Post by Amaranth on Jan 28, 2007 22:23:42 GMT -5
He hasn't spoken to me all day.
What did I do wrong?
He won't even look at me.
"Please, Zach," I beg, trailing after him like a fool. "What did I do? I'm sorry!"
His eyes don't even dart my way. Why is he so angry? "Zach!"
He's muttering under his breath.
"Okay," I make out. "I'm going to do it. No chickening out."
No chickening out? What is he talking about?
A slick fear seeps into my bones, seizing my heart with icy-cold fingers. Is he going to leave me?
"Zach!"
For a split second, he turns his head slightly, as though wondering vaguely if he's being followed- of course he is- but then he looks forward again and ignores me.
I'm on the verge of tears as I follow him up the stairs into our apartment building. "Good afternoon, Mr. Turner," the busboy says to Zach. Zach inclines his head in the other man's direction.
What? Now the busboy is ignoring me, too? Usually he greets me with a bright, "...and good day to you too, Miss Stevenson!" tacked onto the end of his hello to Zach, but today he acts as though I'm not there. Is this some sick joke that everyone but me is in on?
I'm having the worst day of my life, I decide as I follow Zach into the elevator. We have an apartment on the eighth floor. First I nearly get hit by a car as I cross the street, and then I can't find my purse, and now Zach is ignoring me. We were supposed to go on a real date tonight- we haven't had time for one in forever, since Zach recently got a promotion and my bakery has had more buisiness than usual, since it's getting close to Valentines Day and everyone wants my 'famous' heart-shaped brownies for their sweetheart. Today was supposed to be perfect!
I was going to close shop early, go home for a little while to pick out an outfit, go out again and get my hair done, meet Zach when he came home...
Zach brings out his keychain and flips through the keys, trying to figure out which one is the right one. Zach has an insane obsession with keys. He collects all of them that he's ever had, and he puts them all on the same keychain. It's one of his more frustrating quirks, since he's forever accidentally locking himself out of the apartment and I have to interrupt what I'm doing to save him, but I love him nonetheless.
I love him. All his stupid little habits, like mussing up his dark blonde hair because he thinks it looks better that way, his inability to secure his own tie without making it crooked, his talent for getting completely and utterly lost no matter how many times he's been somewhere... Yes. I love those, too. That's why it hurts so much that he won't talk to me.
"It's the bronze one with the black mark on the side," I tell him helpfully, and he finds it with a satisfied grunt.
I smile, relieved. He'll certainly acknowledge me now.
But he doesn't, and my smile fades from my face. He only opens the door and goes inside. He almost shuts the door in my face, and I have to dart inside quickly to avoid being hit.
"Zach, I really don't understand why you're so angry with me!"
He completely ignores me. He's looking around, wandering through the rooms as though he's looking for something.
"Angela." He's called my name. Finally, he's going to tell me what's wrong!
"Yes?"
He hasn't looked at me. "Angela!" Why is he calling out like that? I'm right here, you idiot! You big, loveable, infuriating idiot!
"Angie, where are you? I'm home!"
"I'm right behind you, Zach! Stop making fun of me!" I snap, tears in my eyes. I know I'm going to cry. This isn't fair at all. I haven't done anything!
The phone rings, saving me from my torment for the moment. I go to answer it, but Zach beats me there, and picks it up.
"Hello?"
I can hear some of what the person on the other end is saying.
Something about an accident, and the hospital. The word 'condolences' reaches my ears, and I'm horrified. Has his mother been in an accident? I am an orphan, and have no family to speak of, but his mother is still alive- it would be horrible if something happened to her!
"Zach, what happened?" I ask as he hangs up, a look of horrified shock on his face.
He doesn't respond, but sinks into a chair and stares blankly at a wall.
"No," he mutters, "This can't be happening." His voice breaks.
"Zach! What happened?!" I demand again, my own voice shrill with worry.
"Angie..." He murmurs. But he doesn't seem to be talking to me. "Angela... no, no, no... Not Angie..."
Not me? What's not me? I reach out to touch his face, to ask him what happened, to tell him it's all right, I'm here, but I can't touch him. What? My hand passes right through his cheek, and I withdraw it quickly and stare at the fingers. They seem fine. But...
"Angie... No... this isn't... no... Not Angie... not my Angel..." Tears roll down his face, and I look from him to my hand to him and back again. With horror, I realize that I can almost see through my fingers. I rub them vigorously, but it doesn't get any better.
My eyes widen. Frantic, I look back at Zach and wave my arms around, trying to get him to look at me, but he only brings out a small black box, and opens it.
Inside is a beautiful engagement ring, set with sapphires. My favorites.
He's going to propose...?
No.
He was going to propose.
Reality hits me like a bucket of cold water to my face.
I didn't almost get hit by a car on the way home.
I did get hit by a car on the way home.
I remember it now- the blaring horn, the shining light, the screeching brakes, people screaming, horrible pain, and then... and then I walked away. I couldn't find my purse. That is because my body has that.
Oh my God.
I'm dead.
No... I can't be dead...
"Zach!" I cry, yet again. "Zach, look at me! Tell me I'm being stupid! Please! Just... I don't know, wake me up! Please!"
He only puts a hand to his face.
"Angie... don't leave me, Angie..."
"But I'm right here, Zach, just look at me!"
But he can't see me.
He can't hear me.
And he never will again.
