Thanatos : The Red Dawn

(6)Morbid Maroon

"Some days I felt caged up..."

Morbid Maroon

The floorboards creaked with a shudder from the wind.

Run, leave...

Sonya moved her hand over the old, moth-bitten armrest. It dangled over the edge, her pearl ring glistening in the moon's light. She never took that piece of jewellery off. It was a gift, from her late grandmother.

I sometimes I tend to forget how fragile Sonya could be and just how reckless Trita was. The storm had slowed down a bit, but it was still hazardous to head outside. The lightning shot through the sky every few seconds, carrying a heavy anvil of thunder. It was like the gods were dropping boulders onto the earth.

The sky was dark and ominous, but so painfully breath-taking. The moon shone brightly between the thick clouds.

Just leave.

Ever since my encounter with him I've been struggling to keep my thoughts focused. I was constantly distracted by this ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something wicked.

My mind was struggling to keep course and my nerves were shot. Sonya and Trita had begun to question my fidgeting and restlessness, but they eventually decided to leave it alone.

Best to leave it alone. I'm not even sure what's happening. And that was the worst part of it all- the fact that I didn't know why I felt like this.

I stretched my legs out further. I was seated on my dark green sleeping bag in front of the old loveseat. The old couch was scratched and bitten open by stray cats that have managed to climb through the broken windows. The leathery smell hung in the air. So did the stench of cat piss. I cringed.

You'd think after five years you'd get use to this pong, but cat pee is just one smell no normal human can withstand. It was absolutely revolting. I'd always wanted a cat since I was young, but my father was highly allergic. We eventually agreed to compromise a solution and I got little Paddles for my ninth birthday. Poor thing only lived for eight years before cancer took her from us. After that, my heart couldn't handle another pet. I'd become too attached to her and when she was gone, I felt she'd taken a piece of me with her.

Sonya owned three dogs; until the one died of old age a few years back. I remember that night we all sat around a small bonfire by the beach, telling stories and sharing what we liked to call 'polished moments'.

Those were the times that we decided were simply to perfect and sincere to forget. They were special. Sonya bragged she was going to make a scrap book about our 'polished moments'. That's when we realized we classified too many of our times together as special. She eventually gave up on the idea.

There's no doubt in my mind that we would remember those moments either way- with or without a scrapbook.

"You awake?" Trita's soft voice spoke up from the darkness. I could clearly make out her sleepy face. She was paler in the moonlight, although not as pale as the platinum blonde sleeping soundly next to her on the blanket-covered, ratty chair.