Audrey Del Rosso

19 | Stranger Danger

⌜ Audrey Garcia ⌟

[ A Few Months Later ]

"I miss you so much," I whisper, breaking the silence of the cold, quiet night. "It hasn't been the same without you. You were always by my side, always there for me. Things have been falling apart ever since you left us. I barely find the motivation to get out of bed, to eat. Sometimes, I sleep for days straight and don't even know it. When I'm sleeping, I escape the pain in my heart, atleast some of it. I still see your face in my dreams, hear your voice telling me you're okay, you're here and you won't leave me again."

A few tears slide down my cheek, as I lean forward and kiss my father's name on the tombstone. " It feels like I've lost everyone. I lost mom and you. And Carlos? He is dead but alive. His heart beats, he is breathing, but he isn't alive. It's been 2 months, I'm losing hope. I miss him. And you're probably going to laugh at me from above after I say this but, I think I love him, dad."

I can already imagine him laughing. "You? Loving Carlos? You're joking!"

Oh, I wish I was.

I cried over him. Everyday that passed and he didn't wake up, I went feral. Everyday that passed and he didn't wake up, I missed him more. Every goddamn day that passed and he didn't wake up, my heart ached more, and more, and more.

Every night, I would hug his pillow that smelled like him, to help me fall asleep. Whenever I wouldn't do so, I wouldn't sleep. I got so used to his scent I found comfort in it. Every day, I would keep my phone by my side, in hope he would call. Call and tell me he is awake, and he is coming home. Call and tell me he is okay, he is safe, healthy, healed. Call and give me those stupidly cute nicknames.

"I'm falling apart without him, dad. No man has ever made me feel how Carlos makes me feel. Ever since I 'lost' him, I realized how much I really care about him. I love him."

I sigh, as I allowed my tears to roll down my cheek. I took a few deep breaths, then got up. "I love you, I'll be back soon, dad." I whispered, before wiping my tears and making my way out of the graveyard.

I didn't know what to do, but I knew i didn't want to go home either. Going home and coming to there graveyard here is the same. Both silent, both full of people silently crying in their locked up bed rooms or dozed off into empty space. I didn't know where I wanted to go, so I walked. I walked, and walked, and walked, going where ever. I shivered as the winter cold breeze swirled around me.

Suddenly, I found myself leaning over a fence, trying to remember how to breathe. How do you breathe? How do you talk? Walk? See? Smell? Think? My head was spinning, my vision was blurry. I'm having such a huge headache, I feel like I'm about to faint. My heart is aching, hurting, burning. It feels like a sharp, long knife pierced through my skin and cut into my heart. My lungs are burning, breathing hurts, thinking hurts.

"Hey, are you okay?" I heard a low voice near me, break the loud, suffocating silence that surrounds me.

"I'm fine," I manage to let out.

I turn around to face the stranger, thinking I'm going to bump into an old creep. But he wasn't. He looked around my age, and was pretty tall. He had really dark hair, eyes that were of the color light hazel brown and beautiful facial features.

"Are you cold? You look cold. Wait, here-" He paused, and quickly took his gray sweater off, leaving him in a thin and plain long sleeved shirt. "Wear this, it's too cold out here, especially at this hour, you'll get sick." He said, as he stretched is hand out, offering me his sweater.
"That's very thoughtful of you, but no thank you. Please wear it yourself, you'll get sick too." I said, bringing his hand back to himself.