Collide

Chapter 21

I leaned over the side of my bed, I hadn't gained any ounce of sleep again.
My eyes hung low on the bags holding them up.

My head felt heavy, and my eyes stung. I rubbed my eyes and I felt my nose clog up.

My back ached, I hadn't looked at my back since the war.
I was too scared to see the damage, but I knew that those scars needed to see a doctor.

I gulped and stood, feeling dizzy.

I went to the dining room and my brother and mother sat at the table, Harrison was indulging in the food.
My mother watched him as if her precious little son would leave her sight again.

I walked past, paying them no mind, unable to look at my brothers face.

" Hey Matthew!" Harrison cooed.

I stopped in my tracks and clutched my jacket in my hands. I couldn't turn.
His voice rang in my ears and I heard the gunshots and bombs once again.

" I was wondering if you wanted to maybe go out today?" He asked and I gulped back my screams.

" I'm busy today." I said and I felt the mood shift in the room.
The whole room seemed to fall to complete silence, the wind itself stopped blowing as I I'd offended it.
It stopped, my whole life stopped, and in the moment I knew my life had stopped.

I was on pause for a moment, and then now I'm on fast forward trying to organize how I feel to match everyone's, to catch up.

" Matthew please spend time with your brother." My mother pleaded.

" I'm busy-"

" Matthew! How can you act like this? Your brother had been gone and after all the sacrifice we finally have him bac-"

" I'm busy!" I yelled over her still not looking over to them.

I then rushed out of my house and into the cellar.
Everything was still there, the punching bags and all.

I threw punches and my back stung. I tried working through it and then a stitch on my hand tore open and it bled slightly gushing.

I grabbed wrap and wrapped it around my hand.

I then decided to go see shadow, my beloved horse.

I drove down to the stables and started to saddle him up.
I heard the laughter of kids in the background and the cacophony of them in their own little worlds.

I picked up the saddle off the bench and with a grunt threw it over shadows tall back.
I grabbed his reigns and when I tuned I saw someone standing in the gate of the barn.

She intertwined her fingers and smiled.

She looked so elegant and beautiful in such a casual way.
But something I would have never thought would have happened happened, I could feel the different vibrations in the air.
She changed.

She approached me biting her lip and looking down, unable to keep my stare.
I watched her walk towards me and then I gripped shadows reigns and took a deep breath, not ready for what might be approaching.