Pimentel Princess #wattys2018

Chapter 10 | In a trance

We snuck out round the back, his garden was huge, filled with turf. I make it half way, until I run out of breath. I stop, clenching my knees, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

"Come on, babe," he held out his hand, he has his side smile, his little dimple making a appearance.

"I- can't-," I huff, my throat was dry and my eyes became glossy. He puts his back pack down, and gets out a bottle of water. And holds it to my mouth.

"I can drink on my own you know," I laugh grabbing the water and downing it, wacking the empty bottle on his head.
"Ok, we'll walk, cause miss 'Not So Fit For Adventure', can't make it." He says with both his hands on his hips.

"Come on," he puts his hand out to pick me off the ground. "We'll go to the lake, I already packed bread because I promised January I'd take her. Her nursery is near the lake."

We get to a small nursery, painted in white with multi-coloured handprints decorated the side of the wall near the metal wheelchair ramp. Under each handprint is a name and there's a sign that says 'people who built this nursery'. I smile when I see a range of women's names, more women than men actually.

We wait outside the door to get January, when she sees us her eyes light up, and she hugs my legs. "Laila! I drew a picture of you today!" And she hands me a drawring of a big circle drawer in red crayon, with long hair holding hands with a little circle with curly hair.

"Can I keep it baby?" I ask smiling and she nods before her dad swings her on his shoulder.

We arrive to a massive beautiful lake with a lot of turf, around it. There isn't many people there as it's November and its freezing but it's okay because we've got coats and scarves on.

"Papa, I'm cold. I forgot my gloves at home," she pouts as she shoves her hands in the pockets of her blue fishtail winter jacket.

Joel crouches down to her size, looking into her glossy brown eyes. "Don't worry, Princess. You didn't." And he takes out her mittens.
"Thankyou Papa," And he brings down his head so she may kiss his cheek.

She crouches down and a swarm of swans crowd her as she giggles throwing bread into the lake.

"Oh, did you not get any bread? Here you go," January grins before throwing more bread in, feeding the stray lonely duck.

As I stare at her, Joel laces his fingers into mine, so I rest my head on his chest feeling his heartbeat a calm rhythm.

This is going so fast I think to myself.

We get up to go back home because January's finished all her bread.

"So," I trail. "what's your favourite Ryan Gosling movie?" I say cheekily, as we walk along the cool clear paths of the lake.

"You're not gonna let me go are you?" He chuckled, the skin beside his eyes wrinkled.
"The noteb-," he starts to answer but is rudely cut off by a hooded man who bumps into me.

I stare into his blue eyes who seem weirdly familiar to me. Chris? He says sorry before walking off, but I grab the back of his hood.

"Get off me bi-!" But his eyes meet mine so he stops in his tracks.
As soon as my eyes are captivated in his, Chris' death flashes in my eyes.

I scream for Chris to wake up and not leave me. I scream that the doctors didn't try hard enough, and fall to the floor. My head contacts the floor and starts the throb but I can't open my eyes. It's like they're glued shut.