Seeking Souls

1: Unlikely Meeting

It was back in sixth grade when we had met one another, the friendship that not only changed my life, but changed hers. I had gotten the newest book I was dying to read; How to Train Your Dragon. It would have been the first official, non-school related book I read by myself. It was now time for recess at my school and I was a little over excited to sit down and read a book. That was me, the lonely nerd who’d rather enjoy a good read than focus on anything that society called “fun”. Desmond, I thought to myself, this is going to be the best book ever. I made my way over to a bench that was on the field that we had recess on.

       I sat down, reaching into my black book bag and slipping out the book. I looked up at all the kids outside. Jeffery, a boy from my class, was throwing a football back and forth between a few of his friends, near them were two girls who were kicking a dodge ball around, and by them was a group of kids playing Frisbee. Everyone had a group or friend to be with, and here I was, reading a book. I didn’t mind it though, not in the least. I cracked open the book, beginning to read from the first page. My mind began to form an image of what I read and projected it as a movie in my imagination. I felt so lost in my own world that I began to drown out the sounds of all the other kids around me. It wasn’t until I heard something specific that I actually looked up.

       “Kid with the book,” I looked up, seeing a round red rubber dodge ball coming my way. “Look out!” It was too late to react; the ball had made contact with my face. I fell off my seat, landing on the dirt of the field. I listened to it bounce away from me, not being able to open my right eye. All the kids ran over, gathering around me, some laughed, others called for the teacher. “I’m so sorry!” The girl who had kicked it leaned over me, a girl with big brown eyes and nice long brown hair. A tint to her skin tone that seemed to be so flawless.

       “My eye…” I whispered, holding my eyes with my hands. I tried to fight back the tears, but come on; I was like eleven years old at the time. “It hurts!”

       The girl rolled her eyes, reaching down and grabbing my free hand. “Don’t be a little girl, come on, I’ll take you to the nurse.” I felt so much like a wimp having a girl escort me to the nurse after she attacked me with a dodge ball. The teachers let us pass and as we made our way to the nurse, I tried to stay as quiet as possible. “I’m really sorry though, I didn’t mean to kick it that hard.” I looked over at her; she was looking down at her feet as she walked. “I’m Kara, Kara Murphy.”

       I smiled a bit, happy that maybe this once, I could let myself have a close friend. “I’m Desmond, Desmond Miles.” And in that moment, I found myself trapped in the best friendship I would ever have in my life.

Present Day

       “Just hang in there Kara, please.” The cop was holding be back as a paramedic came and began CPR on her. It had to have been too late to do anything, her lips were turning blue. My whole body was shaking, not from the cold, but from the fear. The fear of losing the one friend I could actually trust, the one person I could actually communicate with. A moment or two had passed by when the paramedic stopped with the CPR. He looked over at me, and shook his head.

       I turned my head to the side, tears rolling down my face, mixing in with the water from the lake. The cop had loosened his grip on me, and like a magnet, I clung to the body of my best friend. “I’m so sorry Kara.” I buried my face in her shoulder. The tears coming faster now, my mind going blank, my heart growing numb. “Please forgive me.”