a short story that dwells in the memories of a golden boy american agent called Leon Kennedy. after going through the horrors and trauma of Raccoon City, he finds comfort through his ex and childhood friend.
It's my birthday, only one day older than him and a step farther.
Soft platters of the rain trickled down rooftops, clouds heaved with grey wools, drums of thunder thudding across suburbans and tops of buildings on Raccoon City. There's hords of stores filling the corners, the gun store with a catchy pop! stamped over it and a nearby orphanage with rustic brown, the simplest details.
And for one, I always had a keen for the smallest details, eyeing each raindrop trailing over the glass pane, counting each one like the tic-tocs of the clock. How many seconds it took before it puddled down into a small stain by the corner, the patterns of lightning grazing the skies; webbing across the clouds like spiders milking out cob webs
Music buzzed softly from the radio, sweet chimes of Chris Isaak filling the taxi, it was my favorite. Specifically the song me and Leon would turn on during rainy nights when the world seems to stop spinning, going around cities whenever I visited.
The driver's glance set on the rear view snapped me out from my self proclaimed inner "movie monologue" just missing a few film strips that came with it.
Eyebrows furrowed and the brown strands of his hair sticking on the sides, with a bronze bear flicked over his jaw and around his mouth. A baritone voice, cold and likely Bostonian spoke. "Street 14?"
"Yeah, street 14" leaning against the window, head pressed with tightly shut lidded eyes enveloped with the weeps of the rain and the hums of Wicked game lulling me to sleep. Counting each deep breath with the tips of my fingers; my chest heaved as I slowly slipped into unconsciousness before my vision blurred into pitch black.
______________________________________ Deja Vu hit me like a freight train, my figure stood before the halls of a lab, oddly reminiscent with grey walls stretching out in the hallways; My silhouette curved as my feet hit the cool tiled floor, roaming around the sterile face.
Nightmares evoke me with a strange sense of awareness just before the big bang of flashbacks and sleepless nights and this one wasn't so different.
I tiptoed around the coated halls like a fawn wary of headlights. My body felt different like I have shrunken. My curls ribboned on the blades of my shoulders, last time I've checked I didn't give myself a fringe or cut even a strand, not to mention the polyester of the hospital gown tickling my skin or how my shadow seemingly grew smaller.
The more I stared at it the more it twisted and turned. At first a soft smile tugged on my lips, fidgeting with the white streaks that spiralled on my hair, moles over my face like constellations. I spined and jumped, giggling at my smaller frame, I explored the the hallway, glancing at my reflection each time I passed before before I came to a halt.
Taking a step back, as I noticed something so terribly wrong. Eyes forming into two full moons as maroon slithered down the gap of my legs, blood puddled down on the tile and filled the slotted lines; That same ache started to devour my system, an incident that continued to open doors in my dreams even if I laid awake. I couldn't help but go pale, tears ran down my cheeks as anxiety bubbled inside of me; I'm well aware of what a shriek is and before I knew, it spilled out of me like the big bad wolf was out to get my throat.
______________________________________
Ouch. I winced as my taxi driver's call woke me up, a gasp left my lips with eyes wide as cherry pies like I've seen a ghost only to sulk in embarrassment when my driver glanced at me like I'm some escaped patient.
"Ma'am, I've been trying to get to you for five minutes now."
Sighing as I ran a hand through my dark curls before mumbling an apology, clumsily rummaging through my bag and palming an umbrella, wasting no time in hurrying to his apartment. Like any urban apartments, it was quaint with cornflower blue painting the outer walls, slightly upscale with rain trailing down the rooftops with a forest green shade.
Entering it cautiously, before arriving at his door. Knocking for a few times, a soft smile tugged on my lips as the doorknob twisted and the frame creaked.
"Hello?" He groggily croaked, droopy eyes with a navy blue sweater over him and a pair of grey sweatpants, dirty blonde strands sticking on his forehead as he met eyes with me, his gaze quickly searched all over my frame. Eyeing my dark curls brushing against my upper back, dark brown eyes, and the black sweater dress I wore curving with each move.
"Shit, I missed you so much.." Leon mumbled, almost a whine as his arms wrapped around my body, a solid tight grip as if I was hanging on a thread.
And as each bead of the rain cooed, dripping down on his inn and glass pane, a contented sigh left my lips. Head nuzzled on his neck, his coral tinted lips dragged soft kisses on my jaw, warm breath hitting my skin.
"You okay?" He mumbled.
"...No, haven't slept so well lately. I think it's getting worse again."
He raised an eyebrow, eyes glinted with a burn of yearning. "Hey, whatever's bothering you, all those flashback's, I promise it'll get better. I'm here. We're here, okay?"
As the weeping rain clouded the skies, painting grey patches with trembling silhouettes of churning thunder, flesh intertwined with breathless pants and beads of sweat, sweet nothings as our bodies melted in each other like cool wax, it was an imprint of our longing yet it's all blurred in the back of my head; A fading memory.
September 31, 1989
His calloused fingers pressed against the digits, trembling with each beep. He gotten lucky to find a payphone, after hours of relentless searching, out of this hell hole he fought.
Static filled his ears, taking a husky inhale. His face was beaten with bruising hues of purple and blue dried blood rested on his pale cheeks, some of his blonde cowlicks stuck on his sides and the fact he was taking care of a kid along with him didn't make things any easer; So called kid glancing at him near the payphone, curious eyes glancing his way, luckily the blonde haired was compliant atleast. And how he thanked the stars that he wasn't face to face with her, he looked like shit like a divorced dad of one.
He paused, clearly hesitant. "Happy birthday, I called you days before and..and I know you won't pick up, but..fuck.. I missed you so much, more than you would know, more than you care. I just wished I'm with you, now I'm stuck in this pit. But I wanted to say, I hope you're doing-" He cursed under his breath when static muffled his voice.
The sterile beep lingered in the air, lasting for a minute as it dawned on him before quickly dying down. "..I love you." Calling her with no answer was a game of cat and mouse with no mice to chase. It's blurry, like a dusky CD lying in cardboard box.
Our entry ends here.
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