By Jeremie Guy (A Long Way From Home)
The banging grew louder. Something glass shattered and Barbara wondered who had broke it. Had it smacked someone in the face? More screams and more banging made her wonder how anyone could live through that.
"Back at it again," said Jared, rolling over and making the bed groan. He propped himself up on an elbow and wiped some sleep from his eye using his finger.
She was staring at the wall to the adjoining apartment, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed. Bags had packed under her eyes. She nodded without looking at him, taking a deep sigh as another thump echoed in their apartment.
"Should we call the cops?" he asked, sliding the sheets off his naked legs.
He found his boxers on the floor and pulled them up. More yelling made her wonder what they always fought about. Why they stayed together. How they hadn't killed each other yet.
"Let's go for a walk instead," she said, figuring outside would be as good as place as any to spring her question.
Jared turned. He'd already picked up his cell phone and the display light cast a glow across his face. Stubble poked through his stern jaw and some hair was clumped against his forehead.
"To where? It's four in the morning."
Barbara uncrossed her legs, scooting off the bed with a smirk on her face. She put on some pants, a coat, and a jacket and watched him get dressed as well. When he was finished she pecked him on the cheek, cupping his face and looking into his eyes.
"Thanks for never being that guy," she said, glancing at the wall.
Smiling, he followed her out of the apartment into the winter air. Their grey breath funneled out their noses and dispersed slowly. The night before, a light snow had powdered the area.
She walked with purpose, both hands jammed in her coat pocket. The roads were clear, but there never was much traffic out in these parts. Barbara reminisced about city life, thinking how odd the fighting in the apartment must be for everyone else who heard it. It reminded her of being in a better place instead of bothering her.
"I still don't know where we're going," Jared said, shivering a bit.
"Away."
Barbara scanned the area and smirked. Outlined in barbed wire, an abandoned field beckoned her. She traipsed toward it, the cold starting to settle into her knees. The fence was too high to climb over and she didn't see a break. Disappointed, she started walking next to the fence, careful not to let the wire snag her jacket.
"Are we just going to walk?"
Grape vine weeds were growing around the fence. Some curled out far enough for her to have to step around them. The sky was fading from black to purple as the sun began to rise. Jared grabbed her hand, warming it, and they continued to walk.
"I think we should move," she said, knowing he'd be hesitant.
"I agree. My mom knows of a few complexes on the other side of town that would be nice. Affordable."
"I mean out of here. Nebraska isn't where I want to be."
Jared pulled on her hand until she stopped walking. He tilted his head to the side, glaring at her with his green eyes that were brilliant even at night. He'd been here his entire life. His family lived here. Everything he knew was from here.
"Why?"
"I miss Denver. Haven't seen my friends in two years. With no car, life just isn't what I want it to be here."
Jared's face drooped and she could tell her words were hurting him. He searched her face with his eyes. They felt like green daggers.
"No."
"It's something I have to do," she said, pleading with her eyes. "Please come with me."
"No."
She felt his grip loosen and the warmth he provided left with him. He turned, his fists clenched, and headed back toward the apartment. His feet crunched through the snow on the grass, but the sound faded as the distance increased.
With a sigh and blurred eyes, Barbara turned and went back to walking along the fence. She looked over, noticing the sun was peeking over the horizon, painting the sky with light orange and purple. She didn't move out of the way of the dried grape vine buds, and some stuck to her clothing. She let a tear slip out and kept walking, wishing she could reach Colorado.
The banging grew louder. Something glass shattered and Barbara wondered who had broke it. Had it smacked someone in the face? More screams and more banging made her wonder how anyone could live through that.
"Back at it again," said Jared, rolling over and making the bed groan. He propped himself up on an elbow and wiped some sleep from his eye using his finger.
She was staring at the wall to the adjoining apartment, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed. Bags had packed under her eyes. She nodded without looking at him, taking a deep sigh as another thump echoed in their apartment.
"Should we call the cops?" he asked, sliding the sheets off his naked legs.
He found his boxers on the floor and pulled them up. More yelling made her wonder what they always fought about. Why they stayed together. How they hadn't killed each other yet.
"Let's go for a walk instead," she said, figuring outside would be as good as place as any to spring her question.
Jared turned. He'd already picked up his cell phone and the display light cast a glow across his face. Stubble poked through his stern jaw and some hair was clumped against his forehead.
"To where? It's four in the morning."
Barbara uncrossed her legs, scooting off the bed with a smirk on her face. She put on some pants, a coat, and a jacket and watched him get dressed as well. When he was finished she pecked him on the cheek, cupping his face and looking into his eyes.
"Thanks for never being that guy," she said, glancing at the wall.
Smiling, he followed her out of the apartment into the winter air. Their grey breath funneled out their noses and dispersed slowly. The night before, a light snow had powdered the area.
She walked with purpose, both hands jammed in her coat pocket. The roads were clear, but there never was much traffic out in these parts. Barbara reminisced about city life, thinking how odd the fighting in the apartment must be for everyone else who heard it. It reminded her of being in a better place instead of bothering her.
"I still don't know where we're going," Jared said, shivering a bit.
"Away."
Barbara scanned the area and smirked. Outlined in barbed wire, an abandoned field beckoned her. She traipsed toward it, the cold starting to settle into her knees. The fence was too high to climb over and she didn't see a break. Disappointed, she started walking next to the fence, careful not to let the wire snag her jacket.
"Are we just going to walk?"
Grape vine weeds were growing around the fence. Some curled out far enough for her to have to step around them. The sky was fading from black to purple as the sun began to rise. Jared grabbed her hand, warming it, and they continued to walk.
"I think we should move," she said, knowing he'd be hesitant.
"I agree. My mom knows of a few complexes on the other side of town that would be nice. Affordable."
"I mean out of here. Nebraska isn't where I want to be."
Jared pulled on her hand until she stopped walking. He tilted his head to the side, glaring at her with his green eyes that were brilliant even at night. He'd been here his entire life. His family lived here. Everything he knew was from here.
"Why?"
"I miss Denver. Haven't seen my friends in two years. With no car, life just isn't what I want it to be here."
Jared's face drooped and she could tell her words were hurting him. He searched her face with his eyes. They felt like green daggers.
"No."
"It's something I have to do," she said, pleading with her eyes. "Please come with me."
"No."
She felt his grip loosen and the warmth he provided left with him. He turned, his fists clenched, and headed back toward the apartment. His feet crunched through the snow on the grass, but the sound faded as the distance increased.
With a sigh and blurred eyes, Barbara turned and went back to walking along the fence. She looked over, noticing the sun was peeking over the horizon, painting the sky with light orange and purple. She didn't move out of the way of the dried grape vine buds, and some stuck to her clothing. She let a tear slip out and kept walking, wishing she could reach Colorado.