JAMAIS VU, kellyoncé

chapter eight

eight.

Heavy breathing was the only thing close to auditable sound. The natural occurrence disturbed what otherwise could be deemed normal. It was an affront of discretion itself, as if they were tiptoeing around the fact that their fleeting emotions of confusion weren't the cause.

There was a wild and primal force that seemed out of place in the serene atmosphere.

Each gasp and rasping breath, concocted an emotional echo. It resounded in a dimension only they could navigate. No one could pull them out other than themselves. Their concentrated silence reigned supreme.

Neither woman made a gesture to speak. The presence behind their breath was unseen. Its withering carried on as if both women recoiled at the infringement of such raw, unchecked desperation.

The delicate balance between life and death was placed at their feet. Both were mistaken as omnipotent, nothing able to get past them. That lay somewhere between truth and fabrication. They held power, but to what degree? The answer was quickly on the verge of being meaningless.

Though closed, Solange's eyes began to shift in rem. She held both her pointer and middle finger together to Solange's carotid artery. Beyoncé alternately checked both of her radial arteries in her wrists. She lifted her eyelids back once again.

Her eyes twitched back and forth like a malfunctioning machine. Beyoncé held Solange's head into her lap, taking an even better look at her paling face. Julius stood from a crouched position and immediately drew out his phone. Beyoncé met him before he could leave.

She halted his movements, standing firm. "Julius, is she okay? Why does her heart rate feel faint? And her eyes!"

Kelly sighed. She cleared her throat before denouncing Beyoncé's worries. "Your sister is still with the land of the living. She'll be out for an hour or so."

"How can you be so sure? Don't even think about going anywhere." Julius withdrew his weapon. He held a firm grip on the gun. His left hand wrapped tightly around his right to balance the weight evenly. With his expanded shoulders, Kelly couldn't help but to crack a smile.

Kelly looked down to the gash dented into her right hand. The adrenaline tumbled from its high, leaving her further in a state of panic. Irrationality had led her here. If she hadn't of invested in her feelings, she wouldn't be so deeply buried in confusion. She balled her palm taut against her shirt. It was used as a makeshift gauze until she could properly tend to her wound.

Beyoncé temporarily peered away her concern from Solange. Her glare sunk as she attempted to assess Kelly's state. She stood there unreadable and bloody. There was steady blood flow onto her tactile floors amid the deafening noise. Beyoncé reached out to her, but quickly drew her extension back in, looking back down to Solange.

She continuously pushed her hair out of her face, attempting to distract herself from making another mistake. Why was honesty such a priority she lacked? What ifs bombarded her quicker than the thought of losing her sister.

"Like I said. She'll be fine. Grab a blanket. Maybe two. Her temp will drop the longer she's out." Kelly uncoiled her fist and exited the kitchen. After bypassing several rooms, she made her way to the what she presumed to be the entrance.

Thankfully, the sun was still present. She tracked down the steps and throughout the expansive pathway.

Any physical feeling of tiredness was gone. Being in such unfamiliar territory caused a high alertness. Due to a missing phone, her smart watch was not functional. As she traveled through the gravel, Kelly was able to recognize the stables Beyoncé had shown her weeks prior. It wouldn't take her long to find the main road.