Sammy’s Last Wishes Hayden found himself in Tessa’s funeral first. Rocky had driven him to Chicago, promising that it was easier to deal with Tessa first and then Samantha later. The funeral was just rounding up when they arrived. It was 5pm and the guests had begun to leave. Hayden stayed in the car, peering out of the window. There were at least 30 people present, all murmuring about how she was a good kid who just needed help. “Do you want to go closer?” Rocky asked from the driver’s seat. “No.” Hayden replied. “They’re so loud, I can hear them from here.” It wasn’t hard to identify Tessa’s parents. The mother wore a huge fancy fascinator and was weeping theatrically at the side. The father was receiving handshakes and sealed envelopes. They had five other little kids with them who just won’t stay put. Tessa’s grave was situated in the state’s mass graveyard, right beside hundreds of other graves. There were fresh flowers on hers, but none of them looked thoughtful enough. It f
Death Calls When No one Answers The ride back to New York was the most silent, depressing thing Hayden’s ever been in, and he had been in a lot of depressing scenarios. It had just never affected him before, not like this. He could hear Rocky’s thoughts through his actions: the way he peered at Hayden when he thought he wasn’t looking, the way he quietly and silently stops at intervals and leave the car for Hayden to have a moment to himself, and the way he buys snacks and food on the way and place it on the center console without asking if Hayden needed food. These were all the tell signs that he had fallen from the lord he used to be to a whimpering person, lost in the passions of his own emotions. Hayden wasn’t entirely sure he liked the change, but he didn’t object to it either. It was a welcome adjustment to how he felt most of the time. Now he could really dwell in sadness and self-pity. When they got to the hospital, Hayden went straight to his position on the bench in the w
Knight in Dark Armor Hayden stared at Lolita, taking in her features. Her red hair was short and scanty on her head. Her face was bloated and covered with an oxygen mask. One of her legs was raised in a cast and a bandaged arm lay across her stomach. She looked horrible. She looked so, so bad. He was sure that if he removed the mask from her mouth, she’d surely stop breathing. It was all that was holding her together, otherwise she was as good as dead. Six was a crowd, so the doctor asked only two people to remain in the room with her. Mrs. Adams wanted Hayden to stay back with her so she sent the rest away. She sat on Lolita’s other side, touching her hand. Hayden’s head was blank as he stared at her. He felt nothing, saw nothing. It was just Lolita, lying on the bed, half dead. “Why can’t she survive this?” He asked Mrs. Adams. “You just have to hold on and see if she’ll wake up.” “Huh?” Mrs. Adams looked at him and then at her daughter. “We can’t. It’s better to let her off the
Wallflower Saying goodbye to someone who was at the brisk of life and death was crazy, but Hayden did. He was in that mix of craziness too, where he was beginning to question his sanity. Was he strong willed or was he about to confront the greatest enemy he ever had. “I will be back for you soon,” he promised Lolita. Hayden lowered his head to kiss her gently on the tips of her finger. When he straightened, he saw a gnarly bite on her neck. He was filled with disgust when he realized it was the one his brother had given her. It was his signature mark, biting hard into her skin to leave a scar so she would remember him. It was sick and totally twisted. She was in a better hospital now, he convinced himself as he left. Within twenty-four hours, Rocky had found one of the best that would be convenient for both him and her family. *************** It took Hayden two days by road to get to Detroit, where his brother coincidentally was. Rocky had given him a brief on his movements. App
Wild Cards Jarrod opened the door widely and moved to the side so Hayden would walk pass. He had a huge grin on his face, as though he was genuinely happy to see Hayden. The women removed their coats and dumped it on the armrest of a couch, revealing the exposed attire they wore underneath. It was a nice, little room. It had a fireplace that burned in low flames. The chairs were worn and had some tear, but they looked comfortable. Most of all, it was untidy. There were empty bottles of alcohol strewn around the room, filled ashtrays and dirty plates and cups all over. Jarrod must have been reusing all his utensils without thinking of washing them. “Nice place,” Hayden commented lightly as he threw himself on one of the worn chairs. “Must have cost you quite a fortune to get it.” Jarrod grinned as he took off his own coat. “You know it didn’t cost me anything to get it, Hayden. If you want answers, you should know that the nice old couples who lived here deemed me dangerous when
All of the Reasons Why Hayden regarded his empty glass cup with a cool expression. His brother could be bluffing for all he knows. Besides, there had been no time for Jarrod to put on the poison. The prostitute he called ‘Red’ had washed the cup and brought back a clean one. Unless she had slipped something in when he wasn’t looking? Hayden’s mind began to race. He searched for the girl with his eyes and found her behind him on the floor, entwined in the arms of her colleague, both naked. They were so deep in their own world that every other thing went unnoticed. What were the odds that she would have poisoned his cup before handing it over to Jarrod? “Do you want to know?” Jarrod asked with a smirk. He watched Hayden’s movements with amusement, marveled by his fast thinking and his questionable glances. Hayden took his eyes off the girls and on Jarrod. “I’d say you’re bluffing. There was no way you would have done it.” Jarrod laughed. It was low and full of humor, as though eve
