fiction

by chloe ballew

Verrado High School

Lycoris Radiata

Red flowers lined a winding path through a blooming meadow. Birds soared on the never ending, crisp, blue, sky. The field was empty until I saw a figure emerging from over the horizon, a girl no older than seven was running towards me. The young girl paused just before she reached me, turning around to yell at another child who was just arriving.

“Hurry up, Mary!”

“I’m coming, but you’re way faster than me,” Mary hollered back.

I recognized them both, but I couldn’t place where I knew them from. I studied the girl as she skipped over to Mary, she was dressed for days long past. Her golden locks were tied back into two braids and she was dressed in a blue collared dress.

I started over to them, but I couldn’t pass over the boundary of spider flowers.

“Hey, little girl,” I called out.

Nothing. They had just reached each other and they were whispering back and forth giggling now and then. Until, Mary ran off into the forest that sat on the edge of meadow giggling. The first girl followed.

I continued down the path, as I walked the world around me started to bleed and morph until the place that was once a neverending meadow became an abandoned classroom. It wasn’t just any classroom, it was part of my old school.

Just then Mary wandered into the classroom laughing with a younger me on her heels. Mary sat on the teacher’s empty desk, so I hopped up next to her.

“Can you believe we are going to be seniors next year,” I giggled,” It feels like we were just freshmen a few weeks ago.”

“I know, I don’t want high-school to end,” Mary’s eyes fell to the floor.

“Don’t go getting all sentimental on me.”

Mary looked up at me, tears spilling from her ocean eyes. I put my hand on her cheek and whipped them away. She leaned in and kissed me, her lips were soft, I kissed her back, harder. Soon the realization hit me at what I was doing I pulled away.

“Kathy,” Mary whispered, but I had already grabbed my bag and I was headed from the room.

As soon as the door shut the world around me faded once again, but I didn’t move, the world just faded until there was nothing but darkness and the dirt path lined by the hell flowers that kept me from my Mary.

There I stood. Why was I so dumb when I was younger? Why was the world so backwards? Why didn’t I brave it hand in hand with Mary?

I began my march forward through time, on the other side I was greeted by the hallway between classes where Mary watched me from across her locker. I didn’t acknowledge her at all and I didn’t speak to her again the rest of the year.

“What is wrong with you,” I screamed at my younger self, as the scene changed once again this time I was at a bar. A twenty something me sat at the bar being chatted up by another guy who she would go home with.

“I am going back home for the holidays, what about you,” the guy asked as he sipped his beer.

“Yeah, my mom gets upset during the holidays, my dad died a few days before Christmas when I was really young, so I try and visit every year.”

“Oh.”

“It’s getting pretty late want to head back to my place,” I asked him like I had asked so many other guys

“Sure.”

They left the bar and we were off through time once again. Now I was at my childhood home surrounded by people draped in black. I was making my way through the crowd making small chat with everyone until I noticed her. She was a glass of water in the dessert, deep brown hair tumbling down her shoulders and eyes so deep I thought I could just fall into them.

She noticed me staring and started towards me.

“Is it really you,” I asked, hugging her like if I let go I would plummet back to a reality where she was gone forever.

“Of course it's really me, who else would it be,” Mary said, ”I am so sorry for what happened to your mother.”

“At least she will get to be with my father once again.”

We continued making small talk until I saw a window of opportunity and I pulled her into the office upstairs. As soon as the door was closed I kissed her and she kissed me back with fervor.

As soon as she pulled back I started, ”I am so sorry about what I did all of those years ago I was just so scared of what could’ve happened and I have regretted everyday since. I-”

“Stop, Kathy, Stop. All that matters is we’re here, together, now.”

The world faded once more, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. Things continued anyway, the world shifted to a hospital room.

On the bed lay an aged Mary with me from only a few years prior sitting by her holding her hand. They looked almost peaceful, until a doctor walked into the room.

“Mrs. Mitchel can I speak with you in the hall for a moment.”

“Her cancer has progressed and is now in her lungs and kidneys. There is a new treatment we could give her, but it is unlikely to do much for her.”

“How long does she have?”

“A week at most.”

The world swirls and blurs until I am back at the beautiful meadow. I look around me until I notice a twenty year old Mary standing on the edge of the forest. I try to go to her and notice the red flowers no longer line my path.

With each step I take into the meadow I notice my hair shifting back to gold and the wrinkles that covered my hands starting to fade. By the time I reach Mary I look as young as she does.

When I arrive in front of her I reach out and place my palm on her cheek. She pulls me in and kisses me with a passion I haven’t felt since she died. When she pulls away she grabs my hand and leads me over the horizon.