Shadows of the Past: Chapter 9 (PG-13)
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:52 pm
Disclaimer: I own no recognizable characters, sets, etc.
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Mick, Beth, Josef, Simeon, OC
Warning: CONTRIVED!
Shadows of the Past
One week later, Mick stood outside Lauren’s front door. He hadn’t seen or heard from her since she had confided in him her secret. At first, he had tried to hide from this, to avoid facing the pain of reality, but he soon realized that this was a truth he couldn’t hide from. He knocked softly, at first, and then harder when no one answered. He could hear the padding of footsteps, and the door opened. Ben stood before him, and greeted him warmly, as an old friend.
“Hi, Ben,” Mick replied, “Is Lauren here.”
“She’s sleeping at the moment, but you can come in. She’ll probably be awake shortly.” Mick couldn’t help noticing the tiredness and deep sadness in the young man’s face.
“All right,” Mick said and stepped inside. In the weeks since he had met Lauren he had never actually been within her home before. It was small and cramped, but neat and homey, nonetheless. Mick noticed an old, upright piano in the corner of the living room.
“You play?” motioned towards it.
“Me?” Ben replied, “No. Lauren used to play it before she got sick. She was actually quite good, and used to teach a bunch of neighborhood kids on the weekends. She doesn’t play it much anymore, though. I can’t tell you how much I miss coming home to hear her playing.” Ben’s voice was beginning to choke up, and Mick laid a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You can sit down, if you’d like,” Ben said quietly, “Can I get you anything. I think we’ve got some colas in the fridge.”
“No. Thank you, though,” Mick replied. At the sound of his name being spoken behind him, Mick turned to see Lauren standing in the hallway. She looked considerably worse than she had the last time he had seen her. To Mick, she looked pale and fragile, almost ghostly.
“What are you doing here, Mick?” she asked, her voice soft and weak.
Noticing his sister standing in the doorway, Ben stood and rushed to her side. He walked her to the couch, where she sat down next to Mick.
“I just came by to see how you’re doing,” Mick spoke gently.
“I was starting to think I scared you off,” Lauren teased him halfheartedly.
“Of course not,” Mick explained, “I just needed to sort things out.”
Ben interrupted then, “Mick, I hate to ask you this, but could you watch her for a few minutes. I have to run to the drug store to pick up her medication.”
“I’d be happy to,” Mick answered.
Ben kissed his sister gently on the cheek, and walked to the front door. “I won’t be long,” he added before he left.
“So, thoses medications…”Mick began optimistically but was interrupted by Lauren.
“They’re only painkillers, Mick. I told you before, there’s nothing to be done. Believe me, I didn’t want to give up. For almost a year, I did everything I could think of, but it was useless. I do worry about Ben, though. I’m all he has left. He does so much for me. I’m afraid he’ll wear himself out,” She moved closer to Mick and rested her head on his shoulder. Mick put his arm protectively around her and held tight, “Promise me, Mick. Promise me you won’t leave me. Every day the world gets darker, colder. I don’t want to be alone.”
“I promise,” Mick answered sincerely. Truth was, he couldn’t imagine letting her go.
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Mick, Beth, Josef, Simeon, OC
Warning: CONTRIVED!
Shadows of the Past
One week later, Mick stood outside Lauren’s front door. He hadn’t seen or heard from her since she had confided in him her secret. At first, he had tried to hide from this, to avoid facing the pain of reality, but he soon realized that this was a truth he couldn’t hide from. He knocked softly, at first, and then harder when no one answered. He could hear the padding of footsteps, and the door opened. Ben stood before him, and greeted him warmly, as an old friend.
“Hi, Ben,” Mick replied, “Is Lauren here.”
“She’s sleeping at the moment, but you can come in. She’ll probably be awake shortly.” Mick couldn’t help noticing the tiredness and deep sadness in the young man’s face.
“All right,” Mick said and stepped inside. In the weeks since he had met Lauren he had never actually been within her home before. It was small and cramped, but neat and homey, nonetheless. Mick noticed an old, upright piano in the corner of the living room.
“You play?” motioned towards it.
“Me?” Ben replied, “No. Lauren used to play it before she got sick. She was actually quite good, and used to teach a bunch of neighborhood kids on the weekends. She doesn’t play it much anymore, though. I can’t tell you how much I miss coming home to hear her playing.” Ben’s voice was beginning to choke up, and Mick laid a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You can sit down, if you’d like,” Ben said quietly, “Can I get you anything. I think we’ve got some colas in the fridge.”
“No. Thank you, though,” Mick replied. At the sound of his name being spoken behind him, Mick turned to see Lauren standing in the hallway. She looked considerably worse than she had the last time he had seen her. To Mick, she looked pale and fragile, almost ghostly.
“What are you doing here, Mick?” she asked, her voice soft and weak.
Noticing his sister standing in the doorway, Ben stood and rushed to her side. He walked her to the couch, where she sat down next to Mick.
“I just came by to see how you’re doing,” Mick spoke gently.
“I was starting to think I scared you off,” Lauren teased him halfheartedly.
“Of course not,” Mick explained, “I just needed to sort things out.”
Ben interrupted then, “Mick, I hate to ask you this, but could you watch her for a few minutes. I have to run to the drug store to pick up her medication.”
“I’d be happy to,” Mick answered.
Ben kissed his sister gently on the cheek, and walked to the front door. “I won’t be long,” he added before he left.
“So, thoses medications…”Mick began optimistically but was interrupted by Lauren.
“They’re only painkillers, Mick. I told you before, there’s nothing to be done. Believe me, I didn’t want to give up. For almost a year, I did everything I could think of, but it was useless. I do worry about Ben, though. I’m all he has left. He does so much for me. I’m afraid he’ll wear himself out,” She moved closer to Mick and rested her head on his shoulder. Mick put his arm protectively around her and held tight, “Promise me, Mick. Promise me you won’t leave me. Every day the world gets darker, colder. I don’t want to be alone.”
“I promise,” Mick answered sincerely. Truth was, he couldn’t imagine letting her go.
