BOUND

BY:COLE

A SHORT STORY

“The inevitability that created a bond to bridge life after life, how nothing can keep them apart not even death.”

Underneath the light of the haunting full moon Heath lie on top of their rusty roof. He felt the cold breeze of the midnight, touching his pale face under the moonlight. His mind danced with the memories of winter. How the fist snowflake fell outside the window pane when he first saw her, the girl with the vacant smile.

Heath is alone in their house that Saturday evening. He is wide awake looking outside the window waiting for his mother to come. Different thoughts joined his consciousness as he remained sitting. He saw a snowflake glimmering like diamonds under the moonlight and with that instant he saw a shadow, a figure coming closer to their doorstep. He hurried to open the door hoping it was his mother. When he opened, before his eyes stand a girl with long black hair and eyes Deep Ocean blue, she wore a green dress printed with black and red and long enough to cover her knees. She is shivering as she looks straight at Heath’s dreamy green eyes. Heath couldn’t find the right words to utter. He stood frozen by the door. The girl smiled shyly.

“I’m Cathrina” she said.

Heath felt something burning inside him that he cannot explain. A force lifted his hand to push open the door for Cathrina to enter.

“I’m Heath, you better get inside its freezing cold out there” he said.

“Thank you very much Heath… I know I could always count on you”

The fire inside him kept creeping inside, he is overwhelmed by the words ‘I know I could always count on you’ it echoed inside his mind. He never knew this girl Cathrina but he can feel a connection as they both look into each other’s eyes. Heath offered Cathrina green tea as she sat near a fire place. Silence overpowered them for a couple of hours, they we’re both sharing the same language of confusion as they secretly stare at each other. The unending silence broke with Heath’s words.

“Do you live near our place, Cathrina?” he asked.

Cathrina is occupied on staring Heath. Her eyes traveled on every part of his face, memorizing every detail from his bronze hair to the fine points of his pale pink lips. She didn’t answer Heath’s question. A loud knock distracted them both. Heath rushed to open the door to see an unfamiliar face, an old man in his sixties, wearing a badge of a police officer.

“Are you Heath Clark?”  He asked.

“Yes, officer” Heath answered.

“I’m Sheriff Charlie Rogers”

The police officer’s face is sullen; he paused and inhaled deeply before he continued.

“I’m sorry dear boy, but… your mother Helena was trapped in an accident nearby the town’s chapel. She was crossing the street and unfortunately got hit by a fast moving car”

Heath’s face dropped and tears we’re rushing down his cheeks. Cathrina stood still at his back wanting to comfort him. Heath’s words left him hanging; he never knew this to happen suddenly. His mother is the only person he trusted with all his guts, the only person he has right now and she is gone.  Sheriff Charlie tapped Heath’s shoulder.

“Dear boy, things happen for a reason, I know your mother is in a better place right now because she always carries that big heart”

“Where is she? My mother”

“She’s in the hospital, the doctors tried their best to recover her but… they failed, I’m sorry Heath the driver of the car got away—left your mother”

“That stupid bastard”

Cathrina grabbed Heath’s hands squeezing them hard to comfort him. The fire inside Heath rose to a level where he couldn’t help but let go of her hands and punch the wooden door. His force was strong enough to create a large crack. Cathrina and Sheriff Charlie stopped him from hurting himself. He was too distracted with his fury. Unaware that blood covered his knuckles, but nothing can equal the pain he felt when he heard his mother died.

Days and days passed for Heath and Cathrina, she accompanied him in his mother’s wake until the burial. They never spoke within the days but their action towards each other speaks for them. Heath was alone walking under the heat of the sun when he remembered Cathrina. He never knew why she is there for him. He never asked her where she lived but she never bothered to go back home. Heath decided to go to the outskirts of town to ask about his winding thoughts. Shop full of trinkets and herbs, a place to interpret your vivid thoughts, and get your own card reading. An old lady dressed in all red welcomed him.

“Welcome to Penny for your thoughts dear one, I’m Leiticia… your new here” she said.

“Yes, I’m here to clear my distracted thoughts” he answered.

“Okay, tell me about it”

“Ummm… this started when I meet this girl the day my mother passed… I feel so safe around her; we can understand each other without words but I know nothing about her”

“Dear one, your very lucky to finally meet her, she is simply your other half”

“Other half...”

“Every day we meet new people, in the streets, hallways, markets etc. but only few people get a chance to meet their other half, their soul mate, and there are three types of soul mate dear one, first is the type they’ve never been together because they thought somebody needs them more than their soul mate, even though they can feel that they are meant to be. They are contented they have a soul mate and both are happy to be with the person who needs them. Second type is the soul mates that deny they are meant to be they think about things that separates them but actually they are the one’s creating the barriers, and the last is the same situation you are into the first time you see each other you are connected through your eyes, you know that you are meant to be and will be together.”

Heath couldn’t remove the smile he received that day when he visited Leiticia in her shop in A Penny for your Thoughts. He wanted to tell Cathrina about the true connection between them. When he entered the house silence covered every corner. He looked for her but she is not there. Not even the clothes she washed for them yesterday.  The door opened and Helena entered, Heath’s mother. He couldn’t explain his feelings; a rush of anger came through him. Helena hugged her son.

“What happened son?”She asked.

“I can’t understand… you are dead mom…it’s been weeks since you passed and left me here… where is Cathrina?”

Helena inhaled slowly.

“Son, Cathrina… is long dead, she died a few years ago…”

“But how…”

Heath’s tears flowed like an unending waterfall. Helena let go’s of her son and wiped his tears.

“Son you have to move on and let go of Cathrina, you keep coming back to the time where her accident occurred… your mind creates stories for you to believe to cope up with what happened to her… son Cathrina’s soul is tired and weary…”

“Tell me what happened to her”

“But you have to promise me one thing son; you have to forget all the misery Cathrina’s accident brought you and start a new life for yourself, never live with the past.”

“Yes”

“Heath, Cathrina died on the day of your birthday five years ago, she prepared a surprise birthday party for you, she was running down town to provide everything for your party, but a hooker robbed her and stabbed her to death. You’re too depressed to accept what happened to her and that made you imagine things for you to cope up her accident, and son you’ve been missing your appointments with Dr. Gray”

“Dr. Gray?”

“He is your doctor; he is helping you cope up with the accident”

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.”

 ~From a headstone in Ireland