I run fast, as fast as I can possibly go. Leaves, bushes, and branches hit my face. I don't care though. I just keep on running. My lungs are on fire, my face, neck, and back are drenched in sweat. I can barely see as I sprint. I know you can't run from your problems but I can sure attempt to. I collapse; my legs give out from underneath me. Warm mud covers me. I crawl out of the mud and take huge breaths when steadying myself, but one lone thought still haunts me mind. "She's dead."
I start to walk around a bit, and then I find a large tree. I want to run to it, to fall asleep under it, to forget my problems, erase the memories of her and this night. Forget her completely. I shake the thought out of my mind. No, I will never forget her, as long as I have a soul. I limp over to it and sit underneath it. The starry night sky is above me. I close my eyes, and hauntingly beautiful memories play across my mind.
It starts like a dream, then I see her, I know this is a dream. I don't want it to be, but it is. "Come Andrew," Caron giggles as she tugs my arms up the hill. She was always like this. Giggly, blissful, beautiful. Her parents used to joke around by saying she was born laughing. I still believe so. I focus on her beauty. Her light brown hair is up in a tight bun, her dark blue eyes focused on me, her red thick lips, and her cute pug nose. She hated when I called her nose cute.
I smile at her. "It's getting dark Caron." I reason trying to sound responsible, "Let's go home." I say and tug her lightly, or tried to tug her lightly. With my strength and her fragile build, she came crashing into me, both of us laughing. She gets off and I get up. "Race you" I grin cheekily, knowing I was much faster than her. I take off running.
"No fair!" She yells and runs after me. We both run fast and long. All of a sudden I see two unfriendly looking men one short, and one tall. I slow to a stop and try to stop her. "Nuh ah" She giggles and keeps going, oblivious to the men. I chase after her. I don't yell her name because I don't want to call attention to her. The short man looks over and grins devilishly.
I can't hold back. "CARON!" I scream from the top of my lungs, trying to tell her to stop. She stops abruptly and looks at me confused. The tall man takes a step towards her. I run faster than I ever have, trying to get to her. The short man grabs her arms and holds her back. Then the tall man walks over and pulls out a knife as she struggles to get away. I make it over to them. I begin to fight the tall man with the knife. He may be tall, but he is beyond weak, for I take him down in under 5 hits to the face. I turn and the short man is digging through Caron's jacket pocket. "Caron!" I say again, with less volume this time. The man sees nothing of interest in her pocket and advances on me. He may be short, but we are evenly matched in skill. A few bloody noses and black eyes later I hear footsteps, muffled screams and a terrible sounding crack.
I stop dead in my tracks and turn to see that the tall man has regained consciousness and went over to Caron and broke her neck. I stand there, dead inside. My fists clench to my side and I run at him and punch with my unbridled anger and ferocity. I hear a crack as he hits the pavement. I know what I have done, I killed him, but that didn't matter. Caron did. I do the same to the shorter man, and I overpower him as I knock him unconscious. I suddenly hear sirens. I take off running.
My eyes open immediately as tears pour from my eyes. I don't bother to stop them. I think of all the times Caron needed me, but at the time when she needed me most, failed her. It's all my fault she's dead. "I'm sorry Kitten" I whisper as I start to calm down, but using her nickname made the tears come faster. Seconds past like minutes, minutes like hours, hours like days. As the sun started coming up I looked around. I knew I needed to surrender myself, but he deserved worse. Hatred filled my mind, then sadness once more. I could see Caron's face as she would tell me, "Hatred and violence is the enemy"
I stood up on shaky legs and stumbled deeper into the forest. I come across a sound of water. Not a trickle, nor a splash, but the sound of a powerful waterfall. I stumble to it slowly. I get on my knees and drink from it and look down. The sharp rocks and rushing water ensured death. I look at the waters and think of Caron once more. "I can't live without you" I whisper and take five steps back, close my eyes, run and jump.