Lolita The plenty of time Jarrod made reference to was just an hour. Twenty minutes in, Hayden was beginning to sweat, and it was not because of the happy hour confession they were having. He realized now that Jarrod truly was not bluffing, and that the alcohol was poisoned. He tried to condition his mind to stay awake and alert, but the noises from the girls behind him weren't helping. He glanced behind him and saw that one of the girls had her head down at the other. They swirled in his vision. He turned quickly to Jarrod and blinked. Jarrod ransacked the top of the table, searching for something. He finally brought out a pack of cigarettes and passed a stick to Hayden. Hayden shook his head and stuck his own hands in his pocket, extracting his neatly wrapped weed. Jarrod smiled at the sight, amused to see that his brother wasn’t taking another chance with him. “I didn’t poison the cigarette, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Hayden placed his wrap on his lips and lighted it. “Th
Another Love, Another Time “You just killed someone,” Hayden pointed out, motioning to the dead girl on the floor. “What is wrong with you? You just fucking killed someone and you’re still thinking of ending it with me?” Jarrod rolled his eyes as he staggered forward. “Don’t be such a prude, baby brother. You know how this goes; you’ve killed a couple of people too.” His eyes widened in surprise when Hayden said nothing. “Ah, don’t tell me brother. You’ve never killed anyone?” Hayden looked around him, seeking for a weapon. Jarrod’s jacket was on the chair, and he knew that a gun was in it. He glanced at Jarrod and the jacket, gauging the distance between the three of them. Jarrod laughed maniacally. “What is this? You want me to be your first kill? The gun isn’t loaded, Hayden.” “I wasn’t planning on using it on you.” “No? You’re so used to little humans adoring you and doing everything for you? I saw those men out there, Hayden, risking their necks for you. Tell me how much yo
The End and the Beginning Lolita sat at the porch of her house, waiting. It had just rained. She liked the dewy grass that sprouted from the ground. She started to touch them, but then drew back. She didn’t want to get her hands dirty. She had been turned into a neat freak by Hayden’s influence. She waited for him now, wondering if he would show up. It was Saturday. They had agreed to visit Samantha’s cemetery together. The last time she’d gone, she had been alone with Izan. All she thought about was him. She worried that her telling him off might have affected his relationship with Samantha. It was a silly excuse, and when he showed up two days later, he made it clear that he didn’t have to see Samantha every single day. A car parked in front of her house. It was him. Lolita refrained from jumping up and running to him like some little girl. He got down from the car and ran his fingers through his hair. It was a sensational habit of his, and he looked incredibly hot while doing it.
Bed of Thorns “I have been thinking about you,” Hayden answered quietly. “Every night, every day, every minute. All I think about is you.” Their eyes locked and held. Lolita bent her head a little forward, intrigued by the soft calm of his voice. “Tell me what you think about.” “Good thoughts. Bad thoughts. Terrible thoughts. All sorts of things about you.” He paused for a minute and reached for a glass of water. “Sometimes imaginations bleed into reality. I don’t know what’s real and what’s not real.” They were wrapped in each other’s world now, the food forgotten. Lolita was lost in his eyes and he was lost in hers. “It’s different for me,” she told him. “I know what’s real and what’s not. I dream.” “What do you dream about?” “At first, it was about Jarrod.” Her voice was surprisingly strong when she mentioned his name. “I tried seeing some doctors, but the dreams would not leave. It went on for six months.” “Yeah? So what did you do next?” “I started to dream about Samanth
Bound The doorbell rang. Lolita was in the bathtub. She blinked, realizing she’d been in the tub for over an hour. The water was cold now. She slowly stepped out of it and reached for a pink robe. Her bathroom was the only clean room in the whole house. It was where she sought her solace, where she slept the most. She went to the front door and opened it, her hand stiffly removing a strand of wet hair from her face. When her vision cleared, she immediately stiffened. Lolita was taken back to a year and several months ago, to the very first time she saw Hayden alone. He was standing at the door then with a small smile on his face, just as he was now. She’d been naked back then, from head to toe. He had pointed it out to her, his eyes laughing while she rushed inside to change. Lolita’s arms circled around her body. She wasn’t naked today. She was wearing a pink robe, so why did she feel intensely embarrassed—like she’d been teleported to the past and history was repeating itself? Sh
