Claimed to Be Broken

Beautiful Angel.

Many people claimed that apparitions (ghosts) were bloodcurdling and very terrifying.

I’d like to tell you that the one standing right in front of me was very beautiful.

His skin glowed with a pale complexion, and his light blond hair was a pretty set of strands, with soft wisps of bangs hovering over his forehead. His eyes were very pensive, almost sad, and seemed to not be able to see me.

Anyone could mistake him for an angel. But he wore a white t-shirt that was paired off with a pair of holey, faded jeans.

“What’s your name?” I asked. Now his eyes directed at me, and a droplet of tear rolled down his cheeks. How could a sweet angel like him cry?

He opened his mouth and spoke, but no voice broke out. Just silence lingered across the room.

I was aware that he posed some type of threat to me, but his eyes... Oh my goodness, his eyes could make you bawl all night just by looking at them.

He looked like he was trying to hold off a great deal of dejection, and it reminded me so much of Sofia.

Sofia...

Have you seen him? Have you seen him yet? I remembered her asking about that.

“Do you know Sofia?” I immediately queried, and the question brought light to his eyes. He nodded curtly. “And how do you know her?” I pressed.

He didn’t speak or anything, just stepped forward to me and reached for my forehead. Yes, my forehead. His cold fingertips stroked it ever so slightly, and my mind almost exploded with so much memory.

It was his past, I realized, that he was trying to show me in a way.

Once his finger had made contact with my head, well, that was when he passed onto me his recollection of the past. It was almost like I was watching a 3d movie through my mind.

Only this wasn’t a movie. This happened to real people in the past.

His name was Lucas, which I thought kind of suited him.

He was lolling around, against his couch, mindlessly playing video games with his eyes trained intensely on the screen.

Thump.

Thump.

Lucas rolled his eyes and finally jerked himself off the couch, peeking outside the window to see who the hell would throw rocks at his house at night.

It was a good thing the window pane was very durable.

When he cracked the blinds open for just a tad bit, he saw this crazy girl with auburn hair, angrily chucking pebbles. “The hell?” he breathed, narrowing his turquoise eyes.

He decided to drag himself downstairs and confront the girl. Once he thrust his door, opening it, a rock came streaking towards him and hit his head.

Lucas had never been tempted to hit a girl until now.

He growled, “The fuck’s your problem?!”

The girl, who I now recognized as a younger version of Sofia, appeared very livid.

“You were one of the guys that hurt Nina, right?” she bellowed, clenching her fists around another rock. “You were one of the guys that ganged up on her and beat her up, right?”

Lucas had no freaking idea what this girl was talking about. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lucas said, and he was about to shut the door on her, but Sofia yelped out, “Don’t think I’ll let you get away with it!”

Sofia threw another pebble, but Lucas had the reflex to catch it smoothly in his palm.

“Look, random girl, I don’t know if you realize this, but I can easily take you on,” Lucas said, tossing aside the rock and now making his way to Sofia, “and I don’t know what in the fucking world you’re talking about.”

Sofia was now crying. “It’s not fair! Just because you guys are just strong enough, just because you guys feel like it, you beat up a helpless girl like Nina? She’s in the hospital right now, and the cops don’t even care about this injustice.”

Lucas was even more puzzled. “Cops?” he echoed.

“Stop acting dumb!” Sofia screeched. “You were one of the guys that beat her up! I know it!”

Suddenly, Lucas finally understood.

“Hey, hey, wait! Don’t throw that rock. I’m warning you.” He held up his hands, signifying truce, and assured, “I’m not gonna hurt you. I promise. And the thing is: I think you have the wrong guy.”

Sofia released the pebble she was gripping, letting it fall to the ground, and she blinked. “... what?”

Lucas now let either of his arms drop to his sides. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Jeez, when you plan to attack guys at this time of the night, at least get your facts straight. The guy you’re looking for lives at the house over there.” He pointed at a small house across the street. “His name’s Jerry, by the way, always looking for trouble.”

Sofia eyed him suspiciously. “How do I know you’re not lying?”

“Because if you did the exact same thing to Jerry, he would have not hesitated on killing you just to shut you up.” Lucas was making his way back to his front porch, but he took one last glimpse at Sofia and... “Hey, random girl, what do you think you’re doing?”

“What’s it look like I’m doing?” Sofia hissed. “I’m making sure I’m getting my revenge.”

“Idiot,” Lucas muttered, stepping closer, and locked his arms around Sofia.

“Let go of me!” Sofia demanded. “I said ‘let go’!” She tried kicking him in the groin area, but Lucas deflected it.

“Well, I can’t let a girl like you get in danger, can I?” He smirked lazily. He looked beautiful under the moonlight’s silver beam, and Sofia just had to stare.

She calmed down and got hold of herself.

“I’m... I’m sorry,” she mumbled, averting her gaze as she blushed. Lucas instantly released her. “I didn’t know I had the wrong house. It’s just that... well, my friend Nina’s condition’s really bad, and I had to let off some steam.”

Lucas sighed. “You’re pretty reckless, aren’t you?” He lifted a brow at her.

Sofia disagreed, “Not usually. I just wasn’t myself today.”

Lucas then shoved his fists in his jean pockets and turned his back on her. “Well, don’t get into too much trouble, random girl.” He waved a dismissive hand.

“My name’s Sofia, by the way!” Sofia chirped. “What’s yours?”

“Lucas.” He kept on walking until he reached his front door, where he opened the wooden door and slammed it shut.

“I like your name,” Sofia whispered, but he couldn’t hear her by then.

“Sam,” my mom murmured, “Sammy. It’s already four in the afternoon. If you don’t wake up, you’ll get fat.”

I croaked, “Five more minutes.” I buried my face into my pillow and stretched myself more across the soft mattress. Sleep weighed heavily onto me that I couldn’t let go of it.

“No, young lady,” mom said sternly. “Either you move your butt out of that bed, or I kick it out of that bed. Your choice.”

I groaned and sat up, rubbing sleep from my eyes. “I’m up, I’m up.”

Was last night just a dream? I roved my eyes over my bedroom.

No, it couldn’t have been.

I spotted my baseball bat resting on the bed, placed next to me. I looked around some more and thought: Was Lucas real?