HOME | DD

Description
I stare at the floor and watch a tear roll down my cheek and take its place gently and soundlessly on the floor. I bury my face in my hands and quietly weep. "Just close your eyes. No one can hurt you now. You're safe here." I hear the voice from outside the door. I know I shouldn't look outside, but I do. All I see is the ruins of the place I once called home and the distant pink remains of the sun's light in the sky. "I'm not safe. I'm not safe anywhere." I stand up and walk to the door. I look out through the crack in the door but see no one. "I'll never let you go... You're safe. Here. In my arms." He walks up behind me and puts his arms around my waist. "Don't." I demand and rip myself from him. I suddenly wish I'd stayed there. I did feel safe in his arms. I look up and find that my gaze has fallen still on his eyes and it's not moving, either. His gray eyes seem to rip my soul apart, and I run back to him, slamming myself into him and burying my face in his shoulder. "I'm not safe. Not without you. Don't leave me here, alone." I look up and he wipes the tears from my cheek. "I won't. You and I'll be safe. Here. I promise." I pull myself away again. I go to the window and press my face against the glass. He takes me by the arm and sits me down on the bed. "Don't look out there...everything's on fire. That won't help you." He kisses me. It's not like the one when we had when we were in town, the first and only one. This one is real. I don't pull away, though. I press my hands against his chest. He comforts me. I feel secure with him. "Don't leave me here alone..." I repeat, but now I'm whispering as if my voice is caught in my throat. "Just close your eyes." He kisses me again, and then he walks out the door. "Please don't go." He seems to not hear me. Is my voice caught in my chest? By now, he's out on the front yard. I pound on the door. I run upstairs and I'm sobbing. I smash the window with my bare fist. I want him. Desperately. Why? I try to call for him, but nothing comes out. I try to scream, and when I do, it's unexpected and painful. "Tyler! Don't leave me!" It rings in my ears afterwards, and I stumble back and land on the bed. I roll over and bury my face in the pillows. I sob and say his name, over and over, choking on my own tears. I cry myself to sleep. My sleep is plagued with the visions outside, of the world covered in nothing but ash, everything that's not been singed already, on fire. I dream of Tyler. Oh, Tyler. I wake up screaming, crying, thrashing in the blankets violently screaming his name and struggling for my breath. I feel like the blankets are drowning me. Like they're a sea, a sea of despair and angst. When I finally catch my breath and can see, he's sitting right beside me. It takes about five seconds for him to breathe in and out, and then he wraps his warm arms around me. "Tyler." I whisper and hold him. He breathes in and out slowly, and he's so calm and collected it feels like he doesn't even have a heartbeat. I kiss him. There's no hesitation from either of us. He doesn't let me go, and I don't want him to. "I love you." I whisper to him. "I love you, too. Don't worry, I'm here and I won't leave again." I begin to cry again. He holds me tight to him. For a long time, we just stay there. I eventually fall asleep in his arms. I wake up and see we've slept together through the rest of the night. We're holding each other tight, and shuddering and shivering. It's freezing. I kiss his cheek and go back to sleep. I don't want him to ever let go of me, but I know that he'll have to at some point.

Description
I stare at the floor and watch a tear roll down my cheek and take its place gently and soundlessly on the floor. I bury my face in my hands and quietly weep. "Just close your eyes. No one can hurt you now. You're safe here." I hear the voice from outside the door. I know I shouldn't look outside, but I do. All I see is the ruins of the place I once called home and the distant pink remains of the sun's light in the sky. "I'm not safe. I'm not safe anywhere." I stand up and walk to the door. I look out through the crack in the door but see no one. "I'll never let you go... You're safe. Here. In my arms." He walks up behind me and puts his arms around my waist. "Don't." I demand and rip myself from him. I suddenly wish I'd stayed there. I did feel safe in his arms. I look up and find that my gaze has fallen still on his eyes and it's not moving, either. His gray eyes seem to rip my soul apart, and I run back to him, slamming myself into him and burying my face in his shoulder. "I'm not safe. Not without you. Don't leave me here, alone." I look up and he wipes the tears from my cheek. "I won't. You and I'll be safe. Here. I promise." I pull myself away again. I go to the window and press my face against the glass. He takes me by the arm and sits me down on the bed. "Don't look out there...everything's on fire. That won't help you." He kisses me. It's not like the one when we had when we were in town, the first and only one. This one is real. I don't pull away, though. I press my hands against his chest. He comforts me. I feel secure with him. "Don't leave me here alone..." I repeat, but now I'm whispering as if my voice is caught in my throat. "Just close your eyes." He kisses me again, and then he walks out the door. "Please don't go." He seems to not hear me. Is my voice caught in my chest? By now, he's out on the front yard. I pound on the door. I run upstairs and I'm sobbing. I smash the window with my bare fist. I want him. Desperately. Why? I try to call for him, but nothing comes out. I try to scream, and when I do, it's unexpected and painful. "Tyler! Don't leave me!" It rings in my ears afterwards, and I stumble back and land on the bed. I roll over and bury my face in the pillows. I sob and say his name, over and over, choking on my own tears. I cry myself to sleep. My sleep is plagued with the visions outside, of the world covered in nothing but ash, everything that's not been singed already, on fire. I dream of Tyler. Oh, Tyler. I wake up screaming, crying, thrashing in the blankets violently screaming his name and struggling for my breath. I feel like the blankets are drowning me. Like they're a sea, a sea of despair and angst. When I finally catch my breath and can see, he's sitting right beside me. It takes about five seconds for him to breathe in and out, and then he wraps his warm arms around me. "Tyler." I whisper and hold him. He breathes in and out slowly, and he's so calm and collected it feels like he doesn't even have a heartbeat. I kiss him. There's no hesitation from either of us. He doesn't let me go, and I don't want him to. "I love you." I whisper to him. "I love you, too. Don't worry, I'm here and I won't leave again." I begin to cry again. He holds me tight to him. For a long time, we just stay there. I eventually fall asleep in his arms. I wake up and see we've slept together through the rest of the night. We're holding each other tight, and shuddering and shivering. It's freezing. I kiss his cheek and go back to sleep. I don't want him to ever let go of me, but I know that he'll have to at some point.