Threat

“She’s still not back home…?”

Michael’s response was the same for the past four hours – a small “No”.

And each time I grew more and more worried.

Did she run away?

Did I make her that angry?

Is she okay?

“Have you called her?”
“Yes, Michael! Plenty of times! She didn’t answer!”

He only looked away from me.

Why am I yelling at him?

He’s actually concerned about Marcia’s absence.
He’s trying to help and comfort me!

“I’m sorry, Michael…I—”

Before I could apologize any further, my phone’s ringtone sounded.

“Hello?”
“I am speaking with Mr. Tyler Carter, correct?”

“Y-Yes…”
“Are you familiar with a ‘Ms. Marcia Louis’?”

I swallowed thickly.

“Yes…! Do you know where she is?”

A moment of silence.

“Yes, I’m afraid I do.”

| x | x | x |

“I can’t do this…I can’t do this, Michael.”

My body trembled as I stared at the closed wooden door – #408 engraved into the door with “Louis, M” scribbled onto a tab under it.

The tears began to fall.

“I can’t…!”

A hand was placed onto my shoulder, squeezing it gently for comfort – Michael.
And knowing that he was here with me, made me feel slightly calmer.

I took a deep breath and let it out before opening the door.

As soon as I saw her, I ran to her side, taking her hand into mine.

All I noticed was the bandages that wrapped around her head and her arms – there were probably more hidden under the sheets – and that her eyes were closed.

“A coma…She’s in a coma…”

I couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of my own mouth as I repeated what the doctor said.

“From a car wreck…”

“Tyler—”
“It’s my fault…”

Her hand was so limp.
So cold…

“No, it’s not—”
“Yes, it is…! If I hadn’t made her mad, then she wouldn’t have left! S-She wouldn’t have…!”

I brought my lips to her knuckles, gently kissing them as more of my tears fell.

“Marcia…? Can you hear me…? I’m so sorry…It’s my fault…I’m so sorry, and I love you so much…”

But she wouldn’t respond.

“Please, stop blaming yourself, Tyler…”

I felt two arms wrap around me.

“Micah…”
His name came out in a soft cry.

“She’s going to be okay. She just needs some time to recover, okay?”

I bit down on my lip and nodded.
I said my goodbyes before Michael led me out of the room.

It was silent between us during the whole walk to the car, but when we got in, everything seemed to settle in deeper.

I was doubled over, sobbing into my hands non-stop – Michael tried his best to comfort me, but I just wouldn’t stop crying.

His hand left my back, and I thought he had finally given up – that is until he hooked an arm under my knees and the other around my back, lifting me over the dashboard and into his lap.

He moved his hand to my hair, gently running his fingers through it.
And the tears were slowly stopping.

“That’s how you always stopped me from crying when we were kids…”

A small laugh from him.

“All these years, and it still works.”

I wiped away a couple of tears that were left.

“…I…I don’t want to go home.”
“Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere…I just…I don’t want to be alone, and I don’t want to be anywhere near that place right now…”

He didn’t question me. He just placed me back in the passenger’s seat and turned the ignition on before putting the car into ‘drive’.