Walks to podium….
"I wish to thank all of you comments. They have given me great pleasure in knowing that some one has read this and cares!! Thank You"
Walks away from podium with trophy…
Just Kidding…. I love drama…
Chapter 2: Too Many Memories
"NOOOO!!! You can't leave me!! You are all I have…." A female voice is heard and a sliding to the floor with a thump.
Steps are heard coming toward her.
"Well if I can't leave then what am I to do with you. I can stand to have you around, but I can't afford you and my daughter." Fury, confusion, and caring are all mixed emotions in the male's voice that is heard.
"You don't have to worry about her. I have an idea that will get her out of our hair." A soft walking noise of bare feet on the wood floor is heard and the squeak of the bed as someone falls back on it.
"Plus like you said last night. She's an annoying pip-squeak and I thought you said you wanted me…" Ripping of clothing is heard follow by the sound of something obscene. "You need someone to love you and care for you the rest of your years… remember."
A purple light suddenly flashed in Tessa's dark mind.
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Tessa shot straight up from her bed. Her breath came in pants and sweat lightly covered her forehead. She threw off the covers and ran to her light switch across her room and flicked the light from Off to On. Once light filled the room she slumped against the wall, her face against the wallpaper, breathing.
"Why…why…what was it…what happened?" Her speech uneven and breathless, "It's just a dream… it's just a dream…" Her speech slowed and breathing came even, but her pulse never slowed.
"I need to walk." She stood slowly, feeling her heart pound an uneven rhythm in her chest. Crossing her room, she glanced at her clock reading it, 5:30am.
She changed into a pair of grey jogging pants, a white tank, a matching grey jacket, and tennis shoes. She threw her hair into a high messy ponytail that hung to the middle of her shoulder blades. Gliding out the door, she took one last glance about her room and shut the door, not seeing a pair of gleaming golden eyes watching her from her window.
The house door slammed and she skipped down the stairs of her house. Pulling up her hood she gazed at the sky. The dark clouds seemed to threaten to burst.
She shrugged her shoulders and started walking into the mist of town. The weather seemed to effect the town's disposition of dreary. The inn sign swung, creaking in the breeze. She gazed about and saw no one in sight and breathed.
Tess picked up her pace to a slow jog; keeping her breathing even. Jogging around the pond she noticed a turtle near the trees and shook her head and she kept jogging. She soon reached the beach and started walking through sand. The wind blew her hood off and loosened her ponytail. Her hair whipped about her face as she stared at the water crashing into the rocks and rinsing onto the beach.
Crash… A funny word that always doesn't have a happy ending. A force of fierceness that hurts, causes worry, and death. A chill shivered up Tess' spine causing her to wrap her arms around herself in a hug. A tear slowly descended down her cheek and she closed her eyes.
Flashback
"Now Hun you can't stay long. You need to let your mother rest. I'll wait out here until your finished" Her father squeezed her shoulders with his massive hands and smiled.
"I won't take long Daddy I promise." Tess gave him a small smile and brushed past him into her mother's hospital room.
Tess always hated hospitals. Having visiting hours from 9:00 to 5:00, it wasn't far. Also all the bright neon lights everywhere blinding anyone who dared to look up. The stupid tile flooring always squeaky clean and then the smell was always unbearable. The rancid smell of cleaning chemicals and sanitizer always burned her nose. Hospitals were supposed to be comfortable. Whatever, the lumpy beds, the all too thin sheets, and privacy is a joke. The nurses and doctors come and go as they please never bothering to knock or nothing. It was all stupid, but that's where her mother had to stay.
"Hi…mom." Tess's speech rattled with nervousness.
Her mother rolled her head toward her and smiled. Her hair falling out and her skin seemed to be like Tessa's great-grandmothers.
"Hi baby..." Her mother smiled and then coughed so hard it seemed to rattle Tess as well as herself. "How is my angel?"
"I'm ok momma, but the question is how are you?" Tess hoped and prayed her mother would pull through.
Her mother turned her head forward away from Tess and her smile went into a frown. "I'm not doing to hot baby. I have been feeling pretty bad. I've…" Another cough rattled through her pale fragile body, it caused her to heave forward and grasp her chest with pain.
