EVERYTHING I HAVE.

CHAPTER FIVE.

ELAINE’S POV

It was a Sunday, a week had passed and I had a relationship with Franklyn, sort of. We hadn’t necessarily established any particular labels. We just knew we liked each other, at least I hoped he felt the same about me. It was particularly enough, for me that is. I had no idea how he really felt about me. I was lost in nothing but thought as I stood in front of the door of his apartment.

I had asked to come over to his place the night before. He was initially hesitant and refused but eventually agreed. After waiting a bit, he finally answered the door and let me in. It was a really small one-bedroom apartment. It was clear his financial situation was really bad. I looked around the living room which had only one chair and a bean bag at the corner of the room seated opposite the TV. The walls were decorated with posters and paintings. The apartment was small but organized. “I mean it’s no mansion, it’s barely even an apartment but I make it work”, he said as he leaned on the wall staring away. He then walks over to the window and opened the windows which brightened the room. “Want a drink?”

“Sure”, I replied. He then walks over to the kitchen. I stare at the posters and paintings, some of them had his name signed at the bottom. I found the paintings quite impressive. It made me wonder how someone that smart and talented isn’t doing better at life. Eventually, he returned with a bag of chips and sodas. He handed them to and sat on the bean bag. I didn’t want to ask him any questions about his financial life, at least he didn’t lie about it, he was a completely person so I didn’t pry.

“Cool paintings”

“Thank you, it’s just a little hobby I picked up when I was younger. I did most of these back when I was in art school”

“You went to art school?”

“Yeah, after college and university, I was stuck looking for things I really wanted to do, so, art school was my final option”

“College, university and high school? Impressive”

“No not really, between a degree in philosophy and a diploma in arts, it’s really not that impressive”

“How can you even say that? You write and draw, you’re like one of the most talented and creative people I’ve ever met”

“Jeez, the flattery”

“I’m being serious”

“Well, I haven’t felt like that in a while. I mostly just write now”, he says then drinks his soda. There was silence it the room for a bit. “So, what do you do for fun?”, I asked.

“Well, I mostly just watch movies, then of course gaming, that’s pretty much it.

“Oh, so, what kind of movies do you like, your favourite one?”

“Well, I like mystery, sci-fi, anime, studio Ghibli movies to be specific. My favourite one is probably grave of the fire files”

“Really, I love that one. It was really moving”

“Yeah, it sorta made me cry a bit”

I giggled at the thought of him crying to a movie. “What? It was a really sad movie”, he said following a chuckle. “What about you, any genres you like specifically, favourite movie?”, he asks.

“Well, I’m really into long franchises or series. I like Starwars and Harry potter”

“Oh, I like harry potter, also watched starwars a lot as a kid”

We continue having wholesome conversations about movies, he had an incredible taste of movies, well, mostly broad because he had seen a lot of them.

“I would’ve loved to make like my own animated movie”, he says.

“Oh? That’s really ambitious. What’s stopping you?”

“Well, nothing really, no opportunity I guess”

“You’d rather wait for opportunity than create your own”

“Not as easy as it sounds now”.

“No but you should start from somewhere, I mean, you’re an amazing writer, you’re a great artist. People would love your work”

“I guess”, he says with a smirk.

He stared outside the window looking in to the evening sky. “Hey, want to watch a movie?”, he says as he turned his gaze back at me. “Sure”, I replied. He stands up and turns on the TV and puts on movie. He goes back to sit on the bean bag. I get of my chair and walk over to him and sit on the bean bag next to him. I rested my head on his shoulder and we both watched the movie.

FRANKLYN’S POV

She was beautiful, it was the only proper way of describing her. They couldn’t offer me a million dollars to lose her. We were different in so many ways I couldn’t count. That very moment was enough, for the first time in a while I had a reason to live.

It soon got dark. It was time for her to leave. She insisted I take walk with her so did. The night breeze blew gently, it was slightly chilly. I noticed her shivering. She had on a sleeveless sundress so I handed her my jacket. Eventually, she got a cab. She attempted to hand me her jacket but I made her keep it then she left.

As I happily walked back home thinking about how eventful my day was, I noticed three men just up front on the sidewalk next to an ally. It was dark so I really couldn’t make out their faces. At the time I thought nothing of it. As I got closer, they started walking towards me. Now, I was slightly distressed. I turned the opposite direction and attempted to run. “Hey!”, one of they yelled. They all began to chase after me. I attempted to make a sharp bent at the junction at the end of the road but suddenly, I fell and yelled I pain. I began to feel sharp pains just above my calves. I touched it and I was bleeding. I had been shot.

The culprits had abandoned me probably in assumption that I was dead. There I laid in a pool of my own blood. I was too tired to cry out for help so I got up, took of my shirt tied the injury to slow down the blood loss. I called myself an ambulance and not too long after they arrived. As my body was being carried into the vehicle I passed out.