Forest of Rope

Chapter 6

Some time later, after all had been said and done and the remainder of tears had been shed, Alexis was ready for the night ahead.

Miles above San Francisco, hoards of stormclouds obstructed what would otherwise have been a beautiful night sky, swirling together in the gale as an aerial maelstrom while quakes of thunder roared for acknowledgement. Back in the auditorium Alexis was getting ready to leave.

'Are you sure about this?' Vincent asked her uncertainly as she made a move towards the exit.

'Yeah, it feels like the right thing to do,' she affirmed without flinching.

'And if he says no?'

'He won't,' she cut across him. 'Besides, it's not like he'll get another chance to do it so why not?'

A loud grumble of thunder shook the room, drowning out Vincent's reply, followed by the first outbreak of rain. It pummelled the walls of the building without mercy.

Unmoved by the cataclysm outside Alexis zipped up her jacket in preparation.

'You'll get soaked,' Vincent stated. 'Let me drive you home.'

'No, that's alright,' she replied with a smile. 'I feel like walking.'

Vincent balled his fists behind his back in silent fury, burrowing his polished nails into his flesh as his knuckles cracked. He couldn't bring himself to walk her to the door so invented an excuse.

'Ok, you see yourself out then. I've got a few things to wrap up here anyway.'

'Ok then, bye,' she said with a parting wave and disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.

Bye...

Vincent listened to her footsteps fade into the clamour of the storm for a few brief seconds before chasing after her, leaving his dignity firmly behind him.

He darted across the marble floors with mad intent, almost missing the first and last steps of the stairs on the way down. He flew down corridors and charged through the darkened auditorium. Missing his footing for a split-second, he struck himself against one of the seats and was thrown violently into the air. He tumbled to the ground with thunderous force, rolling helplessly across the floor until he lost his momentum. The clamour he raised alerted Alexis who had her hand on the door in the next room.

When Vincent shakily rose to his aching feet, the entrance hall was just ahead.

'Wait!' he called to her silhouette which was poised to leave. It looked back at him and tilted its shadowed head in confusion. Breathless and bruised, Vincent almost forgot what he wanted to say.

'Is this the last time I'll see you?'

A silence.

'I think so. I hope not.'

And that was it. She was gone just in time for him to break down into tears right there on the lobby steps.

Outside, the streets were more or less deserted. Alexis fought her way up the sloping straits of tarmac against the howling force of the sleet without pausing for breath. She checked her phone for the time and cringed when she realised that she was late once again. She quickened her pace to compensate, the apartment wasn't too far...

In her mind's eye Riley was waiting for her in the darkness of the living room, seething over her lateness, jumping to conclusions, hating her guts... A chill that had nothing to do with the weather gradually settled over her. She wrapped her arms around herself defensively and came to a complete unpreventable stop.

She rubbed her eyes, thinking perhaps that there were yet more tears to brush away. It was a meaningless effort. All her tears were spent, she couldn't cry anymore. Now her eyes were instead possessed with worry, with regret, with heartache...

In her strangled self-embrace her hand brushed against the chain slung round her neck, its metal links were freezing to touch yet when she looked down at it a certain warmth flowed through her fingertips. She gripped the bone necklace tight and held it close to her heart, where it belonged.

It was then when she saw the truth, saw how foolish she'd been, how reckless, how cruel. Riley didn't hate her, of course he didn't! He was waiting there, just there at the top of the street, merely a minute away and he was there for her just like he always had been. Why couldn't she see it before? Her time with him was so precious, so scarce now... How could she have been so wasteful of it?

Without wasting another second Alexis took off, carried by the wind. She tore down the street in a full run, running like her life depended on it. She slid through the automatic doors to the building the moment they parted for her and jabbed at the elevator button impatiently. She gave up patience and dashed to the stairs after ten seconds. Heart pounding she raced up the floors, waking the neighbours no doubt on her ascent.

She had to make it up to him, to put things right. He was her light, her lifeline, her Riley.

She had the key in her hand before she could even see the door. Demanding herself to keep her composure she forcibly slowed herself when approaching the handle. Trembling with new found euphoria, Alexis slid the key in the lock and after two tries, turned it and fell inside.

The emptiness that greeted her changed everything.

In fact, it killed her.