Page 76 - The Flame

Of skeletons and storms

By PATRISHA VANESSA Q. SANTOS

“So tell me about her,” I said as I chewed my bott om lip. “Tell
me about the girl who tore your heart into pieces.”

We have been travelling together for ti ons, I did not even know which one to the bitt erness and hurt in his tone no mat-
almost a week but I sti ll do not know him ask fi rst. I wanted to unravel him, to learn ter how he tried to hide it.
at all. All I know about him is that he is a everything I could about him, to read his “I am sorry,” I said soft ly.
runaway like me and that his name is Travis. thoughts like the way he read mine. “You are not the one who should be
But I always catch him staring at that wrin- I tucked some stray locks of wet hair be- sorry,” he took another long drag.
kled picture of a prett y girl with long auburn hind my ears and whispered, “What is her “You are not blaming yourself, are you?”
hair when he thinks I am not looking. His name?” “How could I not? I introduced her to
easy mischievous grin slides and the mask “Priscilla,” he said, “She was nineteen, cocaine, then left her when it was too much
falls apart. He is broken. And I am sure it is your age, I suppose.” for both of us to handle. I was a coward. I
because of her. I never menti oned any personal details should have just loaded a gun and shot her
We are the same—him and I. We fi ght to to him. I was trying to hide my identi ty, re- in the head.”
break loose of the hell hole we came from. main as anonymous as he was to me, but he A tear fell down his cheek and my heart
We want to be free. We think that running sat here next to me, knowing things I never ached to touch him. Before I could stop my-
away will fi x things. Someti mes at night, be- told him. self, I was leaning over, closing the distance
fore I fall asleep, I fi nd myself wondering if I “Do not act too surprised, it was just a between our lips. He heaved a sharp intake
did the right thing. good guess,” he smiled slightly. “She was of breath and pulled away quickly.
We are currently trapped in this ram- my life. She was everything. And when she “You do not want to do this. I am a dam-
shackle wooden shed because of the storm. died, I have got nothing left to lose.” aged good—broken and twisted,” his voice
My hair is sti ll dripping wet and my clothes A terrible wave of sadness washed over was resigned.
hang on me like second skin. His dark hair me as soon as his words registered in my “I killed my brother,” I whispered as a
is in front of his eyes so I cannot read his brain. I sat closer to him, wanti ng to em- fl ash of lightning startled the dark shed.
expression. For a while, there is no sound brace him, wanti ng to comfort him in any “He tried to rape me, so I grabbed a knife
except for raindrops and claps of thunder. way I could. and stabbed him. That is why I ran away.”
*** “How did she...?” I looked at him with tears in my eyes.
He reached into his pocket and took out “She was messing around with cocaine, “He was hooked on crystal meth and E.”
his precious silver cigarett e casing, pulled she became addicted quickly and I tried to We were silent for a long ti me. I guess
one sti ck of Marlboro out then lit it with his do damage control and got her family to do he was trying to digest what I just revealed
Zippo lighter. The brief light of the fl ame illu- interventi ons. She did not listen to any of to him.
minated his handsome face—his coal black us, she overdosed twice and nearly died. I I would like to hope that we would soon
eyes, pointed nose, and thin pink lips. He told her I had enough and left town. Then escape the demons of our past. As we wait-
took a couple of long drags then exhaled. she killed herself.” ed for the storm to pass, I reached for his
“What do you want to know?” he asked He said it so simply, almost casually. But hand and intertwined my fi ngers with his.
as he looked straight into my eyes. I was not fooled. His hands were shaking, “Do not worry. I am broken and twisted,
I was silent for a while. So many ques- his eyes were misti ng over and I could sense too.” F

ANGELI B. VALENZUELA
76 | FLAME