SILENT DREAMS

THE TRUTH

A few days had gone by. Neil hadn't come back to work. Emily was broken, but relieved. She couldn't believe she had hire a murder.

She just sat her desk, and stared at the blank computer screen. She was depressed yet again. Christopher had stepped into the room. He wasn't in a joking manner. He was upset at himself for hiring a murderer to guard his little sister.

"Hey girl. Are you okay?" He asked. "I did have feelings for him." She responded. Christopher didn't know what to say. He wanted to comfort his sister but wasn't good in that area.

"You can't be up here!" Yelled Amanda. Christopher looked confused. Emily looked up from her desk. "Ill check it out." He said as he stood up, and walked out the office door. Christopher slowly backed back up into the office. Neil stepped forward. Emily grew nervous. "I think you need to leave." Christopher demanded. Neil shook his head no. he looked at Emily. She was angry. "What do you want?"

"I want you to listen." Said Neil.

"What the fuck!" Yelled Christopher. "You can talk?" asked Emily. Neil shook his head in agreement. "Amanda, get security.." Emily cut christopher off. "Sit down. Let him talk." She demanded. Christopher was scared. He knew in a fight, he would lose. "What do you have to say Neil?" Emily was still angry, but interested in what he had to say.

Neil shut the door behind him, and spoke. "If you wanted to know who I was you didn't need to go into the record. You could have just asked me. I would've told you the truth. But now you have your speculations. Now you think you know what I did. Well, you don't. I am a murderer, but not in the way you think. I pay for my crime everyday. I pay it by not being able to hold my son. By not being able to see my wife. I pay it by living the burden of loneliness.

My wife was smart. She was bright. I actually met her during a firefight. I had saved her from being shot. It angered me though. How could she be taking pictures? I almost died for those pictures. She did however die.

A few months after we got married, she became pregnant. I thought her war days were over, but she wanted just one last shoot. One last picture.

Her convoy was ambushed. She was captured. I asked for a few men to go save her. They gave me the opportunity. I set out, and I was going for blood. I just wound up getting the wrong blood. I was on top of a building, and looked down. They were about to torture my wife. There was a man who they called the doctor. He liked to skin people alive. He liked to hear their screams as he dug his knives into his victims.

He had put on a show, and my wife was the main attraction. I beat my brain up and down trying to find a solution. How could I save her from this pain? That's when I knew. There was only one thing I could do. 100s of them were watching, I would've never been able to save her. I would've gotten my men, and myself killed. So, I called in a retreat. The men left, and I told them I would be right behind them. I did something that haunts me all the time. Day in, and day out. I set my sights on my wife. I cried as I pulled the trigger. Anger flooded over me. I dropped my rifle, and pulled out my knives. I took as many of them down as I could, but they captured me.

They tortured me, but I wouldn't speak. I took a vow to not speak any more ever. That was two years ago. My boys eventually came and got me. I told them what I did, and they forced me out of the military under honorable discharge, and promised to seal my records.

I kept my vow of silence until now. And I am here telling you this, because yes; I do have feelings for you. I couldn't have you thinking I was a cold blooded murderer." Neil stopped, and caught his breathe. Christophers mouth was open in disbelief. Emily had tears slipping down her face. She didn't say anything though. What could you say?

She simply went into her desk drawer, and pulled out his sidearm. "Will you please take your job back?" She asked him. Neil smiled. He walked towards her, and grabbed his weapon. Neil stepped out the door of the office, and sat down.

The day was gone, and so was everyone else. Emily hadn't come out of her office. Neil stood up, and stepped into her office.

Emily sat with her back against the door. She stared out at the city lights. Neil removed his weapon, and shut the door. He turned the light off in her office. Emily swiveled around in her chair. 'What are you doing?" She asked. Neil leaned down. His hands rested on the armrests of her office chair. "You can ask me." He said as he leaned down closer to her face. "Will you kiss me?" She asked.