A Strange Goodbye. (leggings side story)
By maisie
- 335 reads
It was way past dark, and I woke to the sound of a voice, soft, English, far away.
“Hi again,” I say brightly. I feel there is an urgency. He wants to talk.
We've been here before. The two of us. He's beside a wall. He's bound up.
Can't move. Sometimes I wonder if he does have the capacity for real speech. It's been a while now since the last time.
“You were so far asleep,” he says reproachfully. “I have so little time. I'm nearly ready to go out now.”
“Where will you go?” I ask. I'm not sure what he means.
“Outside,” he says, “I want it to be over now. I tried to wear them out. Only they would only let me speak to you. I did you wrong. They said I should sort it out with you.”
It doesn't seem to matter now. I don't know the wrong he did me. Who were his captors? Why were they so moral?
I turn to the wall. This way we are closer now. I feel the pain. He's someone's captive. He's become as close as a son. He's someone's child who has no choice. Not even the choice of who he speaks too. It's war. War is always harder than you'd believe.
“Are you sure you're ready to do this?” I ask. I have no right to say what he should do.
“Yes,” he says, “I don't mind anymore. I've accepted what I did.”
Footsteps. We both tense. I'm not sure where in the world he is.
They lever him up off the floor. I feel his smile. It echoes. Now I'm cold.
“Are you going out now?” I ask. Suddenly its imperative that he doesn't go.
“Yes.” he says. He's confident. “I won't be back.”
They aren't cruel. They undo ropes, loosen everything, and hold him between them – and together as brothers-in-arms go outside.
I'm left alone in the dark. I can't hear him anymore. He's faded away. He's never come back.
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