Strange
802 Words
~Arabella~
Ham held onto me like he was afraid I would dissolve into thin air the moment he loosened his grip.
For five straight minutes b, he clung to me , his arms wrapped tight around my body, his chin resting on top of my head .
“ Let me hug you one more time. ” Ham pleaded a I tried to shift and step back. His voice cracking ever so slightly.
I swallowed hard . My throat felt tight not because I didn't want to hug him, but because every second I stayed here, I knew Jed's patience was thinking somewhere nearby. I did not want to imagine what it meant if I kept him waiting.
“ Ham , you know I need to go right now. I don't think he will be willing to wait for me any longer.” I tried to keep my voice steady.
“He has to wait.” His answer came quick and so suddenly angry that I blinked. Ham acted a bit more strange here . Anyway ,I could not blame him because he was so attached to me in a way that I am attached to him. That was for sure.His protectiveness was nothing new .
I sighed and rested my forehead softly against his shoulder . Maybe he needed this moment vmore than I realized. I didn't know when we would see each other again.
And the worst part, He still belived I was living because of a job opportunity . He still believed I had a choice.Only if he knew everything.
“Take care of yourself , Okay ?”he whispered . I nodded quietly and stepped away from him before vmy resolve shattered completely. I could not break down here . I could not afford it.
Finally, he lets me get out of my arms. I clutched my little back bag heading away from him to the front of the already waiting Sleek black car that stood out sharply in this dusty, collapsing neighborhood that it almost looked like it had been dropped in from another world.
A world I did not belong to. A world I wasn't sure. I ever wanted to belong to.
The back door swung open before I even reached..I hesitated only a second just long enough to breathe in , steady myself and remind myself why I was doing this.
Ham ....I was only doing everything for Ham.
I slid into the back seat. The moment my body sank into the leather , the door shut firmly behind me. Darkness swallowed me almost instantly . The windows were heavily tinted , trapping out the world , the sunlight.. Everything familiar.It felt like stepping into the cage. A very expensive and yet silent cage.
There was no one else in the back with me. Even the barrier between the front and back seats was raised, sealing me off completely . I could not see the driver. I could not also see outside. Additionally, I could not hear anything but the soft hum of the engine coming to life.
The car took off the moment settled down in the back seat. I am so puzzled. I kept my hands close to my chest and fingers shaking slightly as I gripped the strap of my bag like it might somehow anchor me.
The silence in the car was too heavy like it had weight .nIt pressed down on my shoulders . It felt like someone else was breathing in the dark with me.
I kept shifting uncomfortably. I was suffocating.
I had no idea how long the ride lasted. The monotony of the motion lulled me into sleep.
It took about two hours since I doze off and wake up a number of times before we are able to get to our final destination. After some time ,I finally heard the back pulling towards somewhere.
I try to look through the windows but they are tinted and so I am not able to see or hear anything at all.
Finally, indeed the car stops and then I hear the door where I am seated being opened . after the lock turning.
A middle aged man stood there in a crisp uniform . He had the same expression he had worn when I entered into the car. He seemed cold , professional and unreadable. A person you could not imagine smiling . He bowed his head slightly.
“Miss Arabella Means, ”he said politely b. “We have arrived.
My stomach twisted . Arrived? Where had we arrived?
I stepped out of the car slowly and let my eyes adjust . The air was much cleaner here. The scent of fresh cut grass lingered faintly in the breeze . Then I looked up .
My heart stalled.
- Writer
