Quixotic (2)

10

He hesitantly stepped away from the car, leading the small crowd toward the exact spot the scene took place. An uncomfortable sigh escaped his lips and his heart dropped in his chest as he stepped forward to stand where he had stood when he was younger. The moment flashed through his thoughts, and he imagined the girl standing in front of him as if she were there, "She was here." His lips quivered, as his eyes locked on the ground.

His breathing was unsteady, and a tear threatened to fall from his eye, but he forced himself to continue. He wanted to speak. He wanted to tell the story, but the words lodged in the back of  his throat. He couldn't look up; his attention was focused on the lifelike memory that played around him.

There was no noise in the surrounding area, but his thoughts were screaming at him. He could feel the intensity of the moment as he stared forward. His heart dropped in his chest as he imagined the girl falling into him. His entire figure shook, shifting back as the scene replayed in his mind.

He was out of breath, but adrenaline continued to pump through his blood. He dropped to his knees with his hands held in front of him. He could feel the weight of her figure falling into his arms. As he stared down, he imagined the beautiful woman staring up at him and his heart broke in his chest, "She collapsed --." He muttered, his broken voice almost unrecognizable as another tear rolled from his eyes.

The words were stuck at the back of the throat, preventing him from projecting his voice. His entire figure was trembling, and he refused to look up as he stared down into the beautiful woman's eyes. He could see her. He could feel her body resting in his arms. He remembered the light scent of her perfume that lingered in the air. He was holding the woman he loved in his arms.

The young child stared down at the man resting on his knees, and a single tear rolled from her eye as she imagined the moment, "He caught her?" She asked quietly, her small voice pulling his mind away from the illusion.

He looked up to see her wide eyes watching him, and forced himself to stand. He felt like he was dropping her, allowing the woman of his dreams to fall from his arms again. He turned away, a panicked sigh escaping his lips as he pulled his hat from his head and paced, "He did." Joe answered quietly, placing his arm around the young girl's shoulders for a moment, whispering, "Let's give him a minute." He hummed, gently guiding the child toward the doors to the school without having to say another word.

Brian quickly wiped the tear from his face, forcing his eyes up to watch as Joe guided the child into the familiar building, "You're doing great, man." Murr said calmly as he took a step forward, "Are you ready for the next step?" He asked hesitantly, noticing the pain that traveled through his friend's eyes.

"I don't know how many steps I'll be able to take." Brian hummed, the words cracking as they escaped his lips, "This is hard, man." He sighed, shaking his head for a moment before putting his hat back on, sighing in a panic, "I can't do this, Murr. I feel like I'm going to throw up."

Joe guided the young girl down the first hallway and opened the door to the third room on the left, telling her calmly, "Sit in here while I check on Brian." He stepped back, gently guiding her into the doorway before taking a step back.

She stepped inside the door shut behind her, but her figure jumped at the sight of a man sitting in the back corner of the room, "Are you Sal?" She asked him hesitantly, noticing how he stood to motion her toward him.

"I am." He answered with a nervous smile on his lips as she approached the back of the room. A sigh escaped his lips, and he turned to look at the desk to his left, saying, "Here's where my part of the story began." He narrated, a nervous grin forced on his lips as he took a seat in his desk.