Posted by Joseph on May 28, 2006 at 01:58:13:
“Coming and Goings” 5/28/06 (F, Con, Shot)
By Joseph
He couldn't remember just when, but sometime in their coming and goings, this little freckled faced pixie with her infectious smile and piercing green eyes had captured his heart.
"They say there's nothing more they can do," she said flately as she brushed by, leaving him standing in the doorway looking dumbfounded as she plopped herself down on one of the two chairs by his kitchen table.
He had lived in the appartment over Angie's for over two years, rarely saying more that an obligatory "Hello" or "How are you" before she got sick.
Angie flashed a quick smile as she tried to blink away her tears. "Doc says there ain't nothin more they can do. Told me to go home and put my affairs in order. Bummer." She said softly as she looked up into his eyes.
Skinny as a rail and barely a hundred pounds, he'd known Angie hadn't been feeling well, but dying, never in a thousand years. She had caught him completely off guard.
"Now don't you go wilt-in on me now," scolded Angie from across the room. "Cause I feel like crap and I'm already pisseed. Ya'best be come-in over here to set yourself down, cause we needs to talk."
Closing the door, Leo quickly crossed the room, pulled out the other chair, and spun it around to face Angie.
"I'm dyin'," she said resting her chin on her arms as he straddled the chair. "Just when we was start-in to warm uo to each other too. Your was start-in to warm up to me were't ya' Leo.
"You talk as if there is no tomorrow," he said softly as he scooted his chair a bit closer.
"Yep; that's because there ain't," said Angie as she pulled a small revolver out of a brown paper bag and laid it on the table.
"I ain't one to wait on Death to come call-in Leo. I'd rather meet him at the door. Ya' know what I mean?"
"What are you saying Angie?"
"I'm say-in soon as you show me how to load this thing, I'm goin to go down stairs and shoot myself through the heart." she said as she reached back into the bag and pulled out a box of cartridges.
"What?"
"It's the only way I can be sure I...I don't want to die in my sleep. Leo..., I want to feel it happen, that's all. Ya' know what I mean? I only get to do this once."
As the blood drained from his face, Leo stared silently at the revolver.
"Breath Leo; I ain't ask-in ya' to kill me, wouldn't never ask that of ya'. Probably selfish of me, but...but I just wanted to see ya' one last time, to...to, you know. Ah Hell Leo, I ain't never been much good at this sort of thing; I...I love ya'. There, I've said it. Oh shit, what have I gone and done. I gotta' go."
As Angie reached for the revolver, Leo laid his hand over hers.
"Don't," he whispered softly.
"Don't try to stop me Leo," said Angie as she looked down longingly at the revolver lying between them. If you try, I'll...I'll just go and...;"
As Leo gave Angie's hand a little squeeze, her voice suddenly died away as he picked up the revolver.
"I meant don't go," he whispered softly as he opened the box of catridges and started to load the revolver.
"You are the best thing that ever come into my life, she whispered biting her lower lip to keep from crying.
As she trailed the back of her fingers gently down his cheek in a loving caress, Leo felt a shiver run through his body from head to toe as he watched her try to blink her tears away.
"No...no one should have to die alone," he whispered. "Just wouldn't be right." Then using her most favorite exclamation to cheer her up, he added, "Ya' know?"
As he offer his hand to help her up, Angie melded her body to his as she felt Leo tuck the muzzle of the revolver up under her left breast.
"Oh God, I don't want to hurt you," he whispered softly. "Please God, help me do this right," he prayed silently as he glanced down to make sure the angle of the barrel was...;
"It's right," whispered Angie reading his mind. Then like some whimsical lover, she let her fingers fall slowly, trailing down his chest to click off the safety on the revolver.
As Leo pressed the revolver tight beneath her left breast, he could feel her heart beating as Angielaid her head against his chest and gazed up into his eyes.
"Your heart...; it's a pound-in just like mine," she whispered, sighing softly as she settled into his arms to listen to the beat of his heart.
As the muffle shot rang out between them, Angie jerked as she felt her heart jump, clutching Leo tightly as a sudden warmth radiated outward from beneath her left.breast.
As Angie gazed up into Leo's eyes, Leo pulled her close and held on tight, his heart pounding as he watched the light slowly fade and then go out in her eyes. Eyes now forever frozen in the moment as her fingers slowly relaxed and her arms fell away to hang limp at her sides.
He couldn't remember just when, but sometime in their coming and goings, this little freckled faced pixie with her infectious smile and piercing green eyes had captured his heart.
The End (or maybe the beginning of another story)