Never Again

Sean Summers sprinted with a nervous gait fleeing from the small suburban house. His almond eyes darted in the distance seeking for something unknown as his wet hands unlocked the doors of his dodge. 1

Minutes slipped in the sea of time as his body relaxed and the panting chest stopped heaving subjugating to the monotonous beat of his life. Muscles flowed on his august frame underneath the black business suit, liberated from shock’s grip. He started the engine, while rubbing his temples with his powerful fingers, his breath still ragged, but now suffocated by the engine’s roar.2

The woman sitting on the back seat rolled her hazel eyes with mockery, an arrogant smile bloomed like a rose on her scarlet lips. The black and gray silken pool of her dress swirled as the short legs crossed over and one began a perky dance of annoyance shaking up and down. 3

The car glided over the ebony surface of the road snaking its way to the pounding heart of the city. Bellow the dodge’s roof hazel eyes drank with wicked glee the droplets of cold sweat glistening on his cheeks. Silent peace forged with tension withered away stung by the poisonous screech of tires as the dodge began a feverous tribal dance on the asphalt. 4

A storm of dark brown locks swept over the front seats as the woman twisted the back-vision mirror, Sean put his life on to perform the maneuver and follow a new infrastructural artery. The ferocious beast of mechanics roared halting a mere inch from being ambushed by a gargantuan truck. Taunting chuckle crackled behind, as she watched Sean emerge from the icy waves of fear washing over his heart. Her fingers played with the ring on her index finger. The emerald adorned snake wound on her finger reflected the last sun’s rays in patterns of dancing jade stars.5

The ride merged with the monotony on the road as anxieties and tensions subsided in the past. With eyes glued to the highway ahead Sean’s hand darted lazily, but still hinged by the strings of nervousness, switching on the radio to awake the silence with soft tunes of jazz. As a harbinger of disaster she rose, elbows softly placed on the brown leather seat, fingers aiming for the radio, switching it off. His hand found the button again and restored the reign of jazz over the car only to be stopped again by the caprice of the woman with hazel eyes. The war well disguised behind an innocent game ended as Sean’s palm squeezed the steering wheel in a vice admitting a silent defeat. 6

The dodge stopped in front a block of flats built in luxury to spoil the rich, residing in this fairy tale isolated from the actual world. The black business suit stuck out in the lush green grass as the imposing man filled out the stairway to the apartment on the third floor. On his tail orbited his faithful, but mischievous companion, high heels clacking like the chain of a ghost as her legs marched in arrogant confidence. 7

The white steel door opened, the slim figure of an ethereal blonde woman appearing on the entrance. Sean entered in a hurry, while the woman behind minded her time, stepping through the threshold seconds before the door slammed shut.8

“Sean, what a pleasant surprise!” The blonde woman purred softly, falling into the embrace of her lover.9

“Ain’t I always, Rose?” he asked, flashing a sexy smile, at which she giggled, but rewarded with a gentle kiss.10

“I’ve got something for you.” He whispered in a low sexy voice, not a single trace of nervousness left, pulling a small box from within his pocket. With a slight nudge from his finger the box popped open revealing its guarded heart. 11

“This ring is so beautiful, so breathtaking.” She said sliding the adorned with emeralds snake on her index finger. Small droplets of happiness glistened as she drank from the beauty of the metal serpent snaked on her finger.12

In the hallway the woman in black and grey felt sickened to the stomach by this love idyll and manifested her disgust by pointing her middle finger at her gapping mouth as if she was going to vomit. Such childish behavior however seemed insufficient and with a quick dive into her red purse, she hooked her lipstick and turned towards the mirror. 13

Rain of kisses and caressing poured from Sean’s side in his desperate attempt to lure Rose away from the scarlet sign saying: “Trophy Wife”. No worry was reflected yupon the face of the author as she waltzed down in the kitchen, because her purse many other surprises. 14

***15

Darkness wove its nets in the narrow hallway luring Sean with its lack of sound to the bathroom, where tapping on the ceramic floor echoed in the night. Tap, tap, tap, the drops of liquid whispered to his ear as his mind was still freeing itself from the snares of sleep. Tap, tap, tap, the dribbling fluid banged like funeral drums, while he strode dazed, moving in slow motion. Tap, tap, tap, the insidious sound drilled in his mind, sowed the seeds of madness as the darkness sizzled with the hisses muttering the words: “Never Again”.16

His soul cried in blinding madness for its forever lost peace, as the shaking hand yanked the wooden door open. The sterile bathtub spewed water in the middle of the room. Hissing whispers filled the bathroom like the sound of a swarm of bees, as a female hand emerged from the water taking hold of the edge of the tub, a snake-ring wrapped around her index finger. 17

“I hope the ring you gave to her turns her finger green.” A drowned woman’s voice erupted from the bathtub breaking mirrors and windows to pieces. 18

Almond eyes jolted open as Sean sprang back to reality in an empty bed. The flaming red digital numbers on the alarm clock signaled 4:30 AM. A trip to the kitchen he thought would best help him shake away the ashes of nightmare in the scorching pits of dreamland. 19

Recalling the memories of the night gone by, spent in heavenly pleasures of ivory skin, for the mistress of which he still searched. The disturbing images of yesterday were shoved away, the feelings and images of the nightmare were dismissed, and even the note on the milk box screaming “Never Again” at him was regarded as a mirage, until he turned on the radio in hope to please his ears with jazz tones. Instead a grave female voice cried: 20

“If she really knows the truth, she deserves you.” The woman would declare in spite, growling under her breath. 21

“I hope when you are in bed with her you think of me.” She would curse, her confident and sneering voice left an imprint of dread in his stomach. Panic gripped his head in a chokehold and being led on a leash by fear, Sean dashed in the bathroom. 22

Water gushed in the sink filling it up to the very edge, as trembling palms washed his face, flushed with the delicate color of insanity. His sore eyes glided over the mirror above the sink and his body froze, as the reflection he saw was of her naked, dark brown locks falling down on rosy pink skin, hazel eyes of a predator stalking him. In an attempt to fight his madness and dispel this hellish illusion, his head cocked to where she was supposed to stand, but his breath stuck in his lungs by the new sight.23

Naked behind him near the bathtub stood Rose with waterfalls of blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Sean’s body felt petrified as his mind bled from the insanity piercing inside like a storm of razor blades. 24

“Never again will I hear you.” She whispered with a soft voice, placing lovingly a hand on his mouth. Sean was already drowned in the sea of insanity to resist.25

“Never again will I miss you!” Her voice trembled with pain, as her fingers glided over his chest. 26

“Never again will I fall to you!” She whimpered her lips inches away, tension rising high. 27

“Never again will I kiss you.” She whispered, her mouth brushing over his. 28

“Never again will I want to!” She wailed, slamming his face in the mirror, forcing him to see the reflection of the woman with hazel eyes, the serpent ring glowing ghastly.29

“Never again will I love you!” Pain, desperation and rage scorched her words. Her hand squeezed the back of his neck. 30

“But never again will you kill me!” She hissed forcing his face in the filled with water sink. 31