A Walk

Issac

The darkness swiftly envelopes everything, but that's what it does here. We have no twilight or dusk or even dawn. It is day and then it is night. When I was little my mom used to tell Issac and I that a giant hid behind the mountains and pulled down the sun on a string because he wanted the sunsets all for himself. 

 Mom..... a whimper escapes my lips. I'm irritated at my chest and throat tightening, I don't want to cry.  There's no light for me to see the clouds of dust rise around my feet. I can't distract myself.  I know that if I don't pull it together I won't be able to continue. I whisper his name,"Issac, walk to Issac." My chest and throat relax. 

The dirt ends. My worn sneakers scuff against the rough pavement. I can't see but I don't need to. I've walked this road a million times.

I let my finger drag along the wood of the fence searching for the knothole that would indicate the loose board. There. I push lightly against the board, it flips up. I twist and contort my body to fit through the small opening. "This was so much easier five years ago, damn puberty," I mutter under my breath. Finally wiggling through, I straighten to face the house. It's simple nothing fancy just brick, but I know what it holds, I know that it is so much more than just a house. And I know every inch of it. I tiptoe to the right upstairs window positioning myself directly beneath it.

 Reaching under a loose brick on the ground I find the end of a string. I gently take it in my hand and pull. I know what will happen, that string is connected to a small bell hanging beside Issac's bed and the string just made it ring. Another ingenious invention Issac thought of. I cross my arms and start to become impatient. I start to turn around finally convincing myself that he won't come, but then the window opens. 

The light encircles the face lighting it up like he's surrounded in a light bubble. "Back up Em, I don't want to hit you..." a voice hoarse from sleep stage whispers. In exasperation I sigh, but step back knowing I won't get anywhere until I do. There's movement in the room above me and then something thumps as it hits the wall of the house. A ladder. A rope ladder, my one way ticket to safe haven. I grip the all familiar rope and start to climb. Thoughts and excuses race through my head. What will I say? What will he say? Why did I come? Does he hate me yet? I shake my head at the last one. Stop, and climb, I reassure myself. 

Finally my head is over the sill. I throw one leg over and a strong hand pulls me the rest of the way in. Righting myself I stand. The room is so familiar, a bed and a bookcase stock full of every book you can imagine. The floor is littered with trash, clothes, and other unnameable items. And then I turn and face him.....

Issac, at first I can only stare. He's tall and broad shouldered, with brown hair with blonde highlights and piercing green eyes. His face is one that most girls would faint at the sight of with his strong jaw line full lips, and gorgeous chin. But I'm not most girls. This is my best friend. I quickly recover from the initial shock of seeing him and throw myself in his arms.

"Em, Ember, what.... ok, ok, it's ok." He strokes my hair holding his questions that I know are dying to get out and comforting me.I bury my head further in his shirt letting the smell of cinnamon comfort me. I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not--- I am cut out of another one of my phrase comas by him jerking by the shoulders to look me in the eye. "Ember Leviath what is wrong?" My voice comes out strangled and weak,"I will not......" His concerned gaze melts my damn and I burst into tears mid sentence. 

"Ok, never mind, you're ok, Em. I'm here, you're ok," Issac croons into my neck. He is smothering me against him. I don't notice or care though. The tears are falling uncontrollably. I can not stop. I can not stop. I can not stop..... I am suddenly aware that my feet are off the ground. Issac has picked me up bridal style. He carries me to the bed and lays me down gently. 

He gets in and I immediately curl against him getting as close as possible. "Ember, you will be ok. I will fix this, you're ok." Over and over he says this. Eventually I believe him. I am exhausted, I have cried enough. "Issac," I begin in barely a whisper. His heartbeat is making me sleepy. Thump ,thump, thump ,thump..... "Issac," I try again but fail. His heartbeat overcomes my will to speak. Thump, thump ,thump.......