Broken Soul

The dark grey cloud hung overhead as a small group of people stood circling an open grave. This grave was the resting place of one Chloe Sullivan. The group of people included her father Gabriel Sullivan who was in his late 40 s, his hair was fading fast and saying goodbye to his only child whom he had raised by himself. The man to his left was known as the General he was Gabriel s older brother he came across un-emotional but no-one knew of the storm that brewed behind his stone like face. A small hand clung to his arm, it belonged to his daughter Lois her hazel eyes now hazy from her tears, her brown hair which normally was full of life flowing around her shoulders was in a loose pony laying lifelessly on her back. Her eyes kept flicking from the grave of where her little cousin almost sister lay to Clark, Chloe s best friend since she could remember and the bane of her existence. She tried to get him to look at her but his eyes never left the coffin. Clark who normally stood at 6 4 with his chest puffed out was now slouching and deflated. He could feel Lois s eyes on him and he wanted to look at her but he couldn t. This was all his fault. He felt his mom squeeze his left hand in an effort to comfort him but it did nothing. His mom, Martha, was in her mid-40 s, she had warm red hair and gentle green eyes she had been a mother figure to Chloe and Lois but loosing Chloe like that was like loosing a part of her.

The service had finished but to Clark and Lois it wasn t enough to pay tribute to Chloe. One by one Gabe, the General and Martha each picked up a hand full of dirt letting it fall onto the coffin as they each said their goodbyes and left. Lois and Clark stood there for a few more minutes his eyes not leaving the coffin and hers not leaving him. She wanted to go over to him, wrap her arms tight around him and make sure he knew it wasn t his fault. But that isn t what they did instead she watched as Clark picked up some loose earth and let it fall before he turned away without looking at her and left.

Clark walked home. It wasn t far from the cemetery, he walked over the fresh white snow surrounded by the grey trodden snow. He had made it home. He could here his mom, Gabe and the General talking about the good times. He didn t want to hear this. He walked into the house and without saying hello or acknowledging them. He walked straight up to his room and shut the door.

He looked at himself in the mirror, his once neatly kept hair fell around his blue eyes which were red from rubbing to stop his tears escaping. His tie lay crooked around his neck and for some reason it infuriated him. He reached up with his right hand and tugged it off he flung it anywhere as long as it was away from him. His thick black woollen coat was holding him down even more he shrugged it off letting it fall to the ground with a thump. Even his white shirt offended him he pulled it free of his trousers but his fingers couldn t undo the buttons so he gave up and pulled it apart, the buttons scattered as they hit the floor like the rain pelting on his window. He moved over to his bed pulling back the cover before he sat down, he put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. The thoughts came fast and were relentless, when he and Chloe first met, the first day she introduced Lois into his peaceful life, every time he and Lois argued she was there to listen to him. He sighed he just needed to sleep. He reached down to pull off his shoes and socks then got into his bed pulling the covers up. He looked at the clock, it was 2:30 pm it had been exactly one hour since they buried her, he rubbed his eyes once more and when he opened them he saw a picture taken a few weeks before it happened. It was of Chloe, Lois and him happy at the state fair. He was in he middle with Chloe to his left and Lois to his right he had his arms wrapped around Chloe and Lois. They looked happy. His eyelids felt heavier as he looked at the picture they finally met allowing him to fall into an uneasy sleep.

He was surrounded by nothingness, he looked around as it started to zoom out as the bright colours rushed in filling the space. He was back at the fair. The sound of people laughing, the smell of the cotton candy hit him hard. He left a tug on his left arm trying to pull him away. He turned to see Lois with a big grin on her face. Her lips were moving but her voice was poor competition to the sounds around what? he asked, instead of replying she rolled her eyes and dragged him after her. He was dragged him to the far end where Chloe was waiting in between the ride named twister and a air brush booth. He felt Lois release his hand and made her way into the booth Come on he heard Chloe say. God it was good to hear her voice he thought as he followed.
So you can do the designs no problem? Lois asked a bored looking man to which he nodded great she said and turned around to face Clark with a smile which could challenge the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. Clark watched her with great curiosity as she moved behind him and jumped when he felt her push him into the chair and tugged off his jacket so his right arm was exposed, he gave a look of fear to a very bemused Chloe who just shrugged. By the end Clark has a cross between the Chickenfoot logo and Van Halen logo, Chloe has the hello kitty and Lois had what she described as the almighty Whitesnake logo.

He felt happy but then it was cruelly and coldly ripped away.

He was standing in a black abyss he could sense someone watching him, he felt the hairs on the back of his head stand on end. Aww poor Clarkie, is no one talking to you? it was Lois s voice, coming from behind he took a sharp turn hoping to see her but no-one was there. He let out a sigh and dropped his head CLARK! It was Chloe. She needed him. He ran off in the direction of the voice but there was nothing except the black. He stilled looking around maybe one time he will see her. Just leave Lois. I never wanted you here God, was that what he actually sounded like. Just leave he could see Lois run out he tired to catch her but his hand kept going through her.

I thought you were my friend it echoed around him, his knees felt weak as he raised his hands to him head as if to block out the thoughts. He was silent for a minute but then he heard it, a metallic crunch and shattering. He couldn t stop himself from falling to his knees. He heard himself repeating the word no as if it was his mantra.

Clark jumped into the sitting position he rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand to remove the sleep as he yawned. His dreams had been the same since she died. He looked over to the clock to see it was late. He figured he wasn t going to go back to sleep so he decided to go for a walk. He put on some fresh clothes and left.

He walked around the old forest for a while but somehow he ended up at the cemetery. He made his way to her gravestone, he stood at the end jus staring at it hoping somehow the name would change but it didn t. He sat down. His mind replayed that night, he couldn t hold it back any more and finally allowed himself to cry as the tears ran down his cheeks he apologised I m sorry, I m so sorry. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn t need to look to know who it was. She sat down and put a arm around him. For once he was glad she was there.