I'm Insomniac Without You My Dear

The sky was dark, and drizzling. Mike sat near the window, in what used to be Julie's favorite chair, and listened to rain crash against it, and the thunder roar ahead. He was at their summer house near the lake. Well, now it was his house, she had kept the apartment in New York. So many wonderful memories had taken place here, in this lake house. So many, precious times. It was no more now. After five beautiful years, it was over, his happiness, his love, his marriage.

*Flashback*

The sun was shining bright, and there were no clouds covering the sky. The flowers bloomed in the most beautiful colors. Their sight could burn your eyes with it's beauty. It was the most precious day of their lives, their wedding day.

The event was a beautiful sight to lay eyes on, but it could not compare to the bride herself. Her radiant beauty and happiness had struck Michael Ames with such a love, it brought tears to his eyes. She was so beautiful, so kind, so special, and off all the men in the world she had picked him. A mystery he would never understand, but was grateful for. That day, he knew for certain. This woman truly loved him as much as he loved her. That day, he would never have imagined the tragedy that lay ahead.

He remembered how striking she was with her beauty that day. Her long, dark, black curls was streaming down, and covering her naked shoulders. Her long white dress flowed down to the floor. It was a beautiful dress, made just for her. Oh how happy she had been when she received it! And how happy Michael now was to see her in it! She looked beautiful.

During the ceremony, he just had to cry! Juliana beat him to it. It was the most special day of their lives!

"Do you, Michael Ames, take Juliana Bowes to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"And do you, Juliana Bowes, take Michael Ames to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death you part?"

"I do."

*End Flashback*

"Until death do you part," he said bitterly to the empty house,"How true that turned out to be! Just a bunch of bull!"

He began to weep. He could not control it. It was this house, this atmosphere. It just felt so wrong! It felt so empty without her. How many times had they sat here together, watching the rain fall? How many times had he shared with her the deepest things, had shared everything with her? And how had she repaid him? Huh? With a file for divorce and a call from her lawyer. But the marriage had ended long before that.

*Flashback*
He rushed home. The news he was going to give her would bring the widest smile to her face! He had sold the gallery in New York! They would have enough money to buy a bigger apartment closer to the city. All of their dreams were coming true little by little. His work as a visual artist was starting to be known well throughout the city! Things were sure starting to get better. Maybe these good news would cheer up Julie. She hadn't been herself lately. Who knows, if this day kept going on the way it started, they could fix their problems, and their marriage could go back to the way it was in the beginning. It was a long shot, but they had to start somewhere. He couldn't wait to get home!

"Hello? Anybody home?" he had asked the empty walls. He hung his coat in the closet, and crashed on the couch. It had been a good day, but that didn't mean it hadn't been exhausting.

*ring ring*

He turned to look at the telephone. If they have something important to say, they'll just have to leave a message, he thought lazily. He didn't feel like talking to anyone, except Julie.

The ringing stopped. Apparently, what they had to say wasn't too important. He turned to look at the recording machine. Someone had left him a message earlier. It could've been Julie saying that she was gonna be home late from work. He had to know. He couldn't wait to tell her the good news.

"Hey, Julie, it's Chris. I had a great time last night. Listen, you have to tell him. We can't go on hiding this forever. Call me back asap. I'm staying at a motel, not too far from here. Love you, babe. Good Bye."

*End Flashback*

Love you, babe....
Those words burned in his mind and mind. All the years they had been married, he had said those exact same word to her over and over again, on the phone, before going to work, while he stroked her hair in bed before they fell asleep in each other's arms. How dare this asshole use those words himself, and on his wife?! How could he have the nerve? How dare he?!

The rest was just an angry blur to him. Just a blur of memory, his heart and mind couldn't let go of. He doesn't even remember how he ended up in the motel, let alone how he came upon them in bed together in room 201, their naked shoulders touching, her dark hair falling on his right shoulder. The memory of this made him shudder.

He could remember their shocked faces, pale and full of fear. He could remember his burning, bitter, tears streaming down his face. He'd said a lot of things that night, actually screamed the words at them. What had he said? From their shocked expressions, it must've been horrible, but there was no stopping it. They had done this to him. They deserved the punishment. Had he been pointing a gun at them that night? He thought he remembered doing just that. It wasn't like he meant to shoot them. It was Juliana for God's sake! He would never hurt her! But thank god it wasn't loaded. That night, who knows what he was capable of.

Mike shuddered at this thought. How had he even gotten the gun anyways? In his fit of anger he had forgotten. It was a good thing too, the last thing he wanted was to remember that night.

Mike stood up. He'd shed enough tears to last him a lifetime. It was time to move on. He went up the stairs and into his room. He stood there looking longingly at his bed. Since that episode at the motel, he hadn't been sleeping so well.

"What the hell," he said to the empty room," one more shot at it wouldn't hurt."
He crashed in his bed and closed his eyes. For the first time since that night at the motel, Mike Ames was asleep.