying to suck back those flooding tears from falling anymore.

"I shall.. "

--------------------------------------------------------------