Photograph

It's the moments were happy I wish I could capture. I could have an image that would bring back the memories after the darkness sinks in. However, I don't. I can't go back in time to when love was beautiful and blooming. The past is stuck unmoving in my mind. As time goes on the memories fade, or are overcast by the shadows of now. One image is all I ask for, one Polaroid picture that could convey feelings. I need one picture that could convey all our hopes and desires. I need one picture that could capture the light giddiness we felt. I need one picture that could show our love in that instant. I need only one picture to remember how we fell into a deep and unyielding war that was the most wonderful thing in the world, but also the most heartbreaking. One last picture so I remember all that I was.

I Didn't Take You For a Fool: An April Fools short story

“OW!”

The shout came from the kitchen Laurie and her boyfriend Mark shared.  Laurie got up from the sofa in the living room and ran into the kitchen. There was blood everywhere. It splattered the counter and sink. Mark stood next to the counter trying to clean up the disaster of their kitchen with paper towels. His hand was bleeding out and making the mess worse.

“What happened?”  She exclaimed, rushing over to inspect his injury.

“I was cutting vegetables, and my hand got in the way.” Mark shrugged like it wasn’t worth worrying about.

“Here,” Laurie told mark, “let me help you”

She reached under the sink and got out the first aid kit. She opened it up and got out the roll of gauze. Laurie hated blood. She tried not to look at Mark’s hand while she wrapped it. When she finished, she wet a paper towel and started cleaning up the counter. The red liquid made her want to throw up.

“It’s blood, not nuclear waste.” Mark muttered, “Chill out”

Laurie ignored him and kept scrubbing. Was blood supposed to be this sticky? She said as much and Mark tried to keep from smiling, but failed. A grin broke out over his face. Now Laurie was getting annoyed.

“Would you stop smiling like a fool and help me?” She huffed, “I’m probably going to have to take you to get stitches, the blood isn’t coming off, and all you can do is stand there like the Cheshire Cat looking at Alice!”

Mark chuckled and wrapped his arms around her and whispered, “Wow, I didn’t know you would take this seriously. I really thought you would figure it out. I guess you’re an April fool.”

Well, now Laurie felt like one.

Finders Keepers: Chapter 3

                    Kate started struggling to get free, but her assailant had an iron grip. They pinned her arms against her body and dragged her into an alley. She couldn't see her attacker, but from the amount of brute strength she guessed they were male. Years of self-defense courses kicked in. She leaned forward and slammed her head back into her attacker's face. He grunted, but his grips on her didn’t lighten. Kate pounded her foot into his knee and then bit his arm. This time he yowled in pain and his grip on her arms slackened. She whirled and bashed her fist into his throat, then whipped her elbow across his face.

                    The man receded back, holding his nose that gushed blood. "You bitch," he growled, then lunged for her. He wrapped his hands around her neck and lifted her off the ground. She tried slamming her foot into his crotch, but he didn't loosen his grip. The reason he had the first time was because she had taken him by surprise with her persistence. He started squeezing her neck. For the first time, Kate got a good look at her attacker and gasped.

                    The monster that was choking her, he was indeed a monster. He had curled horns, like those of a ram wrapped around his head. His face was humanoid until his mouth. His lower jaw came over his upper jaw in a massive under bite. His bottom teeth that were pushed out over his upper lip were broken and jagged. Massive tattered bat wings dragged along the ground behind him. What she thought was blood dripping down his face was pure darkness that glittered in the fading street light. She stared at its eyes. There was nothing human in them, no mercy, and no good.

                    Pure pain and menace seeped off the monster and cloaked Kate and the ally. She could feel her will slipping. She forgot all about her need for air. She stopped fighting. She should let this creature kill her. She didn't deserve to live. This could end; this torment called life could end. Then freedom, she could be freed-.

                    The dark pull on Kate shattered and she was dropped. She lay on the ground, panting. Desperate to gain back the air that she had lost. A roar of pain thundered from the creature. She could make out flashes of light in the darkness. Then she swore she saw a familiar face in an instant as they stabbed a ray of light through the creature's chest.

                    Its scream of pain ripped through the night. Wherever it came from, it did not want to go back. The light webbed like cracks across its chest, and the dark liquid seeped from the light. She squeezed her eyes shut and clamped her hands over her ears.  Suddenly, the face she saw earlier was by her side unclamping her hands from her ears. Pain, all she felt was the pain.

"It's alright, your safe now. Just focus on breathing, it will dispel the poison" they whispered

                    Kate rolled over on her back. The familiar face leaned over her and looked worried. She knew this person, but her mind was too addled to make the connection. That face was the last thing she saw before oblivion took her away from the pain. Straight ahead into the blissful darkness

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                    Kate woke to morning light streaming in through a window, but not her window. She was in a puffy queen bed. She sat up; her jeans were folded on the chair next to the bed along with her combat boots and leather belt. She would have been embarrassed that anyone besides herself had undressed her -even halfway- if it wasn't for the memories of the night before that were rushing back.

