Whispers in the Dark

The Hanging Tree: Part 2

Cracked- it was how she saw herself. Broken- was how she saw him.

Rachel knew she shouldn't see the world as little pieces; chipped and worn away by life, but she couldn't help it. Her wedding was only a few months off, and she should be happy shouldn't she? She was about to have everything; a successful career, a beautiful house, and the man of her dreams. Yet, she couldn't help but to notice all the imperfections of it all. She had hoped, with her being cracked and Samuel being broken, that together they could fix each other; a perfect match. That hadn't exactly been the case.

Bees were buzzing around in her flower bed outside. The tulips and daffodils were already blooming; early for this time of year. Rachel watched them flying from flower to flower while she sat at the kitchen table. The sun shone brightly, making the colors more vivid- the greens, reds, purples, and yellows- as she stared out the window. What a joke, she thought. Time and a different view- in this case the lighting of the sun- was good at hiding the truth. That underneath it all was nothing but death. Things may look pretty for a while, even covered up with new life, but in the end it all shrivels up and dies. The major flaw in life- people could never see beneath the surface.

Things hadn't been easy; there were bumps in the road. Her parents had always thought Sam was a lost cause, an orphan with a troubled past. They'd thought of him as bad news. He wouldn't be able to support her, could never hold on to a steady job. Said he had moved around too much, and would never be able to settle down. She was told she needed to find someone who could take care of her, who could give her all the comforts of life. But she had seen something in Sammy; the broken pieces. It pulled to her, a connection of two souls; both drifting and trying to find their way. Besides, nothing easy was worth having right?

He was lost, she knew it, could see it in his honey-brown eyes. And she understood it. Rachel had felt lost most of her life, floating along in a world that was already mapped out for her, and doing everything that was demanded by society to be acceptable. But she could never truly fit in with a society that had covered up the cracks with fake smiles. She couldn't wait to get away from it all, and that was when she found her Sammy.

Warm arms wrapped around her, pulling her against a hard chest as soft lips kissed the top of her head.

"You're up early," she stated as she felt Sam's weight lifted off of her.

Sam sat across from her, smiling as he spoke, "I had a good dream."

"A dream, Sammy?" Rachel asked skeptically with a slightly raised eyebrow. Lately, she has been having her own dreams. Things that she couldn't or wouldn't recall. She had always been damaged; weak. Her cracks were breaking, and the darkness was calling to her; whispers that she was too afraid to tell Samuel about.

"I saw a raven," he said, reaching for an apple from the bowl. She could hear the crunch as he took a bite.

"A raven? How does that make a good dream? Sounds kinda' odd to me." She got up, clearing away her dishes. "You were never one to be normal, though. Instead of dreaming about work or your life, you dream of ravens," Rachel shook her head and smirked, "but I guess that's why I love you."

"He spoke to me," he said as if he didn't believe it himself. "I was looking deep into his eye, and I could hear his voice," he finished off, eating another bite.

"And what did the raven say?"

He shrugged, "that we should go see my family."

"But Sammy your family is gone," Rachel said, gazing into his warm honey-brown eyes from the sink. Every time she stared at them, his eyes reminded her of a lost puppy- sad and innocent.