Soft Soul

It was ten o’clock when they heard a car drive up the stone drive and park near the front door to the house. The pair were sat eating breakfast reluctantly; both had not quite got back into eating full meals yet and so their meals tended to be moving the food around on a plate and hoping to make it disappear.

Josh shot a concerned look to Sam who sat opposite to him at the table. She reached across and squeezed his hand gently. She knew he wouldn’t want to see either of his parents right now and she could see the strength he gained from their month of being together dwindling away as the footsteps neared the door to the kitchen where they sat.

The door swung open and in walked Melinda Washington, Josh’s mother.

She stopped as she saw them, as if she forgot that she had a child left.

“Josh… Sam, I didn’t expect to see you.” Melinda said.

Without looking up from his plate of half-eaten food Josh replied, “I do live her, mother.”

She smiled weakly, and walked towards the pair. “Of course you do.” Melinda reached out to touch Josh’s shoulder but he flinched away.

Melinda sighed, and looked at Sam as if for some form of reassurance from the girl. Sam kept her eyes trained towards Josh, her hand still wrapped around Josh’s which was starting to hurt from how hard Josh was squeezing it. She ignored it though, he was scared and she would endure a world of pain for him to feel safe again.

“You know, you can’t keep this up, Josh.” Melinda tone had changed to annoyance quickly, and she turned her back towards the pair and stomped towards the door. “I’m off to Spain for a few weeks for business. My plane leaves in three hours, I’m only here to pick up some stuff.”

With that statement she slammed the door shut and the tap of her kitten heels could be heard stomping towards her bedroom at the opposite side of the house.

Josh released the breath he had been holding since she tried to touch him, his mind dizzy and his lungs burning. He released Sam’s hand, suddenly aware of how he’d been gripping onto her.

“I’m sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean to. I was just…”

“Scared, I know.” Sam finished for him, nodding her head in agreement. “I was too.”

She stood and began clearing up their plates, ruffling Josh’s hair as she passed him to reach the bin where she scraped in the remainders of their breakfast.

“It’s not right.” She heard Josh murmur from the table where he had slumped down to rest his head in his folded arms.



After the experience with his mother Josh had decided it was time he moved out. He was almost twenty one now and Sam twenty, they were old enough to live on their own. They began packing as soon as his mother’s car disappeared from the drive.

“Where will we go?” Sam asked, as she sat on the suitcase so Josh could fasten it shut.

“We have a flat in Montreal.” Josh replied as he sat down in front of Sam and brushed a stray hair out of her eyes. “I can transfer our medical records so everything will be okay and we won’t have to worry about anything else for that matter.”

Sam was about to ask about how they would get money but then she realised how stupid that sounded. Josh’s bank account had two commas in it and he merely lived of the interest of his parent’s money. They would be absolutely fine, as long as they stayed away from society as much as possible. Sam had done well to keep her face out of the papers but after the horror of a movie trailer there was no way Josh would be unknown.

“I’ve booked us a hotel near the airport until our plane leaves in two days. It was the only flight I could find which would let us have a separate check in so were not harassed.” Josh continued.

Sam leant towards him and placed a small kiss on his cheek. “Everything will be good when we get there. Maybe a city will do us good after being around so much nature for so long.”

Josh smiled in response and pushed the memories of the mountains to the back of his mind. He never wanted to see a mine again and would be much happier in the flatter land of Montreal. Let the mountains be distant, and maybe the trauma would be too.



The taxi arrived a few hours later and took the couple to the hotel where they slept for most of the days until it was time for them to leave. They dressed in dark clothes with hoods and sunglasses, quickly moving through the crowds to depart Alberta and head into a new city and hopefully a new life. High above the clouds the pair felt calm. This was such a contrast to the insides of a mountain, it was airy and free despite being inside a relatively cramped aeroplane. Sam watched the blue of the skies contrast with the white of the clouds and let the bright light of the sun come through the window and warm her face.

“Maybe we should try South America next.” She said with a sigh. “The sun would be good for us.”

Josh kissed the top of her head. “Egypt would be better. Revisit my family heritage.”

Sam grinned in response and gave a happy murmur to agree. “Egypt next.”

