She wasn’t thinking, she just knew she had to get away. They called after her. She didn’t know where to go or how to get there. She held her arms around her hurting stomach. It was cold, the clouds, dark and mysterious swirls, hung close to the earth. The cries and pleas of her friends soon became distant till they could no longer be heard. She could hear her breathing and felt her heart banging around her chest, begging and pleading to escape her strangling rib cage. She ran faster and faster still not knowing where she was going. Suddenly thunder crashed far off and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She slowed down to a fast paced walk as she thought of a place to hide from the storm. The storm building in the air wasn’t the one she was running from, it was the one back at the house. She could still see the scene that had played out earlier that night.
Her best friend, more her sister, sitting on the couch crying into her fiancé as he stared off blankly into space. Her friend’s mother, a scowl stuck on her face. But the face that hurt her the most was that of her boyfriend. He was standing in front of her, his eyes lost, his arms half heartedly reaching for her. He pleaded with her to tell everyone what was wrong. She glared at her friend, the only person she had told of her horrid secret. The only one, besides her, in the room who knew why her tummy was peeking out of her shirts, the only one. She must have told, hatred began to boil in her blood. She must have told them all and they wanted her to say it to make the nightmare a reality. If she told then her friend’s mother would tell her’s. She’d be thrown from her home, she’d be taken off the swim team, and she’d be rejected at school. She’d be just another teen who messed up her life. She stared straight and blank past everyone. Her lips quivered and her body shook as she slowly back towards the door while she said, “I’m so sorry, I have your baby.” With that she turned and ran.
She knew where she could go now. By the graveyard where they all hung out there was a bridge, she could hide under that. She’d be safe from both storms. She sped up again, wanting to keep her belly safe from all the storms. She knew both could kill the weak little figure that was held within her’s. She didn’t know what she was to do with the tiny being, she just knew it was her’s and she had to keep it safe form everyone and everything.
Thunder roared in the background as she pulled her jacket tighter around herself. The bridge was the only form of shelter within two miles. As she struggled down the bank she hoped she’d be the only inhabitant tonight. She made it down with little trouble and sighed with great relief when she saw there was no one there. She leaned up against the cement wall as she let gravity push her body down till she was sitting it the phetal position. She pulled her legs tighter into her chest and rested her head on her knees. Her hair fell in her face and made spider web designs when the lightning struck the tree on the other side of the river. She didn’t jump, she didn’t scream, she just shrugged it off. She heard a small noise from the top of the bridge. She whimpered when she saw a tall skimpy figure walking down the bank. Another bolt of lightning lit the figure casting his shadow across her eyes. As the figure ducked under the bridge the rain began to fall hard and fast. He spoke words to her soft gentle and understanding. She let him wrap her in his arms. He sat beside her, “Please come home.” She looked up into his green blue eyes framed by his long hair. “Why?” He sighed; she knew he didn’t like her answer. He took her chin with his finger tips, tilted her face towards him. He leaned ever so slightly as he slid his hand on her swollen belly, he placed his lips atop hers. As he pulled away he pleaded, “For us.” She whimpered, knowing he was right. She looked into his eyes, closed hers, and said…