Love Story

I Got Tired of Waiting

The wind whipped through the bare trees, biting at Morgan's face as they trudged down the dirt road. The teen looked up as a clap of thunder rolled across the countryside, watching the dark clouds starting to block out the sky. Damn. They had been hoping to make it to their destination before the storm hit.

Stepping off to the side of the road, they pulled off their heavy backpack and set it on a fallen log. There was equipment inside that couldn't get wet if their mission was to be a success. Reaching inside, they dug around the carefully packed drone parts, searching for a plastic trash bag. It took a minute before they finally found one and pulled it out.

The ting of metal hitting rock made Morgan tense a bit, and they glanced down, hoping they hadn't accidentally damaged their cargo. Green eyes locked on a familiar Spider Card, and their throat tightened as they tried to control their pain. Reaching down, slender fingers picked up the dented metal. Blood still stained the surface, but Morgan just couldn't bring themselves to clean it.

As soon as they heard the news, Morgan had gone to the scene. They didn't know what they expected to find as they wandered the crater left behind by the death of such a powerful superhero, but they stumbled across two things; The rings that now hung on a chain around their neck, and this card.

Morgan just stared at the metal, tears welling up as they raised their free hand. Snap... Snap... Snap... It didn't matter. Alex never appeared. They had tried so many times over the last few days to summon their love, but there was nothing left to summon anymore.

Finally, they let their arms fall limp at their side. "Mother fucker..." They whimpered, turning a hopeless gaze to the trees. "It's not true... it can't be..." Even as they denied it, they knew they were wrong. They had seen the footage. They had been forced to hear reporters talking about their love's death for days.

They hung their head, eyes closing as tears began to fall. "You let them..." They accused, a weak anger in their choked voice. "You had to have, right? There's no other way..." Slowly, they looked up at the sky as if it may hold the truth. "Was it because of me?" The whimper was frail and broken. They knew the answer to their question. "I-I didn't know what else to do... I couldn't let him hurt you and your family like that..."

A familiar feeling of self-loathing bubbled up within them, and their fists tightened. "This is all my fault!" They yelled, kicking a rock hard and sending it flying into the trees. They cried out in pain, falling to their knees in the dirt. Not a second of thought was spared on their possibly fractured toe as they broke down into sobs. "It was because I loved you, and now... and now you're gone... You're gone because you loved me too..." They shook their head, grief consuming them for the moment. "I should have never let any of this happen..."

A single drop of water hit Morgan's head. Then another. And another. They took a deep breath, forcing themselves to their feet. They had to pull it together, or else all the suffering of the last several weeks would be for naught.

The plastic bag was securely in place before the downpour started, and Morgan hoisted the heavy pack onto their back once again. They didn't care as they were swiftly drenched in the cold rain, as long as their equipment was safe.

With a deep breath, Morgan started forward once more, even as the dirt quickly turned to mud beneath their feet. They had to finish this. For Alex.

It was another hour before they finally stepped onto the front porch of an old farmhouse. Trembling from the cold, Morgan managed to knock weakly at the wooden door. For a moment, they wished they could be anywhere else but here. The thought of facing these people made the teen sick to their stomach. They could just walk away. They could hide in the barn to complete their mission, then slip away without a trace.