A Lonely Road

Does Your Life Really Flash Before Your Eyes?

He remembered a day when he was five, before his dad died. They were in the park, and his father was trying to teach him to play catch. "It's all about paying attention, Jace. Keep your eyes open, your mind, and your heart." Jace had asked his dad if he would find a lady like his dad had found mom, and his dad just chuckled and told him he was too young.

When Jace was eight, he went to see his dad in the hospital. His black hair was lank and his eyes were dull, but they still lit up when Jace came in. Jace felt tears in his throat, but he told his dad about his day, and he said he thought this boy in his class was cute. His dad had smiled and told him to be careful with his heart.

Jace had thrown a handful of dirt over his dad's coffin when he was nine, and he heard his mother cry, he did all his chores that day and his mom smiled. They made spaghetti and they talked about his dad, and his mother said that she knew a girl that reminded her of him, she was only a few months older than Jace.

Jace loved Ben, he was the type of first love that showed you what love was and what your idea of love was. He got into fights a lot then, angry, sullen, and alone.

Jace saw Kaelie. Long red hair, determined eyes, full mouth. He felt like he was awake when he was with her, alive, and solid, more real than he'd been before. His father's voice rang in his head. "When you meet someone who loves you, Jace, you and not the idea of you, you keep them. Fight for them, fight hard, and don't let go."

Jace was braced for pain and then when the shot came, he felt nothing. He opened his eyes, and Kaelie was in front of him. He heard her grunt, stumble back. "Get him out of here," she yelled desperately to Michael.

"I love you, Jace. Remember that," she said. Ms. Rose was raising her gun again, and Kaelie was pushing him back with one hand, and then she was moving, stilted, slower than usual, towards her mother. Kaelie was still faster and she caught the woman by the wrist, twisting, squeezing.

Her face was pale, Jace saw sweat beading on her forehead, and for the first time he noticed that Kaelie seemed winded. Her movements looked like they were draining too much of her strength. His eyes flashed to her face, then to her abdomen, and he heard himself shouting. Her shirt was sticking to her now, torn and stained, but the red just kept blossoming across her stomach like lurid roses and he tore himself from Michael's grip.

He heard Sarah scream, he heard Lilith curse. Ms. Rose cried out in pain, Kaelie still had her wrist, and Kaelie grinned, feral, satisfied, her teeth were red, she coughed, and red mist gathered at the corners of her mouth. "I told you that you didn't want to do this, mother," she said, and she forced her to take a step back.

"I told you you didn't want to mess with what's mine anymore." Another step.

"I know damn well I told you that you didn't want to hurt Jace." Another step and the backs of Kaelie's legs were against the ledge now.

"You will not hurt anyone else, you twisted, foul, bitch. You may have killed me. But you should've known I'd take you with me," Kaelie said, low, gasping, and she locked her eyes on Jace. His mouth dried, heart lurched in realization.

"Never let weeds into the garden. We kill all the flowers."

Kaelie moved fast then, her blood splashed the pavement, she leaned backwards, far, too far. She gave a sharp tug to Serna's arm, and then they were falling over the ledge, and Kaelie's red hair was the last thing Jace saw.