Terry Richmond
Way too much to even measure...Try to keep it all in...But you got me open, hopeless for you.
The porch creaked beneath her, her hand clutching the railing as if she might bolt again.
She looked like a ghost.
Her clothes hung off her like they belonged to someone else. And her eyes—wide, sunken, and full of something between fear and heartbreak—locked with mine.
She didn't move. Neither did I.
"N...Nicole?" I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.
Her round belly pushed out beneath the oversized hoodie as she stepped back from me, one foot shifting nervously on the porch boards.
I stepped out after her, the screen door creaking shut behind me. The warm air wrapped around us like a blanket, heavy and still—but I barely noticed it. This didn't feel real.
She didn't look like herself.
Nicole's limp, unwashed, tangled hair hung around her face. Her once golden-brown skin was now a pale, grayish hue.
The girl I remembered—the one who used to light up every room she walked into—was buried somewhere behind the hollow brown eyes staring back at me.
My heart ached just looking at her.
"Nicole, please say something," I begged, my voice cracking. "Oh my god!" Megan's voice bounced from behind me, sharp and demanding.
Before I could react, she shoved me aside, stepping in front of me with a force that left me stunned.
Megan walked to Nicole, her hands gripping Nicole's arms, pulling her back as if to shield her from me.
I stood there, frozen, watching the scene unfold, my heart breaking as Nicole's fragile frame seemed to shrink under Megan's touch.
"Don't touch me!" Nicole snapped, her voice raw and shaky as she took a step back, her hand flying up to ward Megan off. "Please, don't touch me... please," she added, her words breaking.
Megan froze, her grip loosening, but her stance still protective. I could see the tension in her shoulders.
The way she was trying to hold it together, but the cracks were starting to show. She didn't move, her gaze never leaving Nicole.
I stood there, helpless, my heart pounding in my chest. Nicole's words hit like a punch, and I could see the pain in her eyes as she looked at both of us—like she didn't know who to trust, who to turn to.
Megan's voice softened, but there was still firmness beneath it. "Nicole, please. I just want to help you."
But Nicole shook her head, her eyes wide, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "I don't need help. I need space," she said, the words coming out broken and desperate.
She took another step back, as though she might disappear if she moved any further.
"I can't do this... right now," Nicole said, her voice breaking as she stepped away from the porch, her body shaking with each step.
Before any of us could react, Benjamin appeared in the doorway, his eyes scanning the three of us.
The tension in the air was thick, and for a moment, he said nothing. His gaze settled on Nicole, and I saw something flicker in his eyes—a mix of concern and confusion.
YOU ARE READING
Jukai
Fanfikcethere was a woman named Nicole who after losing everything she loved set out to take her own life deep in the woods. 𝖳𝖾𝗋𝗋𝗒 𝖱𝗂𝖼𝗁𝗆𝗈𝗇𝖽 was on his way home from his father's farm, getting ready for the storm which was a Category 4 storm tha...
