Then We Collide
The Maps
I sat upright in my bed as I heard something fall to the floor downstairs with a loud thud.
I sat still silently, making sure I was hearing correctly. As another thud vibrated through the house, I pulled off my sheets and slowly put my feet to the ground. I was home alone, my Mom is currently on vacation, and my brother, Zane was over at a friend's house. My heart pounded violently in my chest.
I grabbed a knife I had hidden in my drawer, maybe for an emergency like this. I held it firmly in my hands. One foot in front of the other, I forced myself down the stairs, careful not to alert anything that could be creating the noise. Another thud sounded throughout the house, this time more solid, more frantic. I paused. Gaining all the courage and strength I had within myself, I leaped toward the sound with the knife gripped tightly in my right hand. I felt my mouth widen into a grin as it struck in something that felt like flesh. Ha! This robber thought he could get away with stealing from my family. "Ah! Shit!" I heard the figure yelp. "Get out of my house, you no good-." I was caught off guard as the being shoved into me with force I can not comprehend. The wind escaped my lungs as I hit the floor. I gasped for air. The---I am guessing man ripped the knife from my hand and chucked it across the room instead of using it against me. Now confused and shocked, the man stood me up on my feet. As I complained and tried in vain to escape his grasp, I noticed something as the moon from the window shone through the window. It hit the man's face for half a second. I could recognize those eyes anywhere!
"Zane?! Oh my God, are you alright? Did I hurt you? Answer me!" He loosened his grasp on me and faltered to the floor, which was now drenched in blood. "What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the night? I thought you were at Vick's!" I checked the wound I had made on his back. It didn't look too severe, but it was hard to take in. I did this to my brother. Tears ran down my face. "Stop talking, Shauna! I'll explain as soon as we go get this..." He gestured to his wound weakly. "Looked at." I helped him up quickly, ignoring the blood that glistened in the moonlight. I grabbed the car keys and we wasted no time in leaving for the hospital. I was able to look at the time. 1:56 am.
"Now! Tell me now, what were you doing in the house at this time? You didn't need to sneak around, you live there for fuck's sake." Zane gave a halfhearted chuckle. "I didn't want to wake you, sis. I had to get some of Dad's papers." Our Dad's papers he was referring to, was maps he had drawn out his last days alive. The maps led out to the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Apparently there is something very valuable out there; deep within a trench. Our Dad was thought as the crazy person in town, but we never paid much attention to that. We loved him. We always showed interest in his map creations. Before he died, his final words was: "Don't forget the maps." Boy, those maps never left his mind. He never even gave us a hint of what it was that was in the trench. But whatever it was, it was worth a lot.
"Those papers...." I hesitated. "Those papers don't need to be messed with." I made eye contact with him to make sure he was listening. "You heard Dad!" Zane protested. "We can not just pretend they don't exist." He winced as a visible shock of pain traveled throughout his back to his chest. He gasped aloud. "Zane? We're almost there, hang on." He continued anyways. "After I'm recovered, I am getting those damned maps and I am going down to Mobile, Alabama. You can't stop me, Shauna. I'm doing this for Dad." I looked at him, not sure if I had heard him correctly,
"Vick and my friends will be accompanying me,we'll start searching for whatever the hell Dad wanted to be found, as soon as we rent a boat." He winced once again.
"Zane...." I began. "No. You can't convince me otherwise. I'll leave you plenty of money. Go do what you want." He glanced at me for a second, that familiar smile spreading on his face. "Black Veil Brides is touring, and they'll be here in town in a few days. You've been dying to meet them, and I think its time you get the chance, kiddo." I stared at him dumbfounded. How can he mention Black Veil Brides at a time like this? "Okay, Zane, whatever." . I replied bluntly. I rolled my eyes and pulled up into the hospital's parking lot. I hurriedly got out of the driver's seat and went to the passenger's side to help him out. He stumbled a bit, but we managed to make it into the entrance. My mouth gaped widely as blood trickled down his back into the pearl white tiled floor. "Zane, I am so sorry. I should have made sure it was an intruder before I even considered pulling out a knife." Zane smiled. "You were just being smart, sis, it's O.K." He rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder before a nurse led him away into a room down the long corridor to be treated. Thinking that the doctors needed space, I retreated into the waiting room, where I fell asleep awkwardly in one of the uncomfortable chairs they provided, hoping my brother would be fine.
