Cursed Heart (Cursed #2.5) (9 page)

“Christian, what are you going here?” she asks, moving away from the wall.

“I had to find you. My shift just ended and I heard what happened. I tried to see what was going on and wanted to tell you myself.”

With a look of shock on her face, she says, “Tell me what, Christian? How did you even know I was here or what happened?”

Breathing deeply, I shake my head, raising my hand for her to stop. Trying to catch my breath, I inhale through my nose and exhale by my mouth.

“Never mind all of that now; you need to know, Etty.”

“Know
what
?” she asks with a look of confusion and concern.

Extending my arms to her, I pull her into my body as I rub my hands up and down her back. As hard as she struggles to fight me, I can’t let her go. I need to be her rock, the support she’ll desperately need once she knows what’s just happened.

“Christian, let me go!” she screams.

Her loud cries catch me off guard. I need to calm her down before I hit her with this information about Dault.

“Etty, you have to listen to me,
please
let me in,” I beg.

“What the fuck are you talking about? Let me go.”

Damn it, this little thing is feisty and strong. I need to calm her the fuck down.

“Will you please stop fighting me and let me talk to you? Believe me; you’ll want to hear this coming from me.”

She stops struggling against me for a brief moment. As she looks up at me, I loosen my grasp.

“What are you talking about?” she asks, stepping away from me.

Her gaze is directed at me, her piercing green eyes set on mine.

“He’s gone, Etty, I’m so sorry but he’s gone.”

She takes a step back, her hand flying over her mouth as she lets out a gasp of air.

“Etty, come here; let me be here for you.”

The further she tries to step away from me, the closer I move to her.

“No, no this can’t be happening,” she cries.

My arms reach out for her as she falls to the ground.

Uncontrollable sobs take over her body as I sit on the concrete sidewalk. Here I am, trying to comfort the girl I thought was the one to pull me from my darkness, yet now
I’m
the one making sure she doesn’t fall into the darkest pit of despair.

Cursed Fate

The Cursed Series, #3

By t. h. snyder

Chapter 1

Tonight was just an average night, nothing to celebrate, yet that’s all I seem to do anymore. Celebrate with the bottle, just me, myself and I.

Having just gotten home from work, I reach for the bottle and walk outside to the back porch.

The sun has just set; the sky quickly turning dark as I light my cigarette. The bright flash of the flame shines brightly and pulls me into a trance.

Lost in thought, I start to feel the heat and quickly pull my arm back, I almost singed my eyebrows.

As I fall into the chair I take a long drag of my smoke and a swallow of the amber liquid. It’s my release, the only way to help myself feel numb and forget about everything I've done wrong in my life. I’m the bastard son, the worthless husband and the deadbeat that can do no right.

My life is falling apart.

Looking down I stare at the bottle. I know I should stop, pour it down the drain and toss it away for good…I just can’t.

The phone begins to ring in the house, yet I don’t have the will to get up and get it. Instead I slouch down in the chair and take in another gulp.

Having starred out into the darkness for who knows how long, the bottle is just about half way empty and I’m beginning to realize that I am in fact numb. My legs feel as though they've been torn from my body, my arms and hands just weightless objects.

A crashing sound pulls me from my trance. Looking down toward my feet I see my only escape in a puddle surrounded by pieces of broken glass.

The house phone begins to ring again; I guess I should see who it is. After all it’s been ringing nonstop all night, it could be important.

Getting up from the chair I stumble into the brick wall. Trying to regain my bearings, I push myself from the wall and walk through the sliding glass doors.

The ringing of the phone irritates me as I step closer.

“Hello,” I mutter into the receiver.

“Steve. Where the hell are you?”

“What, who’s this?” I ask scrunching my brow in confusion.

“Oh my god, you have to be kidding me. Steve, it’s your fucking wife. Are you drunk?”

“Huh, well I don’t know maybe a little.”

“You’re worthless Steven; you were supposed to pick me up from work. My car is in the garage…remember?”

My head is spinning, I can hear Jenn’s voice coming through the other end of the line, but it’s too hard to register what’s happening. Was I supposed to get her?

“Forget it Steve, I’m done.”

The call goes dead and I’m left standing in the middle of my kitchen.

Wasted…alone…worthless.

My body slowly starts to slide down the wall into a pile of drunken waste. Closing my eyes I allow myself to fall into the blackness that soothes me.

My eyes open to unfamiliar surroundings, my heart racing and pain taking over my body. I take in a deep breath and exhale, it was just a dream. A memory of the hell I put myself and my loved ones through for far too long.
Trying to calm myself, I begin to look around. The walls around me are bright white, there’s a tall curtain to my left and a beeping sound to my right.

“Where the fuck am I?”

Trying to sit up, I can barely move. I feel like I've been hit by a truck. My legs are stiff; my arms…wait my arms. Pain shoots from my fingertips up into my neck. Looking down I see two large casts attached to my body.

Holy shit what the hell is going on?

Closing my eyes I try to remember what’s taken place over the past few hours.

I went to dinner with the crew; Linc proposed to Jo and….fuck me.

No one saw it coming until it was too late.

Cliff’s voice rings through my ears, “watch out.” But it was too late. The truck smashed into the car, hitting the passenger’s side door.

Everything after that is a blur, that is until now.

I’m alone in my room, uncertain of where or how my friends are doing.

Dault was seated next to me in the front, while Cliff and Ashley were in the back.

Oh fuck, Ashley…please dear god tell me she’s okay. This woman just came into my life when I needed her the most, she has to be okay.

Cursed Heart Playlist

She Is
– The Fray

Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop
– Landon Pigg

Wicked Games
– Phillip Phillips

Best I Ever Had –
Gavin DeGraw

Monster –
Imagine Dragons

Heart on Fire –
Scars on 45

Iris –
The Goo Goo Dolls

Nothing –
The Script

Almost Lover –
A Fine Frenzy

Superman –
Joe Brooks

Everything You Want –
Vertical Horizon

Publishing Schedule