Wanton Winters

Three -> Golden

A/N -- Graphic violence... To a certain degree... :P

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Spring crawled through budding trees like a child playing a game of unexpected hide-and-go-seek. Sunlight cast its dappled light on the ground, melting the snow from a harsh winter. Daniella and I were walking through the park one day, chatting about useless things I cannot bother to recall. Her lips flubbed about, her voice slipping through one ear of mine and out the next. Her hazel eyes dazzled with the intensity of her words, spittle flying outwards and disappearing into chilly air. A look of bewilderment took over her face. If only I knew what she was talking about, I thought to myself. She cradled her arms as if holding a baby, but she was huddling together for warmth. At this point, I had been modestly staring off to my left at the frozen pond. There were moments were I had seen fish squirm underneath the patches of ice, peaking their scaly heads up on the surface, creating ripples, leaping out of their watery homes, nibbling Daniella right on her goddamn mouth. I giggled softly at the thought. 

"What's so funny about my uncle's tumor, Robyn?" She looked on the ground, obviously hurt by my laugh. My grin faded.

"I just... Nothing. I'm sorry," I muttered. And before I knew it, she was going on about something else. We were making a turn in the park where the playground ended and the picnic area started. Benches were sprawled all over the moist grass. There was only one person I could identify faster than a speeding bullet simply by the color of their coat and that was Harlen, tugging on a leash, beckoning a golden retriever with curt whistles, sitting on a bench. The dog was rambunctious, frantically jumping around upon the sight of pedestrians. Harlen lifted his head and grinned from ear to ear. The golden dog ran in a circle, and with its beady eyes and wagging tail, sat patiently as we approached.

"How nice to see you girls here," He beamed as we both took seats next to him so that he was in the middle of Daniella and I. Daniella agreed. I commented on the weather. Same old tumor story. Harlen spoke with both of us equally, often pausing to make his own comments. We talked about classes starting again. It was a fair conversation, but the feeling of jealousy never left my mind for some reason. It was because Harlen had confessed a few weeks ago, and I was just starting to realize that I could potentially have Harlen all to myself... It was a strange feeling, of course, because I was never very dominant in any sort of relationship. I was quiet, solitary. I let people lead the way and I shyly followed.

"It's still so cold," Daniella said, looking up at the clouds. "And I forgot my gloves at home." As Daniella said this, a cool, chilly breeze washed over us. Excellent timing.

Harlen looked at her momentarily. He released one hand from the dog leash he held and set it on top of her hand. Daniella's eyes fell on me. She looked back at her hand, back at Harlen, back at me, back at her hand, Harlen, me, hand... An endless cycle that I wish could've ended right at that moment.

Harlen tightened his grip. My gut followed suit. I may have seen a smile brandish itself on Harlen's face as Daniella's cheeks blazed red. Tiny hairs rose on my nape. A sickening feeling grappled at my throat. I wanted to scream. What was Harlen even doing?

The seconds were like years, dripping like molasses in an hourglass. All sounds were drained away and I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see. Perhaps I was overreacting, but love blinds us all from rational thought. Again, I can never define what love is to me.

All that stopped me from punching Daniella and Harlen right then and there square in the face were the two children that stopped by to play with Harlen's dog. I glanced at one child, their gleaming, soft brown eyes looking up at me innocently.

I must've glared too scarily because they quickly ran off to their parents.

How long had it been? Oh, it didn't matter; I needed to get out of here. I stood up, my body feeling as heavy as concrete. A dull ache began to manifest itself in my head.

"Robyn, where are you going?" I heard Daniella's voice from afar, even though she was right behind me. I kept walking, but it felt like I was stuck in the same spot. Her voice was distant, but she was right there. I was right there. We were right there. I probably hadn't even begun to walk. Perhaps I had just stood up and my mind was playing tricks on me.

"Oh shoot..." Harlen's voice trailed off. I surmised he had taken his hand off of Daniella's. The ground blurred and my eyes stung.

Why was I crying?

The image of what appeared to be blood whizzed by my vision. I shut my eyes tight, allowing tears to freely stream down my cheeks. What had that been? Adrenaline coursed through my veins, and every pang of my grief-stricken heart added sharpness and saturation to the horrid visions in my mind.

There was Daniella, sprawled awkwardly on the ground of the park, blood tricking down her temples. Her stomach was split open, swarming with white plump maggots. Dirt was encrusted into her nails. Her jaw hung off her bloodied face like a door weak on its hinges and I was able to see dirt also stuck between her molar teeth. Her bloodshot eyes were wide open, glassy but full of fear. I saw Harlen a few strides away, hanging from a thick branch on a tall tree. His body was engorged and his neck was frighteningly purple. His eyes stared straight into my soul. His lips moved suddenly and caught my attention. I couldn't hear over the giant throng of six-year-olds, celebrating the deaths of two teenagers they didn't even know. They screamed and they jumped and they whistled and they played in Daniella's blood. A familiar kid, one of the children that had come to pet Harlen's dog, shoved his arm in Daniella's poor body and lifted his hand to sniff in the coppery scent of her innards. He brought out his tongue and lapped at the dripping blood that spilled down his elbow. Then, the boy opened his mouth and snacked on Daniella's liver like a delicacy. I actually found it hard to look away.

"Wake up... Robyn... Please." Mouthed Harlen from the tree. "I'm sorr--" He was cut off by some kid shouting in my ear.

I shook my head to wake up from my trance. I was seated on the bench in the park, with Daniella and Harlen looking down at me. I was panting and cold sweats moistened my face. My mouth felt dry.

"Robyn, what's wrong?" Daniella asked with sad eagerness. "You stood up as if to walk away but you just stopped. I tried to pull you back to sit down but you wouldn't budge! Your eyes were wide open and you were-- you were crying..." Her voice died out.

"Robbie?" Harlen called for me. I looked away, afraid I'd cry again when I saw his face. I stood up once more, instantly making my knees buckle under my weight. And as if on cue, my eyes were on fire with coming tears.

I quickly brought my hands to my face and sobbed. I tried to choke back the tears, but they overflowed. There was no way to back out of this now, no way to mask the fact that I was being stupid and that I was overreacting. But I wasn't crying only because I thought I was weak, but I was crying because of how harrowingly vivid the images in my mind were and what they depicted. I found the courage to look up at the sky, tears still brandishing their warm, wet trails on my weary face. 

Everything was slow and golden.

Golden sky, golden retriever, golden worried faces, golden eyes, golden woe.