Ruins to Ashes
Six very evident numbers resided on his left arm. 214782. A dark past no one would want to revisit. Especially them. Katrina had left Europe just before the war broke out and before that she and her family had gone into hiding. She wanted to take him with her. Neither of them wanted to be apart. She and her family had gone to America and stayed with friends her mother had there. The entire time, Katrina thought of Erik. If he was okay and safe and breathing. Almost every moment of the day she'd be worried. Listening to the small radio she'd received on her birthday the previous year.
When they heard that the war was over, Katrina and her family returned home. Two days later, Erik arrived on her doorstep. Katrina was overjoyed and relieved by the reunion. But he'd come back to her different. No longer was the happy person she once knew, no. He was angry. Driven by hate. I could see it in his eyes, he'd seen death. He had told me it was his mother. A man named Klaus Schmidt had shot his mother, right in front of him. Erik had talked and planned. When he was old enough, he would find Klaus, and kill him.
18 years later
A man sat on his bed, dressed in only a bathrobe. The year was 1962. He played with the coin that he'd had since that day. The coin that haunted his every waking moment. Lying next to him was a woman. She slept soundly. Her raven black hair nearly hid the pillow under her head. Erik looked at her for a moment. The woman hadn't left his side in almost two decades. He wanted to love her, he probably did love her. But he was blinded by so much hate and anger, he barely felt it.
After a long exhale, her eyes opened. She smiled at the spaced face that looked at her. He was deep in thought. And she knew exactly what about. He only thought of one thing, even in his sleep. Revenge. That awful day would replay in his head, making him even more angry and filled with more hate. His eyes left hers and he went back to staring at the wall. He'd been tracking Klaus for years and had pinned his every move on a large and small map. The coin still floating between his fingers.
Her hand gently touched his.
"Erik, please. You're driving yourself mad over this. I know it's hard to move on and I know that you want your revenge, but killing him won't bring you peace. It can't. The fixation has gone on too long."
Erik exhaled and looked at her. "It was never about peace, Katrina" And he looked back at the map.
Katrina let out a sign. She threw the blanket off her body, revealing her only in a nightgown, pulled herself up and straddled Erik. She put her hands on either side of his face, making him look at her. His eyes were filled with tears threatening to spill over.
"Then why are you fixating on this? Because he killed her? People kill people. I've stood by your side for eighteen years, pretend and trying to understand all of this. But I don't. Every moment you think about him, you just get crazier and thirsty for blood. That isn't healthy. You aren't yourself anymore."
He sighed. Katrina kissed him. She pushed her body closer to his. His right arm wrapped around her. His eyes opened and sent the coin flying across the room and had it land in the forehead of the picture of Klaus that he'd put up on the wall. Erik then slipped into the passionate kiss and rolled on top of Katrina