Lost Souls (Completed)

Lost Souls - Prologue

In all my life, this was possibly one of the worst days I could have experienced. Nothing, I felt, would ever come close to this. Today was the day that my best friend, my boyfriend, the love of my life was leaving. He was moving hundreds of miles away from me and I had no say in the matter at all.

Tears were streaming down my face, when at 9am, the white van with ‘Removals’ written in big letters across the side turned onto our street and parked right outside my house. Dylan and I had lived next door to each other since we were four years old and we’d never been parted since. For 12 years, we’d shared our days, our nights, and our food. We’d ever shared our chicken pox. Now, however, his parents had decided that they wanted a change; that they wanted something new, and Dylan had to go with them.

My cheeks were drenched with tears as I ran out of the door, across the garden path, darting around to avoid the geraniums and into the neighbours’ house, up to his bedroom. Stopping at the door, I scanned the room in front of me; it was a mess. There were boxes, clothes and pieces of paper scattered all over the floor ready to be either thrown in the bin or one of the many empty boxes lain out beside the bed. As I looked round, I noticed that he hadn’t even finished packing yet and they were leaving in just a few hours. My eyes moved towards the bed where Dylan was laid on his bed with his earphones in his ears, music blasting so loud that even I could hear it.

“Dylan!” I cried, and I jumped onto the bed next to him, cuddling up to his chest and resting my head on his shoulder. I felt him relax slightly in comfort before his whole body tensed and he pushed me off, stood up, and started packing things away in silence. Sitting up on the edge of the bed, confused and upset, I asked, him, “Dylan, what’s wrong?”

The struggle was evident in his voice as he replied, “I’m leaving, Casey. Have you not noticed the big van outside?” as he continued to throw things into boxes, refusing to once look back in my direction. He looked angry and upset and I realised how hard he was finding it to not break down and cry.

“Yeah, I have, but-” I choked.

“Casey, I don’t think you understand.” He interrupted me. “This means we’ll probably never see each other again.” I couldn’t, and didn’t, ever want to think like that.  There was no use in the pessimistic attitude that was laden in his voice. It wasn’t going to help.

“No, don’t say that. We only have to wait a year or so and then I can move to be with you. Surely a long distance relationship would work until then? We love each other enough, don’t we? I know I love you.” I replied, voicing my thoughts.

He taped up a couple of boxes and left the room. I followed him outside as he placed the boxes in the van and turned around to speak to me again in frustration.

“No Casey” he nearly shouted, all the while, looking down at the floor, still not able to look at me. “It’s not going to work. Not like this.” He paused for a few seconds “It just won’t work us being apart like this. And even if it would, I’m not sure I could do it, Case.” He headed back inside and I stopped for a moment before following him.

I caught up with him and with slight naivety asked, “What do you mean, Dylan?”

Stopping his retreat, he turned to face me. “Are you dumb?” He shouted, getting in my face. “This isn’t going to work. We’ve got no choice to call time on this.” Slightly scared of his outburst, my natural reaction was to take a step backwards, away from him. I’d never seen him like this before. “It’s over, Casey. Over.” He whispered, before he turned on his heel and stormed off.

I didn’t follow him this time, too shocked, stunned, and unable to speak. Had he really just done what I thought he had done? Walking slowly out of the house and into the garden, I watched as the rest of the contents of the house was packed up into the van. I stood there, speechless as the love of my life get into his parents’ car, the engine roared into life and as they drove off out of sight, it felt like my heart was being ripped in two.