full thirty seconds. The three of them stood there, a frozen tableau in the evening shadows. Then Monica moved, a hand came up, the gun pointing at Allison...
Too late. Rick took a step towards her, but slipped on the snow and fell down.
“Monica, I – I need you to go. This is important,” he pleaded with her.
Monica’s face, there was no other way to describe it, collapsed, caved in on itself under the weight of her sorrow. She looked old, decrepit, her beauty unnaturally against the white of the snow.
“Stop,” Rick said calmly, his voice clogged with sadness. He did not know how he managed to keep himself steady as he pushed himself away from the ground, and reached towards Monica. She immediately drew her hand back once more, threatening.
“Monica, stop,” Rick said again. “I know you don’t want to do this – this isn’t the answer.”
Monica threw her arms out wide, demanding, “Why are you doing this then?” She looked broken open.
“Because I love Allison,” he said out loud, for everyone to hear. “But I would leave her for you, if you let her go.”
Rick wanted to calm her down long enough for the help to come. He knew that someone must have called the police, and it was only a matter of time for them to get there.
“You are lying,” Monica yelled at him, and shot at Allison. The bullet hit her in the arm, and small drops of bright red blood started falling on the white snow. Women started screaming, and Rick could see men approaching towards them, but all he could think of was Allison, and that she was hurt.
Rick stood between the two women, protecting Allison with his own body, and started walking towards Monica.
“Go on, then. Kill me too...” he said to the horrible woman who was slowly destroying his life.
Monica was surprised by his reaction, and was watching with sick fascination the blood painting the snow in red. Rick took advantage of her distracted state, and managed to wrestle the gun from her. Two men ran to help him and together they managed to restrain Monica.
“The police are coming,” one of them told Rick, and he thanked him for the help.
Once he was sure that Monica would not get away, Rick ran to Allison, who was sitting down and supported by two young women.
“Are you okay?” he asked her, desperation tangible in his voice.
“Yes, it’s nothing, just a scratch. Do not worry,” Allison smiled up at him.
*********************************
Allison was in the hospital, because even if she was deemed safe enough to travel, she still needed medical attention. The wound on her arm was already healing, but the local doctor was worried about her mental state, and was keeping her under 24 hour surveillance.
She was expecting Rick, and his knock on the door was immediately answered. Allison looked so fragile in the white sterile bed and unadorned room, her eyes were still red from the blow, and the look in them was a little bleary from the pain medicine.
“Hi, how are you tonight?” Rick asked, while sitting on her bed and taking her hand in his. “The nurse tells me you are a very good patient,” he tried for a joke.
“Everyone is great in here, and I already feel much better, but the doctor says it is for the best to stay here.” Allison tugged Rick towards her, and gently touched his lips with hers. “Now, I feel even better.”
“Tonight, everything is reminding me of you…”
“Don’t tell me that you are turning into a sap?” They both laughed at that, and the awkward moment from before was quickly forgotten. “When I get out of here, I would make sure to stay always close, so that you would not need any reminder.”
“Close, Allison?! We do not live together… how is it going to work?” Rick expressed his own fears and doubts about their future together and waited, hoping against all hope, God to make it possible.
“As I told you before, Rick, nothing in the world would be
Too late. Rick took a step towards her, but slipped on the snow and fell down.
“Monica, I – I need you to go. This is important,” he pleaded with her.
Monica’s face, there was no other way to describe it, collapsed, caved in on itself under the weight of her sorrow. She looked old, decrepit, her beauty unnaturally against the white of the snow.
“Stop,” Rick said calmly, his voice clogged with sadness. He did not know how he managed to keep himself steady as he pushed himself away from the ground, and reached towards Monica. She immediately drew her hand back once more, threatening.
“Monica, stop,” Rick said again. “I know you don’t want to do this – this isn’t the answer.”
Monica threw her arms out wide, demanding, “Why are you doing this then?” She looked broken open.
“Because I love Allison,” he said out loud, for everyone to hear. “But I would leave her for you, if you let her go.”
Rick wanted to calm her down long enough for the help to come. He knew that someone must have called the police, and it was only a matter of time for them to get there.
“You are lying,” Monica yelled at him, and shot at Allison. The bullet hit her in the arm, and small drops of bright red blood started falling on the white snow. Women started screaming, and Rick could see men approaching towards them, but all he could think of was Allison, and that she was hurt.
Rick stood between the two women, protecting Allison with his own body, and started walking towards Monica.
“Go on, then. Kill me too...” he said to the horrible woman who was slowly destroying his life.
Monica was surprised by his reaction, and was watching with sick fascination the blood painting the snow in red. Rick took advantage of her distracted state, and managed to wrestle the gun from her. Two men ran to help him and together they managed to restrain Monica.
“The police are coming,” one of them told Rick, and he thanked him for the help.
Once he was sure that Monica would not get away, Rick ran to Allison, who was sitting down and supported by two young women.
“Are you okay?” he asked her, desperation tangible in his voice.
“Yes, it’s nothing, just a scratch. Do not worry,” Allison smiled up at him.
*********************************
Allison was in the hospital, because even if she was deemed safe enough to travel, she still needed medical attention. The wound on her arm was already healing, but the local doctor was worried about her mental state, and was keeping her under 24 hour surveillance.
She was expecting Rick, and his knock on the door was immediately answered. Allison looked so fragile in the white sterile bed and unadorned room, her eyes were still red from the blow, and the look in them was a little bleary from the pain medicine.
“Hi, how are you tonight?” Rick asked, while sitting on her bed and taking her hand in his. “The nurse tells me you are a very good patient,” he tried for a joke.
“Everyone is great in here, and I already feel much better, but the doctor says it is for the best to stay here.” Allison tugged Rick towards her, and gently touched his lips with hers. “Now, I feel even better.”
“Tonight, everything is reminding me of you…”
“Don’t tell me that you are turning into a sap?” They both laughed at that, and the awkward moment from before was quickly forgotten. “When I get out of here, I would make sure to stay always close, so that you would not need any reminder.”
“Close, Allison?! We do not live together… how is it going to work?” Rick expressed his own fears and doubts about their future together and waited, hoping against all hope, God to make it possible.
“As I told you before, Rick, nothing in the world would be
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