Struggle!

Chapter 2

A thousand emotions, a trillion memories came crashing down as my eyes got glued to the tiny blobs of colors resting on my palm. I wanted to get up and run, but I couldn’t move. I wanted to scream out loud, but I couldn’t find my voice. I wanted to throw away those beads, but instead I clenched my hand and tightened my hold onto them.

 I wish I had never trusted Tom. ‘Tom’ I whispered. The name left a bitter taste on my tongue. The rain continued to wash down my tears but the memories remained untouched. Not even the heavy rain could rinse them out of my mind. 

A face floated into my vision. A woman. She was smiling. I recognized her. ‘Alene, I told you about the guy I am dating now, didn’t I? He is coming over for dinner.’ I could sense her excitement surfacing from beneath the calm façade. I hadn’t seen Karen so happy before, her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks had a rosy blush which gave her a look of an overgrown teenager. ‘We might get engaged soon!’ I gasped, and all I could let out was ‘Mom?’

A worried call broke through the reflection of my past, blurring the unblemished remembrances of how Ben first came into my life. I was jolted back to the reality, where I sat motionless, allowing the rain to beat every ounce of energy out of me.  

‘Alene! May? Kevin!’ Was I hallucinating again? It took no time at all to register this voice. Peter! Not him too, a little voice in my heart begged. Was it possible that he too was dead? Was I communicating with the dead now? May? And now Peter?

I didn’t move, but the voice seemed to be finding its way to where I was huddled. The shrieking grew louder and to my dismay, another voice joined in. I knew this one too, it was Jess. Please, please don’t let this be true. Don’t let them be dead. 

My head started spinning and the voices began to fade. Slowly, my head hit the wet mud and the bundle of trees tilted sideways as the green picture began flickering on and off while I fought to keep my eyes open. 

I was in a daze. My mind foggy. Two hands grabbed me and cradled me into a warm grasp. I instantly felt secure but I still wasn’t ready to open my eyes. ‘Alene, wake up’ Jess whispered softly. Some, probably Jess, removed a ticklish strand of stray hair from my face and cupped my face in the curvatures of her palm. I snapped my eyes open.

All I saw was the portrait of the still forest before Jess heaved herself upon me squeezing me into a tight hug. In those few seconds, warmth spread through each and every core of my body as I hugged Jess back. Secure, that is what I was now. She finally let go of me and I realized that I was sitting with the help of some support. Peter smiled but the small curve faltered too soon and I realized that secure wasn’t the word to recall right now. ‘May?’ he asked tenderly. 

I shook my head not wanting to answer him but he was persistent. ‘What happened to you, Alene? Tom made a fool out of us all! Where is May? Tell me. SPEAK UP’ he shook me so hard that my teeth rattled but all I could say was ‘May is dead, Peter’. 

Jess gasped and I saw her blue eyes welling with tears. Peter hung his head low for a minute, taking control of the pain my words had shot through him ‘Come on, get up, we need to find the others and May’s ...’ he didn’t finish the sentence but I knew what he meant.

Yes, we needed to collect May’s lifeless body, to deliver it to Hannah. I remembered Hannah asking for a souvenir of the trip. We had a perfect souvenir for her, her 8 years old daughter in a lifeless state. Perfect.

 Jess was still sobbing. Peter stood up and grabbed my arm to pull me up. I for once, paid heed and imitated all the actions he wanted me to do. Walking, stumbling, tripping, I could hear the two of them calling out names. ‘Kevin! Clove!’ The ringing echoes of their own shrieks was all they got in reply. I knew the point was moot. They too, had undoubtedly met the same fate as May.

Our search went on for hours, maybe even days, I was too lost to keep count. Finally, Jess broke down. ‘I can’t walk anymore. Where are they?’ she asked hopelessly. 

‘Dead’ I croaked, my voice was unrecognizable. Jess took hold of both my shoulders with her soft hands and shook her head. I knew she didn’t want to hear this but I might as well be doing her a favor by warning her, before we stumble right into their dead bodies. 

I was hopeless. Once again, Ben had got into my life and turned it upside down. I was standing with Peter and Jess but my mind had driven miles away. I could hear them talk in panicked voices, I could hear Jess calling out names again, I could sense Peter trying to restrain Jess from running off into the cluster of trees, but it all seemed distant… very distant.

‘We need to get help. We have looked everywhere but it’s of no use. Let’s find our way out onto the main road and then we can ask for help.’

Peter took out a compass from his pocket and began following his own commands. I could see him arguing with himself about which way would lead us out of the forest. I didn’t mind staying here. At least I was away from Ben. 

Finally, the debate was over, Peter grasped my hand firmly and led the way. Jess followed. I knew she hated the aspect of leaving the others in here, but what was the point in worrying for the deceased, I scoffed. 

 As we walked over the wild terrain, the ground became muddier. We sloshed hurriedly in the rain filled puddles and soon, I noticed the trees becoming scarcer. This meant that Peter was successfully leading us out. 

Rain was falling harder than ever now. It was impossible to tell what time it was as the curtain of the heavy rain darkened everything.

Peter halted and I noticed that we were on the edge of the forest. He was thinking hard as if trying to make up his mind whether I was stable enough to let in on his plan. 

‘We’ll go out and flag out the first car we see in the hope that it stops. We’ll tell them everything and ask them for help’ Jess nodded in agreement with Peter and they both looked at me. With a sigh, Peter started walking towards the road and soon, a snaring yellow light fell upon him from a speeding car. Without thinking, I yanked Peter back into the shadows of the trees, ‘What…?’ he started but I cut him off.

‘No. We need to get back home and then get help. Don’t trust anyone here! Don’t tell anyone what happened. Ben killed May. He came back for me. He’ll find us too. WE NEED TO GET HOME!’

Peter was stunned to hear me talking but whatever I had said made no sense to him. Jess on the other hand caught on to what I was saying and gasped.

‘Oh no! Ben?’ I nodded, ‘Tom was his worker, he called Ben and then..’ I left the rest of my sentence unspoken. 

Peter was still confused, because he had no idea who Ben was. But slowly, he agreed to what I said and changed the plan. A broken down car was a good excuse to cover our situation. 

Luckily, he managed to flag a cab and led us to it. Jess got in first and I followed. Peter also settled in the back and rested a hand on my shoulder. It was very soothing. The driver and Peter had an exchange of words and I heard a dull laughter. 

The cab then growled and gathered speed making its way through the rain to our little town. Jess had finally succumbed to her grief and was looking out of the window so that none of us would notice the trail of tears flowing down her face. 

I closed my eyes and rested my head on Peter’s shoulder until he led his face close to my ears and whispered inaudibly, ‘Who is Ben, Ale?’

 AN: What do you think Ben did to Alene? How did she end up in this state? Any idea? I hope you are enjoying the read :) I know it seems too tragic right now but the story will lighten up soon.. or maybe not :P

Anyways I'm looking forward for your support! I'd like to set a target of about 10 votes for this chapter. Please help me achieve that friends! :)

The multimedia on the right side shows a gif of Jess in the forest! ==>>

Hope you like her! Stay tuned for a picture of 'the amazing' Peter next!