Page 14 of Bound By Threads
I’m not sure how long it’s been. Time loses its meaning when I’m by the water.
It’s just me, alone with the silence of the ocean and the fading warmth of the world above. It’s dark, almost too dark for me to see in front of me, but the moon is shining on the surface, and I have the urge to reach out to it. I wonder if there would be people who love me on the other side.
I feel my thoughts drifting, floating with the current, untethered from everything that has ever pulled me down.
Partof me wonders if I’ll be missed. Will they search the room for me? Will they care when I no longer show up? But the question feels hollow, like an echo that bounces off the walls and fades into the dark.
It’s strange how I can’t bring myself to care about the answers anymore.
I’ve been forgotten, abandoned. Here, in the depths of the sea, no one can reach me. No one can hurt me. No one can break me or steal my voice.
The pressure on my chest is unbearable now, but it’s nothing compared to the weight I carried before.
As the darkness closes in, I feel my consciousness slip away like a shadow, like a dream fading at the edges of my mind.
It’s not scary. It’s not violent. It’s quiet — still.
I’m weightless now.
It doesn’t hurt anymore.
I’m finally free — safe.
Chapter9
Archer
The sand is still warm under my feet as I stand there, boots in hand, staring out at the crashing waves. I just dropped Luke off at his place, making sure he got home okay after what felt like the longest deployment of my life.
He’s family, in his own way, and I’d never forgive myself if something happened to him without me checking in first.
But now, the weight of my own leave is finally sinking in, and the idea of returning home to my mom and dad is a relief. My body’s still sore, my mind still racing with everything we have seen and done.
I need to clear my head before heading home. States away. Far enough to leave it all behind for a while.
The air smells like salt and peace, but it’s not enough. I keep walking along the edge of the beach, the waves lapping at my bare feet, when I notice something.
A figure at the cliff’s edge.
I stop, squinting to try to make out the figure clearer in the dark. At first, I think it’s nothing. Someone just enjoying the view, but then they do something I’m not prepared for.
They step back. One, two, three steps, and then they jump.
My heart slams into my throat, panic rushing through me as their body plummets toward the water. It’s like time freezes, and for a moment, I’m standing there, useless, not sure what to do.
They hit the water with a sickening splash.
I wait a beat.
One.
They don’t surface.
Two.
Did they want to do this?
Three.