                    There was a thug and he tried to rob her, and a stranger saved her. All of the sudden the memory shifted and the thug was a monster. Then as quick as it happened, the monster was a thug.

“The person who tried to rob you doesn't have horns,” a sweet voice at the back of her mind said. ‘’your imagination is running wild. You should forget it ever happened. ‘’

“Why should I forget when a robber tried to kill me?” she replied

                     Yes, she was losing her grip on normal. Normal people don’t have conversations with the voices in their head. Normal people don’t have voices in their head. But tried to kill her? That wasn't in the memory. The voice knew that too, and tried to convince her again almost hurriedly.

“No one tried to kill you. You’re hallucinating. Why would anyone want-?”

                    Kate decided to name the voice ignorance. "Tried to kill me" had unlocked a hidden memory. This time, the real ones flooded her mind and the voice at the back of her head went silent. She started shaking at the memory of the hands at her throat and the darkness sucking the life out of her.

                    Kate was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack when Lyra opened the door in the corner of the room and rushed to her bedside.

Her friend took her hands calming her, "it’s okay your safe."

Kate looked off into space, “what was that creature?"

"Don't worry its dead the demon is dead."

Late froze, "D-d-demon" she muttered under her breath

She said stronger, "demons aren't real"

"Well," Lyra said dryly, "they obviously are, unless you made hose bruises on your neck appear all by yourself"

Kate shook her head, “you’re delusional”

                    She pulled herself out of the bed and tried to stand up. Her legs were as wobbly as a baby calf, but she walked over to the chair with her clothes and pulled them on. Then Kate remembered she didn’t know where she was. She dodged Lyra who tried to stop her from leaving.

“I don’t want to hear it” she snapped

“Please, Kate. Let me explain-” Lyra begged

“No. you are out of your mind, or drunk.”

                    Kate looked out the window and saw the street in front of Lyra’s shop. She must be in her friend’s apartment above the shop. She walked over to the door and walked out of the bedroom, then into the hall. She needed to paint and get the horror of whatever happened last night out of her system.

“Kate listens to me.” Lyra said aggravated, “your life is in danger-”

Kate spun around. “Look. I don’t know either what you think happened, or what might have happened is somewhat true. I don’t care. I am not listening to gospel stories and conspiracy theories about how demons walk the earth. If there are demons, there is a God. I decided he wasn’t real the day my mother died. If he existed he would have saved her. He wouldn’t have forced me to be alone. You believe what you’re saying Lyra. As your friend, I recommend seeing a psychiatrist. Just because a jackass tried to rob me, and eventually kill me doesn’t mean he is a demon. Evil yes, but not demonic”

                    Lyra didn’t say anything back. Kate continued walking down the hall, past the kitchen and down the stairs that led to the shop. She was halfway out the door when Lyra finally said something.

“When you need my help, you’ll know where to find me.”

Finders Keepers: Chapter 2

Kate woke to the sound of a door opening and then slamming shut. Her best friend and roommate Erin leaned against the door. Her turquoise and pink curls were splayed around her and she giggled. Still groggy Kate sat up, "what has you so joyous?' she questioned.

Erin giggled again "oh no particular reason, Mr. Richards is out yelling at pedestrians again."

Kate let out a slight laugh "What time is it?"

"About five”

She then noticed the bag Erin had in her right hand. “What's in the bag?"

"My brains…"

Kate just stared at Erin. Her best friend walked toward the kitchen, "Just kidding, it's Chinese. And if you don't hurry you're not getting any"

It took Kate a minute to realize she was still on the couch and that she had come home and fell asleep in the middle of the day. Thinking about her mother had left her emotionally exhausted, and she had needed the sleep after passing out in Lyra's shop. She walked into the tiny kitchen. Erin was seated on the counter, already eating her chow mein. As Kate dug through the bag looking for orange chicken she noticed a clay turtle sitting on the counter grinning at her.

She sighed, "Why do we have a turtle sitting on our counter?"

Erin usually kept the little guy in their room, but apparently she moved him out here. The tiny grinning tortoise crept Kate out and Erin knew it. She probably moved him out here to see Kate freak out about him.

"He isn't just a clay turtle. He's Walnuts and he keeps me from losing my mind."

Now that Kate had her food in order she sat down next to Erin. "Well then, why is Walnuts sitting on the counter?"

"He seemed bored, and he wanted to get out of our room"

 Kate gave Erin a look, "turtles don't get bored”

“Yes, they do!” Erin exclaimed, “Turtles have feelings too!"

"Only if they are alive,"

 “Who said Walnuts isn't alive?"

