Bridge of Broken Bonds

The first time I saw them was through my blood. The water, engulfed in red; I could hear them screeching with laughter as they swirled in the bowl. It pierced holes in my head, and I lowered onto the floor, hands splattering blood on my ears and down my face as I attempted to cover them from the splintering noise. My screams echoed through the vacant house where I knew no one would ever hear them. Suddenly I collapsed and met blackness.

​I slid the bracelets up my arm, and tugged my skirt down a little more. When I looked back up at the mirror, my breath stopped in my throat as I stumbled back, tripping over my shuffling feet. That's when I made out what was written across the smooth surface in dark red.

​K.

​Nothing else, just the one cryptic letter whose tail was slowly cascading down, slowly down my bewildered reflection; my eyes turned bloodshot and my hazel irises sank into deep holes, and that was the last thing I could see before my vision had blurred entirely. I blinked, and the sunlit room transformed, everything went back to normal, as if nothing ever happened. And perhaps it really wasn't anything.

​I.

​A chill raced through my body as the next bloodstained letter dripped over my locker when I swung it open. My eyes twitched and my sight fuzzed, a siren pierced my head. I crumbled against the wall, face in my hands. Seconds later I felt a tickle on my arm. "Maeve. Get up," a soft voice cooed through my ears and I recognized Delilah's soft voice. "C'mon Mae, Mae get up! Are you okay?" She gently removed my hands from my face and lifted my head. My eyes opened a crack, and though my vision was still blurred, I could vaguely make out her face and gorgeous features those few seconds when they were open, before they fluttered closed.

​"Yeah, I'm alright," I replied grimly. Her eyebrows tilted upward and her forehead crinkled lightly as a worried expression washed over.

​"Oh honey," she began, "you really don't seem alright. Here, let me get your books for you and I'll walk you to class." She got up and started to open my locker...my locker... the one that blood was still dripping all over. My mind spun.

​"No! Lilah stop, they're going to kill you!"

​She turned to look at me, confused, "It's okay, Mae," she comforted. "I'll be fine." She gently pushed my locker open a bit wider, and took out my books. My vision cleared around the I. Could she not see the gruesome blood, slipping all over the interior?"

​I hobbled out of the building that day, my eyes finally had cleared completely around third period. I was evidently lightheaded, grasping onto the circular railing as I tumbled down the school stairs. At the last step I lost my footing and stumbled straight into Dillon's strong arms. I gasped and looked into his wonderful eyes.

​ "You're adorable when you're clumsy," he laughed. His laugh was beautiful; I knew I would never be able to laugh as freely. "Are you alright, Maeve?" he questioned, as he helped me back onto my feet. I nodded slightly and he walked me to the sidewalk to where Lilah was waiting.

​"Ooh, Mae, you don't look so good," she commented as we approached, and I mumbled some gibberish and slumped back into Dillon's support.

​"We'll bring you home and stay until you feel a bit better," he whispered into my ear as he ran a few fingers lightly through my hair. "Let's take her home, Delilah."

​I was carried through my front door, at some point along the way home I think I got too dysfunctional so Dillon decided to pick me up and piggyback me the rest of the way. He settled me onto the couch in my living room, and draped a blanket over me. Delilah set our backpacks on the floor and started to fumble with her phone.

​"We'll stay as long as you need us to," she assured, then, setting her phone aside, she pulled out her and Dillon's books and handed them to him. He tucked the blanket tightly around my body and then settled on the opposite couch and they started their homework as I slowly drifted off.