May the Dreams of Your Past be the Reality of Your Future

“How could you do this to me?”, L'wren sobbed as she looked behind her and saw her boyfriend of 4 years sit still as the door closed behind her.

As she cried silently to herself she stumbled down the driveway to the main road. She felt her ankle ache and made her way to the closest store, Hi-Vee. As she entered, she saw an elderly lady glance at her and quickly made her way to the restroom. While inside she examined the marks and watched the purple tears fall gently from her emerald eyes.

“Why must he do this? Everyday used to be showered with love and affection. Now the only attention I get is when I do something wrong. If he can do better, then why doesn't he?”, she cried as she wiped the dried blood from her mouth. L'wren slowly moved from the restroom to the isles where she gathered a fresh pair of clothes, a brush, cosmetics and a washcloth. One by one, she gently placed them in her bag and crawled back to the restroom where she could fix herself up enough to get a ride.

After a tedious hour of fixing herself up, she staggered back to the main road and waited for a passing car to stop. Hours passed, but still nobody. So, she laid on the edge of the street and dozed off into a sleep.

She awoke to a man's dirty, cold, hand on her cheek. He gently whispered to her, “Ma'am? Ma'am? Are you okay? Do you need an ambulance?” She sat up and shook her head, frightened, “No.. No.. I'm fine.” He grabbed her hand and led her to a rusty, yellow pick-up truck and sat her in the passenger's seat. As she glanced over at him, he accelerated forward and chuckled a bit. At this point, something was making L'wren uneasy. She tried to open the door, and then heard them lock. She slowly turned her head to him as he chuckled louder.

“Uh.. Sir?..”, she stammered.

“Oh, yes ma'am?”, he responded in a thick country accent.

“I need to go home.”

“Well, that's just dandy. You'll make it there. I just need to take you over yonder. Understood?”

“W-Well, over where? I really need to be home. My boyfriend will wonder where I am.”, she could feel her voice get shakier with every passing word.

“There is a story these children tell. I think you'll like it. Just give it a chance. Would you?”

“I don't really have a choice, do I?”, she mumbled as she sank lower into her seat.

“Now miss”, he began, “Don't get so acrimonious. You will enjoy it. It might help you.”

“Help me?”, she said, puzzled.

“With your problem.”

“What problem? Who are you?”, she jerked the handle to the door as he laughed.

“Shhhh.”, he said calmly after his laughter had seized. “I'm not here to hurt. I'm only here to help.”. He rested his dirty hand on her knee.

She glanced at it, “Why are you so grimy?”

His chuckling began again. “You would be grimy too if you hadn't taken a shower in 200 years.”

She stared at him, not getting his sense of humor, and turned forward to face the road. “What's your name?”

“It's not important.”, he said solemnly.

“But, surely you have one, right?”

“Of course I do. Don't be preposterous.”, he said as he slowly turned onto a cliff and slammed on his breaks. He opened her door and sat her on the ground.

Without another sound being made he turned to her and began his story.

“It was about two centuries ago, this land was nothing but a big stone ledge with a bed of rocks stimulating daggers below. A couple, man and woman, came up to discuss their marriage issues. Things weren't going so great, you see.”, he wiped his mouth, “She would always do the smallest things that made his biggest nerves tick. He had a bad temper, you know. That's all it was. He wasn't a bad guy, no he wasn't.

“Well, they were up here, like I said before. They worked things out. She told him that the way he always pushes her around and puts her down makes her feel lesser. He never realized what his doings had done to her. Simple mistake, you know, it could happen to anyone. It's said that tempers fly. Okay, I got off track again. Samuel, that was his name. He asked his wife, Tabitha, for a kiss. He wanted to make it official that their fighting was over. Well, she had to get one more over on him, so as he leaned in to kiss her, she pushed him. What she didn't know is how close to the ledge he was. He fell right off into those rocks and died instantly. What happened to her after you sa-”

“Actually”, L'wren interrupted, “I didn't ask.”

“Anyways” he continued, “After he died, nobody knew what happened to her. It was said she jumped off with him. Other s say she moved on and forgot all about him, that he got what he deserved.”

“I would push mine if I got the chance..”, she mumbled softly.

She was looking at the ground, but it wasn't hard to miss the look he was giving her. She felt chills all over her body instantly and looked up at him. “I mean.. Everyone deserves a second chance..”

He shook his head and gently placed his hand on her knee. “Not everyone.”

“I'm going home now.”, she protested as she rose to her feet.

“Very well then. I'll take you.”

All the way back to her house, there was silence. In fact, it was the most deadliest silence L'wren had ever heard. He pulled into her driveway and unlocked the doors. She got out quickly, but felt the need to thank him. She turned and did so, and watched him as he drove away into the fog.

She slowly walked up the driveway and noticed her ankle was no longer hurting. She stood at the door and took two long, deep breathes and then slowly waltzed into the house. She tip-toed into the bedroom where her boyfriend was laying and quietly began packing all of her items. As she turned to leave, she hit her foot on the side-table and woke him.

“Where are you going?”, he looked at her.

“Somewhere. I can't be here.”, she said sternly.

“What? Why, baby?”, he sat up and turned the lamp on.

“You push me around. You treat me like dirt. I met someone tonight. He taught me that not everyone deserves a second chance.”

As she turned to leave the bedroom, he jumped out of bed and grabbed her arm. “Stop. You can't leave.”

“I can, and I will.”

“What will you do without me?”, he said smugly.

“Well.. Some would say I would move on and get over you.”

“Yeah, and the other side of that is you not ever finding someone for you and you crying yourself into a depression and you kill yourself.”, he laughed menacingly.

She smiled and nodded her head, “Precisely.”

He scratched his head in confusion and watched her leave. He followed her all the way down the steps and stared out the window as she got in her car and pulled out of the drive.

All the way down the road she was contemplating her decision. “Where would I go?”, she thought, “Even if I have to live on the street, I will never crawl back to him.”

Then, in the back of her mind she heard a familiar voice say, “ Other s say she moved on and forgot all about him, that he got what he deserved”..

She glanced to her right and saw the man from earlier, and felt his grimy hand on her knee. He smiled at her as she saw the name tag on his jumper that read “Hi, my name is: Samuel”.