Broken By The Darkness In My Blood

Every time I met Sapphire over the next few weeks, she gave me this feeling of belonging, someone I could talk to. Our relationship seemed to be becoming closer and closer and I was enjoying the company, it was better than being at home, bored. I keep thinking and I know it’s a silly thought, but maybe our relationship could be going somewhere further. I know I like her and I think she likes me. I still remember the first kiss she gave me on the cheek, the first night I met her. Though every other time we have gone out she has never let me walk with her to her door, we stay well away from her house; I think it’s to do with her brothers. They don't like me or something. They haven't met me so I don’t know why they should have a problem. Mind due, not many people like me like you.

I’m meant to be going to the park with her tomorrow, I wonder if I should tell her, you know. Maybe I should but what if I’m making a total utter twat of myself. What if I’m not? I’ll tell her and if she doesn’t like it then I’ll tell her to forget it and can we still be friends. Right? What do you think? I’m so stuck. Will she still want to be friends though?

*

My hands are sweating maybe I shouldn’t tell her… What shall I do? I walked to the park and started pacing round the entrance waiting for her to show. My hair kept falling in my face as I kept looking around me for any sign of her and then I’d do the twitch of the head to make it jump out of my eyes, it was a nervous habit of mine.

You can do it… It’s only Sapphire, it’s not like she’s going to bite your head off. My mind said convincing me to stay where I was and wait for her but the minute I saw her walking down the street towards me, I started having doubts again. She smiled when she looked at me which made me smile in return. Her smile could brighten my day anytime. She walked up to me and then looked at my face with her beautiful eyes. How can they be so enchanting and yet so normal? My hands were becoming sweatier by the second as I decided I was going to take her hand and lead her to my favorite spot in the park. So I hesitantly rubbed my hand on my jeans and then took her hand in mine and walked slowly away from the entrance. I made for the tree… We could sit enclosed from all the shit going on in the world, sit up on the branches with a beautiful view as well as some privacy.

“Where are we going, Zac?” Sapphire asked as I gently took her to the tree.

“Just here really,” I answered and reached up into the tree, I climbed onto the first branch and stood up on it. My balance isn’t perfect but when I remain calm I can balance really well. I reached onto a branch further up and pulled on a rope which in turn dropped the ladder I had made for emergency’s, you know like when people are in trouble and they need help.

“What are you up to?” Sapphire looked at me happy but puzzled. She then glanced at the ladder hanging down the trunk of the tree. “You want me to climb up?”

“If you wouldn’t mind,” I was melting into her kindness. She glanced at me again still smiling.

“I can climb a tree with out a ladder you know, it’s not that hard.” She laughed and I felt on top of the world. She grabbed the ladder and started climbing up to the top branch where I had sat down. Once she was sitting next to me I leaned over her lap and pulled the ladder up so no-one else could get to us. Her laugh played back to me in my head and I just couldn’t stop my-self from loving it.

“Are you alright?” She puzzled.

“I’m fine.” I smiled at her and watched her smile back.

“You seem a bit quiet.”

“I’m thinking… of you.” I whispered the last two words. I couldn’t tell her.

“About what,” She really wanted to know.

“Something I wanted to ask you.” I said facing her properly, am I really doing this? She turned to face me too. I don’t know why I did it but I leaned my hand forward and slid a piece of her hair behind her ear gently touching her face in the process. She smiled. “Over the past few days and weeks, I’ve been thinking about you all the time and I was wondering if… If you would go out with me,” I dropped my gaze down to the ground, as if to comfort me she wrapped her arms round me in a hug.

“Yes.” She whispered in my ear. I hugged her back, secretly smiling; everywhere in my body was rejoicing. I leaned back slightly and crashed my lips down on hers.

We eventually stopped kissing when Sapphire said she had a bad feeling. So I looked out of the tree from behind all the branches and leaves, to see that her brothers were in the park, they were in the playground. They looked like they were torturing some poor person who had been unlucky enough to of been in the wrong place at that time.

“It’s your brothers.” I said looking at her. She looked terrified then.

“We have to get out of here. Do you know another way out of here with out attracting there attention?” She asked desperately. I didn’t see the problem really but if it meant so much to her then I’d do anything.

“Come on then.” I said jumping down the other side of the tree so that they couldn’t see us. She jumped down into my arms. “Whoa. Are you alright?” I asked as she stood up wobbling a bit.

“I’m fine.” She answered and grabbed my hand trying to yank me far away from her brothers as possible.

“We need to go this way.” I pointed in the direction of the wall that would keep us most covered and felt her pull me quickly that way. As soon as we were there she said,

“How are we going to get over the wall? It’s eight foot high and not very easy to climb.”

“There’s a tree along here somewhere that I used to use to get in the park when there were gangsters waiting out-side the entrance for me.”

“That only helps you get in not out.” She said panicking.

“No, come on I’ll show you.” So we kept under cover for most of the walk to the tree that I was looking for. When we found it, I showed her my plan.

“So you can climb from one tree to another and then jump down?” She questioned.

“Exactly,”

“I don’t think I can make it Zac.”

“What? Why,” I said concerned. She started to fall so I quickly moved forward to catch her.

“I’m … I just don’t feel well.” She said. I could tell that wasn’t the reason but I knew we needed to get out of there for some reason she wasn’t telling me and so I felt that I had to get her across some how.

I laid her down on the ground and looked at the tree. How could I get her up there and manage to get her across safely?

“I’m going to try something. Do you trust me?” I asked.

“Course I do.” She was still extremely worried.

“Can you put your hands around my neck?” I asked she did as I asked and so I carried her to the first branch of the tree and put her down on it. I saw her try to get up. She seemed to stumble. I stood on the first branch and lifted her to the second carefully and I kept doing that until we got to the level we needed to be to cross over to the other tree.

“I’m sorry, Zac, I don’t mean to be such a nuisance.” She said, looking down and probably feeling like she was pathetic but to me she was perfect in every single way. I would just have to wait till later to find out what the hell is going on with her. “I think I can stand.” She said.

“Are you sure?” I looked at her and stayed by her side as she did. “We just need to get onto that branch and walk across. Just don’t look down because it’s a twelve foot drop.”

“That’s very convincing. Thanks.” She said sarcastic but I laughed.

“I think you should go in front of me so I can catch you if you fall.” So we swapped places and she edged slowly across to the other tree when she got to the other side she almost fell off the branch but caught her and steadied her. She sat down slowly on the branch, we were on ready to start the climb down. We were about four branches from touching the ground when I heard some shouting, from in the park. Her brothers had spotted us.

“Shit.” Sapphire and I said, at the same time once we had our feet firmly on the ground. Sapphire grabbed hold of my arm.

“Run all the way home and don’t stop for anything. I’ll try and stop them following you.” She saw the look on my face. I saw her worry and I just wanted to be there to protect her.

“I know. Okay. I’ll be fine. Go.” She motioned for me to leave quickly. So I left because she told me to, I was defying every part of my heart but I ran the entire way home.