"Not my Angel," he whispers. "Not my Angel."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What did I do wrong?
He won't even look at me.
"Please, Zach," I beg, trailing after him like a fool. "What did I do? I'm sorry!"
His eyes don't even dart my way. Why is he so angry? "Zach!"
He's muttering under his breath.
"Okay," I make out. "I'm going to do it. No chickening out."
No chickening out? What is he talking about?
A slick fear seeps into my bones, seizing my heart with icy-cold fingers. Is he going to leave me?
"Zach!"
For a split second, he turns his head slightly, as though wondering vaguely if he's being followed- of course he is- but then he looks forward again and ignores me.
I'm on the verge of tears as I follow him up the stairs into our apartment building. "Good afternoon, Mr. Turner," the busboy says to Zach. Zach inclines his head in the other man's direction.
What? Now the busboy is ignoring me, too? Usually he greets me with a bright, "...and good day to you too, Miss Stevenson!" tacked onto the end of his hello to Zach, but today he acts as though I'm not there. Is this some sick joke that everyone but me is in on?
I'm having the worst day of my life, I decide as I follow Zach into the elevator. We have an apartment on the eighth floor. First I nearly get hit by a car as I cross the street, and then I can't find my purse, and now Zach is ignoring me. We were supposed to go on a real date tonight- we haven't had time for one in forever, since Zach recently got a promotion and my bakery has had more buisiness than usual, since it's getting close to Valentines Day and everyone wants my 'famous' heart-shaped brownies for their sweetheart. Today was supposed to be perfect!
I was going to close shop early, go home for a little while to pick out an outfit, go out again and get my hair done, meet Zach when he came home...
Zach brings out his keychain and flips through the keys, trying to figure out which one is the right one. Zach has an insane obsession with keys. He collects all of them that he's ever had, and he puts them all on the same keychain. It's one of his more frustrating quirks, since he's forever accidentally locking himself out of the apartment and I have to interrupt what I'm doing to save him, but I love him nonetheless.
I love him. All his stupid little habits, like mussing up his dark blonde hair because he thinks it looks better that way, his inability to secure his own tie without making it crooked, his talent for getting completely and utterly lost no matter how many times he's been somewhere... Yes. I love those, too. That's why it hurts so much that he won't talk to me.
"It's the bronze one with the black mark on the side," I tell him helpfully, and he finds it with a satisfied grunt.
I smile, relieved. He'll certainly acknowledge me now.
But he doesn't, and my smile fades from my face. He only opens the door and goes inside. He almost shuts the door in my face, and I have to dart inside quickly to avoid being hit.
"Zach, I really don't understand why you're so angry with me!"
He completely ignores me. He's looking around, wandering through the rooms as though he's looking for something.
"Angela." He's called my name. Finally, he's going to tell me what's wrong!
"Yes?"
He hasn't looked at me. "Angela!" Why is he calling out like that? I'm right here, you idiot! You big, loveable, infuriating idiot!
"Angie, where are you? I'm home!"
"I'm right behind you, Zach! Stop making fun of me!" I snap, tears in my eyes. I know I'm going to cry. This isn't fair at all. I haven't done anything!
The phone rings, saving me from my torment for the moment. I go to answer it, but Zach beats me there, and picks it up.
"Hello?"
I can hear some of what the person on the other end is saying.
Something about an accident, and the hospital. The word 'condolences' reaches my ears, and I'm horrified. Has his mother been in an accident? I am an orphan, and have no family to speak of, but his mother is still alive- it would be horrible if something happened to her!
"Zach, what happened?" I ask as he hangs up, a look of horrified shock on his face.
He doesn't respond, but sinks into a chair and stares blankly at a wall.
"No," he mutters, "This can't be happening." His voice breaks.
"Zach! What happened?!" I demand again, my own voice shrill with worry.
"Angie..." He murmurs. But he doesn't seem to be talking to me. "Angela... no, no, no... Not Angie..."
Not me? What's not me? I reach out to touch his face, to ask him what happened, to tell him it's all right, I'm here, but I can't touch him. What? My hand passes right through his cheek, and I withdraw it quickly and stare at the fingers. They seem fine. But...
"Angie... No... this isn't... no... Not Angie... not my Angel..." Tears roll down his face, and I look from him to my hand to him and back again. With horror, I realize that I can almost see through my fingers. I rub them vigorously, but it doesn't get any better.
My eyes widen. Frantic, I look back at Zach and wave my arms around, trying to get him to look at me, but he only brings out a small black box, and opens it.
Inside is a beautiful engagement ring, set with sapphires. My favorites.
He's going to propose...?
No.
He was going to propose.
Reality hits me like a bucket of cold water to my face.
I didn't almost get hit by a car on the way home.
I did get hit by a car on the way home.
I remember it now- the blaring horn, the shining light, the screeching brakes, people screaming, horrible pain, and then... and then I walked away. I couldn't find my purse. That is because my body has that.
Oh my God.
I'm dead.
No... I can't be dead...
"Zach!" I cry, yet again. "Zach, look at me! Tell me I'm being stupid! Please! Just... I don't know, wake me up! Please!"
He only puts a hand to his face.
"Angie... don't leave me, Angie..."
"But I'm right here, Zach, just look at me!"
But he can't see me.
He can't hear me.
And he never will again.
"Not my Angel," he whispers. "Not my Angel."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
