‹ Prequel: Intertwined
I Won't Give Up
How old is your soul?
I laughed as I watched my little brother, Wes, running around the living room chasing our cat Midnight. It just didn't seem possible that only a week ago, Wes had been in the hospital getting a bone marrow transplant. I thought that Leukemia patients were suppose to be in pain and they only had enough energy to talk, if only for a bit. The doctors say that Wes was a rare one, a rare patient. They're very hopeful that he'll survive. I hope he does.
I know it sounds selfish but I hope he can pull through and beat the cancer because I'm tired of staying at home. I'm tired of having to watch over him and both my parents. I'm 24, freshly out of school and I shouldn't be watching after my 44 year old parents and 10 year old brother. I should be out in the world, making a name for myself. I want to travel the world. I want to take such amazing pictures that no one will ever forget who I am.
"Annabelle! Look, Annabelle!" I heard Wes say from across the room. I looked up and saw him pointing at Midnight, who was all the way on the top of the bookshelf. She was definitely trying to escape him and I don't blame her. Getting chased by anyone is bad, but a hyper kid is even worse.
"I see her, Wes. I think it's time you leave her alone, alright?"
"Okay," he said dejectedly. "What can I do now then?" he asked me.
"I don't know. We can play a board game if you'd like." Wes sighed and sat down by my feet.
"I'm tired, Belle. When can I go to sleep?" I sighed and looked at the clock. It was only 6 pm. Wes was getting tired earlier every day and it worried me. I hate to see him run out of energy so quickly.
"Whenever you want," I told him, ruffling his hair. He looked up at me, his eyes sad and begging for sleep.
"I'm guessing you want to go to bed now, then?" He nodded. "Alright." I reached down and picked him up, bringing him to his bedroom. I set him down in his bed and tucked him in.
"Belle?" I heard him say sleepily.
"Yes?"
"Do you think mom and dad are going to come home tonight?" I sighed. They never come home during the weekends.
"I don't think so, Wes. I think they might come home tomorrow though, okay?" He nodded and rolled over, hugging his pillow. He was asleep in seconds.
I leaned over to kiss his forehead, then walked out of his room, flicking off the lights and shutting the door halfway. I walked to my room and got into bed, planning to read for a couple hours.
In the distance, I could see a tall figure standing by the shoreline. I smiled, knowing exactly who it was. I had missed him. I giggled as he turned around and opened his arms wide as I ran to him. When I got to him, I jumped into his arms and he twirled us around in circles.
"God, I missed you, Belle," he whispered into my ear, his shoulder length hair tickling my neck as he leaned down.
"I missed you too. Why haven't you come to see me lately?" I asked him as we sat down on the beach. We sat facing the water, watching the tide come in, with me between his legs and his arms circled around my waist. He leaned his head against mine and we sat like that in silence for a minute or two before he answered me.
"I've been really busy. You know that. I wish I could just drop everything and come see you but that's not how it works. Not in my world," he told me sadly. I sighed, knowing he was right.
"When are you going to come visit Wes then? You know he's dying and it's not going to be much longer."
"I'll be by to see him much sooner than you think."
I sat up, gasping for air and my body covered in sweat. My body shook as I tried to dispel the image of the man from my brain, as I do every night. That dream was so vivid. It's like all the others with this man; too vivid to be just a dream. I jumped as someone started banging on the front door. I got up and rushed into the entrance hall, noticing I had forgotten to turn off all the lights before I went to bed.
I opened the door and was immediately frozen where I stood. There was a man standing on my doorstep; a man with an intense gaze. One that I knew all too well. This can't be real. This can't be him, was all I could think as I stood there staring at him.
I know it sounds selfish but I hope he can pull through and beat the cancer because I'm tired of staying at home. I'm tired of having to watch over him and both my parents. I'm 24, freshly out of school and I shouldn't be watching after my 44 year old parents and 10 year old brother. I should be out in the world, making a name for myself. I want to travel the world. I want to take such amazing pictures that no one will ever forget who I am.
"Annabelle! Look, Annabelle!" I heard Wes say from across the room. I looked up and saw him pointing at Midnight, who was all the way on the top of the bookshelf. She was definitely trying to escape him and I don't blame her. Getting chased by anyone is bad, but a hyper kid is even worse.
"I see her, Wes. I think it's time you leave her alone, alright?"
"Okay," he said dejectedly. "What can I do now then?" he asked me.
"I don't know. We can play a board game if you'd like." Wes sighed and sat down by my feet.
"I'm tired, Belle. When can I go to sleep?" I sighed and looked at the clock. It was only 6 pm. Wes was getting tired earlier every day and it worried me. I hate to see him run out of energy so quickly.
"Whenever you want," I told him, ruffling his hair. He looked up at me, his eyes sad and begging for sleep.
"I'm guessing you want to go to bed now, then?" He nodded. "Alright." I reached down and picked him up, bringing him to his bedroom. I set him down in his bed and tucked him in.
"Belle?" I heard him say sleepily.
"Yes?"
"Do you think mom and dad are going to come home tonight?" I sighed. They never come home during the weekends.
"I don't think so, Wes. I think they might come home tomorrow though, okay?" He nodded and rolled over, hugging his pillow. He was asleep in seconds.
I leaned over to kiss his forehead, then walked out of his room, flicking off the lights and shutting the door halfway. I walked to my room and got into bed, planning to read for a couple hours.
***
In the distance, I could see a tall figure standing by the shoreline. I smiled, knowing exactly who it was. I had missed him. I giggled as he turned around and opened his arms wide as I ran to him. When I got to him, I jumped into his arms and he twirled us around in circles.
"God, I missed you, Belle," he whispered into my ear, his shoulder length hair tickling my neck as he leaned down.
"I missed you too. Why haven't you come to see me lately?" I asked him as we sat down on the beach. We sat facing the water, watching the tide come in, with me between his legs and his arms circled around my waist. He leaned his head against mine and we sat like that in silence for a minute or two before he answered me.
"I've been really busy. You know that. I wish I could just drop everything and come see you but that's not how it works. Not in my world," he told me sadly. I sighed, knowing he was right.
"When are you going to come visit Wes then? You know he's dying and it's not going to be much longer."
"I'll be by to see him much sooner than you think."
I sat up, gasping for air and my body covered in sweat. My body shook as I tried to dispel the image of the man from my brain, as I do every night. That dream was so vivid. It's like all the others with this man; too vivid to be just a dream. I jumped as someone started banging on the front door. I got up and rushed into the entrance hall, noticing I had forgotten to turn off all the lights before I went to bed.
I opened the door and was immediately frozen where I stood. There was a man standing on my doorstep; a man with an intense gaze. One that I knew all too well. This can't be real. This can't be him, was all I could think as I stood there staring at him.