There was a knock on the couple’s compartment as the air hostess accidentally bumped the food cart against it. “Sorr…” She began before drawing to a stop, a look of fear appearing on her face.

“It’s okay.” Sam quickly interjected, smiling politely at the woman in a hope to remind her that she was a professional and should not be staring.

“I don’t feel comfortable with him here.” She suddenly stated loudly. Her words sent a shiver down Josh’s spine as he looked towards the ground and began scratching at the skin on the back of his hand.

Sam swallowed the fear rising in her throat, she really did not want to cause an outburst on a plane, and replied in a surprisingly calm tone. “We have as much right to be here as anyone else.”

“A murderer doesn't!”

The low sound of talking suddenly became silence as all the other passengers turned to stare at the ruckus beginning. Josh blinked rapidly, trying to clear the tears that threatened to fall and the voices rising in his head.

“He never hurt anyone.” Sam responded as she stood and ushered Josh to sit by the window seat instead of her. Her voice wavered as her throat tightened and she held onto Josh’s hand. A way to keep herself grounded but also to stop Josh’s self-harm which she knew wouldn't help minimise the self-loathing he was feeling.

“Is there a problem?” A male voice cut in.

A tall man had rose from his seat and stood near the air hostess, watching her carefully as if expecting a vicious outburst.

“Not at all, Sir.” She quickly responded and turned tail, pulling the food cart to the front of the plane and behind the curtain separating the crew and the passengers.

The anonymous man turned to face the rest of the passengers still staring at Sam and Josh, walking in front of their compartment to try and block the nosy viewers. “Any other issues?”

The passengers quickly turned away, the man’s voice demanded obedience despite not rising above an indoor level. He crouched down to be at eye level where Josh curled in the window seat and Sam returned to her seat, breath suddenly rapid. “I’m ever so sorry about their rudeness. My name is Jacob. Jacob Harper.”

“Why did you do that?” Josh muttered, his head still looking downwards. “She’s right.”

Sam squeezed his hand, “No, she wasn’t and you know that.”

The man sighed, “The media hasn’t been the kindest to you and your father hasn’t helped at all really.”

Josh glanced up at these words, “You know my father?”

“I’m a journalist; I’m afraid most of us do too well.”

Sam, suddenly defensive, turned so she was blocking Jacobs’s view of Josh. “We don’t want to speak to any journalists. Please, just leave us be.”

Jacob smiled softly at her, an attempt to show he meant no harm. “I don’t want to write a story on you, don’t worry. I already know all there is to know about your twos notorious reputation.”

“Us two?” Sam inquired.

“You’ve been in the papers too Sam. You’re a gorgeous girl and apparently people don’t value doctor/patient confidentiality as much as they should. People are claiming your relationship is nothing more than Stockholm syndrome.”

Sam slumped in her seat. Her stomach felt like it had plummeted to the ground miles below them. She loved Josh with all she could muster from her broken being, and knowing that the media were using her as well made her feel sick. She was a laughing stock, and poor Josh was seen as a torturer, a murderer, when he hadn’t been anything of the sort. The boy who played the sick game on the mountain was not him. He was not the light hearted, handsome, funny boy who was able to keep a smile on his face and his friends close despite the mental illnesses that plagued the corners of his mind. His illness had overcome him, turning into someone he wasn’t and Sam knew more than anyone that he never meant to hurt anyone.

“Why are you telling us this?” Sam jumped slightly at the sound of Josh’s voice. The news shared by the journalist had brought Josh to his senses and he took to protecting the girl he loved so dearly.

“I just want to prepare you for the worst. You were probably safer back in those mountains than in a big city like Montreal. The way that woman acted and that movie are just the tip of the iceberg.” Jacob handed a business card to Josh. “But if you do ever want to share your story I am here. Not all journalists are bad.”

Josh nodded slowly as Jacob rose and left to return to his seat. Josh pocketed the card and brought his hand to Sam’s chin, tilting her head up to face him. He kissed her gently, and he felt her smile against his lips.

“Maybe Egypt would have been better.”

Josh shared a sad smile with his girlfriend. “Don’t worry, we can do this.”