Sunshiny Things (Original)

Ch. 38 Look At The Stars

Freya

I quickly scramble out of the car, not bothering to check if Cole is behind me or not. I rush up to it...my house. My house occupied by bulldozers, dumping trunks and construction tape.

     "Freya!" I hear Cole call out from behind me. But I don't care to respond. I don't care to do anything in this moment. I look over at the mail box, running up to it and ripping off a note plastered on it. Government construction site. I look back up the now empty plot of land, the ruins that was left of my childhood now demolished into tiny pieces. I crumble up the sheet in my hand, throwing it on the ground as I feel tears weld up in my eyes. Anger, pain, loss all form in the depths of my chest as I stare at the sight before me. The rain peddles on my skin, a chill napping at my face. But I don't feel any of it. All I feel...is nothing.

~~~

Cole

She runs up to the bulldozer, banging her tiny fists and kicking at it ferociously.

"What did you do?" she yells at it. "What did you do?"

I quickly rush up to her, grabbing her waist to pull her away from the giant, yellow machine.

"No!" she kicks and screams against my body. "Let me go!" I back away slowly with her in my arms, but she doesn't seise her fighting.

"Freya, you have to calm down--"

"Don't touch me!" she sobs. Her words only cause me to then capture her flinging arms under my own, pressing her back again my chest more forcefully. "Let me go!" she then repeats in broken sobs. Slowly, I direct our bodies towards the ground, positioning freya against my body more securely. But she still pushes against me, wanting me to let her go. But there is no fucking way I'm ever going to do that. I cradle her frail body in my arms once she finally stops pushing, allowing me to wipe the hairs away from her face. She closes her eyes, sobbing as if it's too painful to look anymore. I stroke her cheeks, hoping to send off some sort of comfort. She buries her head into my chest, more and more sobs escaping as her tears soak my t-shirt. But I couldn't give a flying fuck about that right now.

"Freya," I try to gently whisper. "Freya, look at me."

She doesn't though, just continues to uncontrollably cry.

"Freya, please look at me," I then plead, almost not recognizing the softest of my own voice as I speak to her. But luckily, she manages to open her eyes this time. I look down, smiling as I see the glossy brown exterior of them.

"Good," I then say. She sobs even more, but still tries her best to keep her eyes open to look at me. "Can you look up for me?"

Freya eventually answers my question by doing so. Good. I knew she admired the sky. I had to do something.

     "Do you see the stars?" I ask, and she timidly nods her head yes through sniffles. "Good," I say again. I pull her head, resting it more firmly against my chest as I hear her sobs start to calm slightly as she stares upwards.

"Just look at the stars, Freya," I whisper to her as I rest my cheek against the top of her head while I rock both of us back and forth. "Just look at the stars."

~~~

Freya opens the door to her apartment, setting her keys on the kitchen counter once we both step through. I turn the light switch on that's right next to the front door before closing it. Freya and I haven't said one word to each other since the incident at her old house. The entire car ride here and the way through the apartment complex were both filled with fucking dreadful silence. But to be completely honest, I have no fucking idea what to say either.