Tessa went to reach for her mother, but was stopped by a rigid hand and hard cold grey eyes. Tears slowly began to fall down Tess's cheeks and pain etched its way across her face. Her mother's eyes softened but her hand stayed in place.
"Terrace Michelle you will not cry it causes bags under your eyes. Plus you'll make me cry and I can't take that right now." Her mother's hand fell onto Tess's and gave it slight squeeze.
"Mother…" Tess fell softly into her mother's crook for comfort. "I just don't want to lose you. I don't think I could handle it." Her body shook trying to compose herself from not crying.
Her mother's frail hand ran up and down her upper arm. "Baby doll, you can handle anything. All you have to do is put you mind to it." She kissed the top of her daughter's head trying her best to comfort her.
"But momma…This is different. You and I both know that. I don't think I could live without you…I don't think…" She was about to finish but her mother cut her off.
"Hush child and look at me now." Her mother's voice full of defiance.
Tessa sat up a little and looked at her mother's steel grey eyes that were full of love.
"This is your life Hun. Live it, breath it, make every moment a lasting impression, but never I mean never say or even think you can't go on. You are my daughter and you are just as much of me as your father. You have filled my life with twenty-one years of happiness and you were never a burden and don't start now. If God grants it you will be with me many more years, but we are not in control God is and we have to trust him Now straighten up and act like that beautiful intelligent daughter I gave birth too. Now be a good girl and give your momma a hug." Her smile filled Tessa with warmth. Her hug on the other hand was cold as ice and stiffened.
It was then her mother's eyes began to close and not because she was tired. The machine started to get slower and slower, but not until her last words.
"Please remember to be strong my love." Her final squeeze seemed to take her all and her eyes only stayed open with a small flutter. "Please remember… Be strong."
That was it the machine made a dead line and her mother's eyes closed forever. In shock Tessa froze, she new CPR, but she couldn't move.
It was then the medical staff rushed in throwing open the privacy curtain. Tessa felt hands pick her up and move her to a nearby chair. Soon after that she blacked out.
The next day she woke up in a hospital bed and found out her loving mother passed away, but she already knew that and it didn't help to be refreshed. Her mother had crashed and nothing could be done.
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Tess opened her eyes slowly. Blinking rapidly she tried to rid herself of the tears, but the act was useless. The memory was to painful and still fresh. Shaken she fell to her knees and her hands gripped the sand in anger and sadness. Tears poured down her face as if they were a waterfall.
Carelessly she sobbed, letting the emotion rattle her and grip all of her senses. She sat back on her feet and looked up at the darkening sky and felt a raindrop. She bowed down and her head touched her knees. Another spasm of pain spread through her body and fresh tears slid backward into her hair. She pushed her hands through the sand and gripped it. Feeling it fall through her hands she brought it to her face and cried.
She just fell through my hands and I could not help her. The idea ripped through her like a knife tearing into her heart. Her sobs grew worse and not to her notice louder. Nothing seemed to matter she felt dead. Her shins flat on the ground she curled into herself and bawled.
Time seemed to pass like in hours, but it was only minutes. Soon a masculine hand placed itself in the middle of her back and in a handsome gentile voice asked, "Are you ok?"
Not wanting attention, especially from a man that she did not recognize by voice, she ripped herself from the ground in one quick motion, not even looking at who he was, she ran away from him.
Running away from the memory, running from him, running away from the beach, running away from herself, running away from her past, running away from her future; she didn't want to face it. She did not want to face any of it. She ran that's all she did and that's all she wanted to do.
She ran across the path jumping over the logs. She ran across the bridge. She turned suddenly and started running toward the dig. She ran until she could no longer run any more. Falling onto the cold hard unwelcome dirt in the middle of the road and finally stopping.
The pain was everywhere. Clinging, ripping, crying, and screaming at her and the grief coursed through her like it was in her veins. It was too much and it had her. All she heard at first was running water, then the sound of a faint dog bark, and finally the wind beginning to howl and the rain pound the earth.
She felt truly gone and everything was darkening, but not before she heard that masculine handsome voice yell out, "Somebody help me!!" and a faint thought of somebody cares traced its way through her mind. Then everything went completely black.