The Trials of Lost Love Hayden stood up slowly. They stared at each other for a moment, none of them taking a move. Lolita’s eyes quickly scanned the environment, discovering that Izan was not around. Her eyes went back to him. He looked leaner than before, but still built. He’d grown out his hair; they flowed past his neck and around his shoulders. His face was clean, neat. He looked like a god standing before her, taller than she’d last imagined. He still had that oppressive aura around him, the one that made her fall to her knees for him. Lolita looked at him and all she could see was just Hayden, lost in his own mind. He regarded her as she regarded him, but he still didn’t make a move towards her. She remembered the last time she saw him, in her hospital room. He looked mad back then, as though the earth would stumble over him if she didn’t let him touch her. Lolita didn’t know what to say. The air was calm and awkward at the same time. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, so low that she
Time Heals No Wounds Lolita swirled her coffee around with her spoon. She stared into the cup, lost in the swirls of the deep brown. It had no sugar, no milk, just plain coffee. She still hated coffee, but now it was different. Now she liked the burn and the bitter taste that traveled down her throat. She sipped it slowly, savoring its taste. It reminded of everything that had happened, everything she had lost. Her thoughts scared her the most. Sometimes she lay up in her bed, staring into her ceiling and wondering if Samantha was still out there. Her brother caught her many times lying outside on the dirt, looking up at the sky. “I was waiting for Samantha,” she would say if he asked. “But she won’t come. The skies are starless tonight.” Her family was scared for her, and understandably so. When they tried to take her to meet more psychiatrists and therapists, Lolita had to incessantly beg them that she was fine. They didn’t believe her, of course so she decided to pretend for a
Farewells and Backtracks “I’m sorry,” Hayden responded quietly. “Do you want me to leave? I can leave right now.” “Yes, please.” He stood up on a shaky foot. He walked to the door, then stopped. When he looked back at her, his eyes were shimmery with tears. She’d almost forgotten how beautiful he can be. How stunning and incredibly attractive, even though he looked broken. “It’s three in the morning,” he said to her. “I don’t think it’s safe for me to leave just yet.” “For me or for you?” He was shaken by her answer. Hayden leaned on the door and watched her instead, preferring the space between them instead of just out rightly leaving. Lolita sat up slowly on the bed, her eyes on him. “Is he here?” She asked. His forehead creased at that question. “Who?” “You know who.” Hayden looked down at his feet, but before then she saw shame and fear cross his face. Lolita’s heart spiked again, alerting the machine. She glanced at it in horror, wondering if it was going to alert the b
Dreams Lolita woke up again, this time more refreshing than the others. The oxygen mask was thankfully out of her mouth. Her arm was still stiff, but at least she’d had a nice change of clothes and bandage. Her leg was on a cast above her bed, but the nurse who’d shown up the previous night promised that she’d start physical therapy as soon as possible. Lolita didn’t mind. She really didn’t need her legs; she wanted to remain in this bed for as long as possible, staring at the unstained room. She liked the emptiness it denoted. She felt seen, even if it was by an inanimate object. Her family showed up more frequently than she would have liked. Her mother sometimes slept with her and held her hands. Lolita didn’t like it. It made her hand sweaty and twitchy. She would have loved to draw it away without waking her mother, who would in turn alarm the whole hospital. She just wanted to be left alone. Samantha never showed up. She began to seek her out in her dreams, but they were so
Flowerbeds and Lilies Lolita was reliving her nightmares over and over. It sometimes started out as a fantasy dream, where she was a fairy and she was flying high above the clouds. In the middle of admiring the beautiful nature below, she would then see a large black bird rushing towards her. At first it looked like a crow, but when it grew closer it grew into a larger, terrifying bird. It was ten times bigger than her. It would grab her off the air with its claws, cutting into her arm and abdomen. She would scream in pain and try to break free, only to discover that the claws had materialized into hands, and that it belonged to Hayden, who in turn changed into Jarrod. Every single time, she would try to break free and pull herself from the abyss of pain, but all she encountered was a dull emptiness. There was nothing to pull herself into, no rope to drag her back to the light. All she knew was emptiness; dark and dull. She had begun to grow accustomed to it. Perhaps she would even
Grief and Byes Hayden woke up with a gasp, as though he’d been drowning forever and something just tugged him out from the deep end of the ocean. For a second his vision was blurry and gray. The gleaming white of the room hit him like lightning, immediately hurting his eyes. He winced and closed them back immediately, trying to relax his tense muscles. “He’s awake,” he heard someone murmur in the room. It was Rocky. Hayden reached out a hand, his fingers twisting for comfort and assurance. He needed to know he was alive and not in that bleak, dark blue he’d been in since forever. A cool, large hand touched his, squeezing it assuredly. “It’s not in my job description to coddle you, sir.” Hayden opened his eyes. It was definitely Rocky. He was standing at the side of his bed with a young, charming nurse who was obviously flirting with him. Hayden was too tired to make jest of the situation. Rocky turned to the nurse with a smile, signaling her that it was okay for her to leave. Whe