I dreamt of Black Veil Brides.
I sat still silently, making sure I was hearing correctly. As another thud vibrated through the house, I pulled off my sheets and slowly put my feet to the ground. I was home alone, my Mom is currently on vacation, and my brother, Zane was over at a friend's house. My heart pounded violently in my chest.
I grabbed a knife I had hidden in my drawer, maybe for an emergency like this. I held it firmly in my hands. One foot in front of the other, I forced myself down the stairs, careful not to alert anything that could be creating the noise. Another thud sounded throughout the house, this time more solid, more frantic. I paused. Gaining all the courage and strength I had within myself, I leaped toward the sound with the knife gripped tightly in my right hand. I felt my mouth widen into a grin as it struck in something that felt like flesh. Ha! This robber thought he could get away with stealing from my family. "Ah! Shit!" I heard the figure yelp. "Get out of my house, you no good-." I was caught off guard as the being shoved into me with force I can not comprehend. The wind escaped my lungs as I hit the floor. I gasped for air. The---I am guessing man ripped the knife from my hand and chucked it across the room instead of using it against me. Now confused and shocked, the man stood me up on my feet. As I complained and tried in vain to escape his grasp, I noticed something as the moon from the window shone through the window. It hit the man's face for half a second. I could recognize those eyes anywhere!
"Zane?! Oh my God, are you alright? Did I hurt you? Answer me!" He loosened his grasp on me and faltered to the floor, which was now drenched in blood. "What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the night? I thought you were at Vick's!" I checked the wound I had made on his back. It didn't look too severe, but it was hard to take in. I did this to my brother. Tears ran down my face. "Stop talking, Shauna! I'll explain as soon as we go get this..." He gestured to his wound weakly. "Looked at." I helped him up quickly, ignoring the blood that glistened in the moonlight. I grabbed the car keys and we wasted no time in leaving for the hospital. I was able to look at the time. 1:56 am.
"Now! Tell me now, what were you doing in the house at this time? You didn't need to sneak around, you live there for fuck's sake." Zane gave a halfhearted chuckle. "I didn't want to wake you, sis. I had to get some of Dad's papers." Our Dad's papers he was referring to, was maps he had drawn out his last days alive. The maps led out to the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Apparently there is something very valuable out there; deep within a trench. Our Dad was thought as the crazy person in town, but we never paid much attention to that. We loved him. We always showed interest in his map creations. Before he died, his final words was: "Don't forget the maps." Boy, those maps never left his mind. He never even gave us a hint of what it was that was in the trench. But whatever it was, it was worth a lot.
"Those papers...." I hesitated. "Those papers don't need to be messed with." I made eye contact with him to make sure he was listening. "You heard Dad!" Zane protested. "We can not just pretend they don't exist." He winced as a visible shock of pain traveled throughout his back to his chest. He gasped aloud. "Zane? We're almost there, hang on." He continued anyways. "After I'm recovered, I am getting those damned maps and I am going down to Mobile, Alabama. You can't stop me, Shauna. I'm doing this for Dad." I looked at him, not sure if I had heard him correctly,
"Vick and my friends will be accompanying me,we'll start searching for whatever the hell Dad wanted to be found, as soon as we rent a boat." He winced once again.
"Zane...." I began. "No. You can't convince me otherwise. I'll leave you plenty of money. Go do what you want." He glanced at me for a second, that familiar smile spreading on his face. "Black Veil Brides is touring, and they'll be here in town in a few days. You've been dying to meet them, and I think its time you get the chance, kiddo." I stared at him dumbfounded. How can he mention Black Veil Brides at a time like this? "Okay, Zane, whatever." . I replied bluntly. I rolled my eyes and pulled up into the hospital's parking lot. I hurriedly got out of the driver's seat and went to the passenger's side to help him out. He stumbled a bit, but we managed to make it into the entrance. My mouth gaped widely as blood trickled down his back into the pearl white tiled floor. "Zane, I am so sorry. I should have made sure it was an intruder before I even considered pulling out a knife." Zane smiled. "You were just being smart, sis, it's O.K." He rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder before a nurse led him away into a room down the long corridor to be treated. Thinking that the doctors needed space, I retreated into the waiting room, where I fell asleep awkwardly in one of the uncomfortable chairs they provided, hoping my brother would be fine.
I dreamt of Black Veil Brides.
Great beginning. Update please! :)
1/19/14