 "I did. This conversation is becoming too weird to have while eating, or at any other point."

 "I don't find it weird at all."

Kate let out a laugh "That's because you're crazy."

 "Only on weekdays" Erin replied.

They both started laughing. They were both wacky in their own individual way, and it explained why the two girls got along well.

"So," Erin started "How did your trip to Lyra's emporium go?"

Kate nodded "It was weird."

"Weird? Like she turned into an elephant weird, or a guy wearing socks and sandals wacky?"

"No, like I passed out"

Erin looked incredulous, "you passed out? You haven't done that since we were what? Nine?"

 "I know, but that wasn't the weird part."

"Well, then what was? Give me details!"

"I had a dream-"

"You dream when you pass out?" Erin questioned

 "Not usually, but never mind. I had a dream-"

Her friend giggled "you sound like Dr. Martin Luther-"

Kate placed a hand over Erin's mouth, "can I talk?"

 "mph-mmm" Erin tried to say nodding and she removed her hand

"There was this room full of armor. And then there was a sword, its beauty was… I can't even describe it. When I picked it up I got all these flashes. I flew and then I saw a box-"

"It sounds like you hit your head pretty hard"

 "Yeah, it's just weird you know?"

"Definitely, I have had dreams that there were singing toothbrushes that have taken over the world."

Kate found that information both odd, and not useful "okay, but what do you think it means?"

"Well…Interpreting a dream is tricky. Flying tends to mean achievement or happiness. Like no force in the world can hold you down. Swords signify bravery, power and a desire for battle. Have you felt the need to beat the shit out of anyone lately?"

 Kate took a moment to think "does Walnuts the turtle count?"

"ENOUGH about Walnuts,” Erin said making a face “He’s a pacifist anyway, this has no connection to my delightful clay friend. It has to do with you subconsciously wanting to beat the shit out of somebody."  Erin’s face turned serious. "Do you think this could be a vision?"

 Kate looked her straight in the eye, "a vision?"

"Are you repeating every word that comes out of my mouth today?”  Erin nodded slowly, “Yes, a vision."

 Kate burst out laughing. All the horoscope and fortune telling articles Erin read online had to be getting to her head. "I’m not having visions"

 "People don't dream when they pass out, or at least, I don't think they do."

Okay, Erin was getting way too into this. "Vision or not I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. It's just weird"

 "Yeah," Erin responded hollowly, "weird"

 They spent a while just talking about everything and anything, but Erin seemed out of it. When Kate looked up at the time she saw that it was seven.

"Well, I'm going to head to the studio. Our homework was to finish a piece before next class, and I haven't even started"

Erin was staring off into space but still murmured, "Have fun, and stay safe"

As Kate walked out of the apartment she called over her shoulder "Bye"

The art studio was just a few blocks away and Kate could walk there within ten minutes. She strode inside, shrugged off her coat and turned on the lights. Speaking to herself, she whispered into the empty space "shall we begin?" Kate got out her paints and brushes and sat down in front of the blank canvas. She cleared her mind and just painted. She didn't think or worry, she just felt. Maybe that’s why she liked painting as much as she did. She could just let go of the day's worries and lose herself in colors, and brush strokes. She could just have a moment of clarity and concentration where she could let her mind wander. It made her feel… alive. Kate looked at what she had on the canvas. She didn't know the exact moment she decided to paint an angel, but that was what it had become. White feather wings spread out behind the brown haired beauty. Her long white dress blended into shades of turquoise, yellow and red that made up the background. The piece had turned out the best. She didn't know what drove her to make it, she hadn’t thought of angels in years.

She finished the girl’s face and hands, and then set her painting out to dry. All shades of colors stained her hands. She walked over to the sink still puzzling over her painting. Kate wasn't religious, but she used to be. She and her mother used to go to church every Sunday, pray at every meal and before they went to sleep. After her mother died praying and going to church reminded her too much of what she lost. So she stopped going. She stopped praying. She stopped believing. Apparently all of Erin's talk of visions and dream interpretation got to her head as well. Something probably subconsciously bothered her and she wanted protection. So she painted an angel. It made sense.

 Kate put away her painting supplies and turned off the lights. She locked the door and started off down the street. She reached a DO NOT WALK sign and stopped. She pulled out her phone to check the time it was eleven thirty. Kate usually wasn't out this late and the street looked eerie with the shadows cast by the streetlights. She got an uncomfortable feeling in her gut. It screamed danger, not safe. Kate walked faster; she knew she was acting irrationally. She was almost running, even though she doesn't see anyone on the street with her. Kate felt like the shadows were watching her, waiting to strike.

She stopped to catch her breath In front of the door to her apartment. Kate's heart thundered. Not safe, danger, not safe, danger. Kate had just unlocked the door when someone grabbed her from behind.