Fracture

Part 13

                 

Flashes of light flew into my vision once again as I wandered through the familiar forest. My heart desperately thrummed in my chest as I followed the curling, winding path to the tree line. Josiah was waiting for me, approaching me with soft footsteps. As we grew closer, an overwhelming sense of fear overcame my soul, tears forcing their way to my eyes.

            "You need to go back," He demanded, whispering lowly. "I'll find him." I Shook my head and pulled back. He reached for me, slowly, almost like quicksand, but I snapped my hand further away and turned on my heels. I could hear a faint melody guiding me through the dense woods. The smoke from a chimney rose into the skyline leading my eyes to the midnight glow of the cabin beneath its cloud. My heart stopped.

            "James." I whispered, picking my feet into a run. My harsh steps thumped under me with Josiah following closely behind. I heard his agony ringing into the atmosphere in a symphony of groans and cries. "James." My voice grew more determined and unsteady as I picked up my pace. My heart thundered in my chest, my legs ached, throwing me forward like robotic machines. Finally, I stopped when a familiar, bloodcurdling scream rang out. "It was yours I heard in the dreams."

            Walking into the cabin, I saw the open door to a basement. I was greeted by a familiar long corridor and a man sitting in a room at the end. Dirt and mud decorated his face and his shoulders barely sighed. His breaths were slow and shallow as he hunched deeper, coughing blood from his lungs. I walked to him, my breathing a mere whisper, barely echoing the life he had left. I reached him and touched his face, gently bringing his head up. There, Lex sat, battered and scarred, waiting for his end. A loud thud ripped into my ears and startled me awake, yet again. I looked around the unfamiliar room and saw a large figure standing in the doorway, leaning with his hands folded over his chest. I could hear his concern and frustration through the silence.

            "Lex, what's wrong?" I kicked my legs over the side of the bed, limping towards him with arms stretched, wrapping my hands around his waist. His exasperated sigh escaped as quickly as it started and he wrapped his arms over mine, pulling softly, desperately trying not to hurt me.

            "James is gone." His voice cracked from worry. My hands trailed up to his face, each hand cupping either side of his chin, bringing his forehead of mine. The ring of my cell phone interrupted our touching moment, a sigh reverberating from a frustrated Lex.

            "Hello?" I answered, fully expecting it to be a wrong number or, maybe, with any stroke of luck, it might be James.

            "Sarah." The voice was low, muted by the symphony of agonizing, fracturing screams.

            "James?" I cried, allowing the tears to flow freely from my eyes, staining my cheeks with salty water. Redness flushed over my face as the burning fear crawled in my throat. "James, where are you?" I choked, my knees buckled beneath the weight of the crushing screams.

            "I'm in your dad's cabin, Sarah. He's trying to get you to come here." I could hear slaps and groans, the struggle in his voice was evident as he yelled. "Do not come for me, Sarah. Don't. Stay with Lex." The phone clicked off. Lex's fist balled in fury as he stormed out of the room. I ran to the closet and began throwing clothing into a bag.

            "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" A look of anger and frustration flashed across his face. "You're not serious, are you?" His scoff rang in my heart.

            "I can't leave him there to die. I'm ending this." I huffed, frustration creeping into my lungs.

            "And you think you can handle all of this by yourself?" His voice splintered my soul like shards of poison, running empty through my veins.

            "I need to leave." I knew I was safer with him, but I couldn't let him see that. 

            "Something tells me you don't want to, Sarah. The eyes are the windows to the soul, you know. Yours are telling a very different story from your words." His hand grasped mine in a poignant power struggle, causing me to inhale involuntarily at the connection. With gentle force, he pulled me closer to him, his warmth surrounding me. He leaned in, dangerously close, his teeth grazing my earlobe gently with his words, "Care to try again, little girl?" His lips danced up my neck, stopping at my jaw. Well played.

            "Lex, I need to leave. I need to stop my father, find James. I can't abandon him because of fear. I can't do that." My eyes glared into him, burrowing my false confidence deep into his soul. Stay strong, Sarah. My heart thundered in my chest, praying he would believe the lie. I didn't want to leave, but I needed to. I couldn't let my emotions cloud my judgment, now. I'm so close to the truth- so close to what is rightfully mine. The real fear wasn't in leaving him, no, it was in him holding me from the truth, protecting me like he has all along.

            "I'm not your enemy, Sarah, I never was. If you want to leave, go, but believe what I tell you next." He took a step closer, closing the gap between his lips and mine, pressing with a sense of reckless abandon. His hand danced down my spine, tracing my skin like a canvas, pulling me closer. The other cupped my cheek tightly, holding my face to his. His voice dropped to a sultry whisper. "If you walk out of that door, it will ruin me, what little faith I have left will be gone. You, Sarah Nicola Kristoph, have utterly destroyed me." I closed my lips onto his once more, pulling him closer to me as my hands clutched his worn t-shirt. Fisting handfuls of hair, our heartbeats collided as they thundered in our chests, matching the symphony of a thunderstorm outside.

            "Forgive me." I prayed he would, but we both knew nothing would keep me here. I pushed him back forcefully before grabbing my bag and running to the door, slamming it behind me. The shattering clash of glass and destruction echoed behind me as I ran back into the arms of my destiny. Looks like the boys were right. No one wins in this game.