The Secrets We Hold | February 1st

Prologue | Our Final Goodbye

WARNING: sad, grab your tissues and a teddy bear to comfort you.

It was raining.

The light drizzle poured down into the city streets. The sky was grey which gave off a gloomy day.
People held jackets, coats, books above their heads as the scurried to escape the streets to dry land. But we don't care about the other inhabitants of this city. What we care most is the two lovebirds with a tragic story. They both hold newspapers above their heads, laughing as they run towards the car.
"Hurry!"The young boy called over his shoulder. I'd say he's 19 years old.
The girl let out a giggle and hopped into the black BMW. She looked to be 18, a year younger than the boy sitting next to her in the drivers seat. "Where to, my knight in shining armor?"
He flashed her a smile and put his index finger against his pink lips. "It's a surprise." He pushed the key into the ignition of the vehicle and backed the car up, into the streets.
They drove in silence, the girl staring out her window, watching the rain droplets race down the glass. And the boy focused on getting to their special destination. With a gasp, the girl turned her gaze to him and grinned.
"We're going to that Japanese restaurant!"
"Yes,"He nodded, glancing her way. "We are. It just so happens that my uncle owns the place."
She leaned towards him and placed a peck on his cheek. "Not such a surprise now. But I think I can pretend I never knew."
He chuckled, his eyes never leaving the road.

On the other side of them, comes a drunk driver. He's had a little too many and his vision is blurring. At a red light, he stomps on the gas. At a green light, he slows. At a yellow, he goes into full speed, not caring that he just missed an old lady by a few centimetres.
He decides to not take his foot off the gas pedal, speeding down the road carelessly.

The green light goes and he presses on the gas. The girls eyes widen and she shouts something he can't quite understand. And in just a few seconds, a truck crashes into them, sending them skidding to their left. It wasn't a big impact, just enough for a dent.
"Are you okay!"The boy asks, urgently shaking the girl next to him. "Hey, babe, are you hurt?"
Her eyes flutter open and she stares out the window. She turned her head to meet her boyfriends gaze. "Yes, I'm fine."She responds.
The boy spots another car, driving towards them pretty fast. Instinctively, he pulls the girls head down into his chest. Just before the impact happens, he braces himself.
The black BMW gets flipped over onto its side and skids towards a building. The car is going to need big repairs. The airbags come popping out. And the girl lets out a groan.
Her head hurt and just below her hairline, a gash oozing with blood. She reaches up to touch it, wincing when the flesh of her fingertips comes into contact with the deep wound. The windshield was broken, glass glistened everywhere. She pulled at the handle but the door appeared to be stuck. She twisted her body to kick at her stuck door. When the door popped open, she unbuckled her seat belt and lifted herself up to look at the damage.
Cars scattered throughout the streets, burning up in flames. She felt like she was watching a zombie apocalypse happening. People ran around, shouting, screaming, panicking. The streets were covered in blood. The scene sent chills down her spine.
She lowered herself back down into the vehicle. Her eyes darted from her boyfriends face to his bleeding leg. The crimson liquid soaked his pants and the flooring.
"Get up!"She whispered, her voice shaky as she tapped his face. His brows furrowed, bunching up the skin above the bridge of his nose. She tapped his face more and then went to work on his leg.
"Hey,"He whispered. His mouth was filled with blood and as he spoke, some of it dribbled down his chin. "I'll be fine."
The girls eyes filled with tears and she stared up at him with horror. She shook her head furiously. "No! I'll get you out of here, I promise."
He chuckled as he rose his hand to cup her cheek. "I believe in letting go—"
"No!"She shouted sternly as she smacked his hand away. "We'll be fine!"She went to work on his leg and finally got it unstuck.
He stared at her dirt and blood stained face in awe as he watched her climb back out the car. She extended her hand towards him and he gave her a sad smile. Weakly, he reached for her but he made sure he was slightly out of reach.
"Don't play games, Zek!"She growled, reaching in further to grab his blood covered hand.
"This is the part where the car explodes, in the movies."He whispered. He let his hands fall to his side and he flashed her that killer smile. "I won't let both of us die."
His foot came shooting up towards her shoulder, sending her flying. He kicked with all his might. Hitting the pavement with a thud, she looked up just in time to see the vehicle, holding her boyfriend, explode into flames.
A shockwave of realization went through her body as her eyes stung. She stood up, staggering towards the BMW, a heartbreaking scream erupting from her throat. A pair of hands grabbed at her arms, holding her back. The waterworks started, pouring down her face as she watched with horror in the rain. As she listened to her boyfriends screams of agony. His smile replayed in her mind as she tried to run back to the car to save him. His screams of pain came to an abrupt stop, a painful silence falling upon these city streets like snow. Causing her to breakdown.
"No, no, no, no ,no ,no!"She wailed, pushing the man holding her away. People ran after her, grabbing her arms and pulling her back. Someone wrapped their strong arms around her waist as her knees weakened. She cried loud. Allowing everyone to hear her pain.
The man holding her pulled her close to his chest, whispering soothing words but her screams overpowered them easily. She lowered herself to the ground, recalling those last moments.

"I love you."

He had mouthed those words just before he pushed her. Just before he saved her. But who was gonna hold her and coo soothing thoughts into her ear? Who was going to drive her to fancy restaurants owned by their uncle? Who was gonna kiss her goodnight? Who was gonna tell her everything's alright? Because the one who did that is gone. The one who did all those things is no longer breathing. Instead, his body burns to ashes in that vehicle right before her eyes.
She knew, deep down, this was

their final goodbye.