"The sadness of the past is with me always." - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The streets were quiet, and he was left all alone with his thoughts. Patrick tried to accompany him, but he didn't want to be around anyone at the moment. It was getting tiring being him––– he couldn't take much more. It seemed he would never get a grasp on life, and live as he saw fit. His traumatic experiences would always come back to haunt him.
As he walked with his cane, his ears perked hearing footsteps. He stopped and sensed someone lurking in the shadows. Figuring it was just Patrick defying his orders to keep a close eye on him, he proceeded to walk until his cane jammed into a foot. The energy he was sensing wasn't a good one, and that's when he knew he was in danger.
"What––– FUCK." a blow to his head caused him to scream in agony while he held the side of his head. Hard metal jabbed at his jaw, then aimed at his ribs repeatedly. As he hunched over in pain, blood dripped from his mouth and leaked from his head.
"هل ظننت أننا لن نجدك؟" That's when he realized the language being spoken was Arabic. His paranoia that he was being followed and would eventually be captured finally caught up to him, but he left the army years ago. How did they find him? Did they find Robyn? Why now? The voice broke him out of his thoughts when the unknown attacker spoke again. "Did you really think you could escape? Everyone has to pay for their sins, and now it's your turn to die. As fun as this was, I'll be leaving with your head now. Say your last prayer, Snake Eyes."
The barrel of the gun was placed onto his temple against his forehead, Chris sucked in a breath and with the last bit of strength he had, he managed to turn the gun on the assailant, while jamming his cane in their eye, causing them to screech writhing in pain.
He dropped the weapons before wrapping his hands around their throat. "How the FUCK did you find me? WHERE THE FUCK IS ROBYN?" He applied pressure and squeezed while they clawed at his hands desperately. All the anger stored inside him being brought on this human being gasping for air.
"Pooh... baby... please, it's me."
Realizing it was Robyn he was choking, he snapped out of his nightmare backing so far to the corner, he fell on the floor. "Chris," she coughed, trying to get the oxygen back. "Don't hurt yourself." She had one hand around her neck while trying to calm a hyperventilating Chris. "Breathe, you're here with me. Just take slow breaths, okay?" The tortured look on his face was hurting her heart. As much as she wanted to hold him, his therapist advised otherwise unless he requested it. It would only startle him, and make him feel trapped leading to agitation or violence.
As he was returning to a tranquil state, he remembered the pain he inflicted on his love and felt ashamed. Choking her so hard, he could've killed her. He needed to get out of her room. Out of this house. Off this island. Out of her life. He went straight towards the door, remembering the steps he took to get in, leaving his cane behind.
"Christopher! Where are you going? Come back so we can talk. All is well, calm down."
"No, I have to get out of here." He ran out of her room and soon out the door. Patrick wasn't too far running after him calling out his name. "Pat, you got to get me out of here. The nightmares... they're back... I... I almost killed..." He hugged him. It had been years since Chris had an incident like that happen.
"You want to go to the beach? Listen to the ocean? That always calms you." Chris nodded and got inside the car, letting Patrick drive him to the one place that would give him solace.
🥀
He sat on the sand with his sunglasses on listening to the waves with his golden flask of Tequila in his clutches. With the wind blowing rapidly tonight, the waves were moving just as fast, and it matched the urgency he felt when he first arrived. In the distance, he felt her presence a few feet away. He really didn't want to have this conversation, but with him being uncomfortable not knowing where he was or how to get around there was no other alternative.
