Thank You

One of my earlier stories. kinda sappy....

Mattie sat down on the frosted wooden bench in the lonely park behind her house. The streetlights were just blinking on, illuminating smoky alleyways wedged between looming buildings of grimy brick. It was mid-October and autumn had painted the once green leaves of the oak that Mattie sad beneath many shades of crimson, nut brown, and russet-gold.

Mattie shivered in the biting breeze. It was okay. She wouldn’t have to wait much longer…he would be passing by here soon.

Mattie sighed and rested her head against the back of the bench and closed her eyes, feeling, for a moment, the stress unknot in her tense muscles. For a moment…

Mattie’s eyes snapped open and gazed into the open night sky.

What was she going to tell him? Since the last time she’d seen him, she tried to work it out in her mind. Try as she might however, her tangled thoughts never seemed to make sense. Mattie still remembered the pained look on his flawless features when he’d told her…

“I’m leaving Mattie,” he’d said.

“What?” Mattie had said, disbelief choking her of words.

“Mattie I can’t stay here forever.”

“But why, Clay? I don’t want you to go! We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember!”

“Mattie,” said Clay in his classic – but irresistible- ‘listen to me’ tone, “I have to go.” His pleading dark eyes were more compelling than his voice.

Mattie hadn’t been able to say another word. She’d just dropped her head and stalked away- quickly- so he wouldn’t have the time to see her wide blue eyes fill with tears…

Mattie looked down at her hands- now balled into trembling fists – and sighed. She had felt so hopeless. So defeated. Mattie squeezed her eyes shut. It wouldn’t be like that again...it couldn’t be.

The soft sound of crunching footsteps shocked her eyes open. He was there, walking down the path a few yards away amongst the musky scent of decaying leaves, his stiff shadow a broken silhouette on the uneven ground.

Mattie shot up and darted into the fluorescent glow of the nearest streetlight. He had to see her or it would be too late.

The footsteps stopped.

“Mattie?” his soft voice called from the inky darkness to where she was standing.

 “What are you doing here?” he said coming towards her, a sharp edge melting into his melodic voice.

“I…” Mattie stammered, “I…I…you’re leaving.”

“You knew I was.”

Mattie stared into his cold eyes, searching for meaning in his blank stare. She turned away, a deep frown set on her small face, and scowled. This was going to be harder than she thought.

“Clay,” Mattie whispered looking hard into his empty eyes.

He dropped his gaze and started to turn.

“Don’t go, Clay! You can’t,” she blurted. Clay glanced back at her curiously.

“What about your family, Clay, and your friends? They need you.”

Mattie looked down, letting her copper-spun hair fall across her face .To her disgust, hot tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I need you,” she whispered.

“No one needs me,” he said, his voice hard with ice, “My family is dead.”

“Clay,” Mattie murmured.

Mattie angrily scrubbed at her tears. She had to hold herself together.

“Clay, There are still people who care about you! What about the Morrises who took you in when your parents died? What about everyone else who’s helped you since then?” Mattie’s voice faltered. “What about me?”

She was really crying now. Soft sobs shook her small frame.

Clay started towards her, but stopped himself.

“Mattie” Clay said, his voice much softer now. “Mattie, I have to go! You don’t understand.”

“Clay-

“No Mattie. He killed my family! The only one I’ll ever have. I have to find him. This hatred is eating me up!” Clay cried his feral eyes gleaming in the slight glow of the moon.

Mattie looked away as the edge in Clay’s voice bit her and her tears started to flow again. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve, but try as she might the tears wouldn’t dry. Mattie glanced back at him. His back was turned to her now, the angular line of his broad shoulders crumpled beneath his tightened fists. He wasn’t crying was he?

“Mattie,” Clay said unevenly, “I can’t stay… I’m leaving toni-

“Clay!”  Mattie shut her eyes as her brimming tears spilled again.

“Take me with you, Clay. I won’t be a burden! I’ll help you in anyway I can and I’ll stay by you in everything!” she said, her voice thick. She looked at him, trying to meet his sodden gaze with her own. Mattie’s voice fell to a whisper. “I promise”.

“Why should I?” He asked his voice laced with frost, his face a stone mask.

“Because…” Mattie whispered her heart in her throat.

She couldn’t bring herself to say it. They very thing she had come out here to tell him…

Mattie heard his muffled footsteps as he turned to walk away.

“Because I love you!” she choked.

The footsteps didn’t stop this time.

Mattie sunk to her knees, her face in her hands, sticky with the flow of drying tears, pooling between her fingers and dropping into her lap. Why did it turn into this again when she’d promised herself it wouldn’t?

Mattie wiped at her fast falling tears and dripping nose and rose shakily to her feet.

She took a step forward… but a gentle hand on her shoulder caught her in her tracks.

“Mattie,” Clay’s breath was warm on the back of her neck.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Mattie turned around, but his back was turned again, hurrying away on swift feet.

Mattie’s eyes stayed dry as she watched his figure shrink into the night.

Clay was almost at the gate when he turned and glanced back, just once, but it was time enough for Mattie to see the faint sheen of tears streaming down his cheeks as he turned once more and was gone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

You're a good writer, J Alicia. A few errors in punctuation, a couple of spots where the wording could be better, but overall, you're very compitent. My compliments to you, Sam.

[WoFer]

this it? no more??? you brought up good questions, an intriguing story line. but it is a mere start.
you need the middle and the end. drop me an email if you finish it up I would love to read the rest