Anything

“We have plenty of time, Ash. What’s the rush?”

“You wouldn’t understand. I don’t understand! Why can’t I just be happy?”

When I fell in love with the brave Asher, a poor young man with a heart of gold, I knew my life would turn upside down. And this was no different than any other time he disrupted my boring day to day life. How often had he whisked me away from the mansion in the middle of the night, dancing in the rain until we both caught colds and couldn’t anymore? The sneezing made it all worth it. 

At least, that’s what I thought. Gone was the shining radiance of happiness from Asher’s face. Gone was the smile I fell in love with. His golden hair seemed to have almost turned white and his eyes, gosh, his eyes. So…haunted, if I could describe it that way. 

I knew he came from a troubled family, but this was the first time I’d ever seen him like this. Worry clawed at my heart even more as I was whisked away, the rain no longer a romantic setting, but instead a backdrop to my confusion.

“Ash, whatever you may have gotten into, we can help you,” I offered, but he stopped and glared. He’d never glared at me.

“No! Nobody can help! We just need to get you away from here!”

A light shone through the darkness, far brighter than anything I’d ever seen. Before I could react, I was pulled away from the street. The cursing of the driver was drowned out by the coming storm.

“Don’t just stand there! Come on!”

I wanted an explanation, but decided against asking. He looked like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

“I’m freezing, why don’t we take shelter in that restaurant there?” I suggested through my chattering teeth. There were people inside, feasting without a care in the world.

Asher didn’t respond, he just kept running and dragging me along. I looked wistfully at the restaurant, imagining myself inside, warming up.

The entire building went up in flames in a violent explosion.

Asher didn’t flinch, even as a flying table almost struck us both. 

“Don’t look back, just stay by my side, please,” he said, with a pleading voice on the verge of tears.

“My legs are tired, maybe we can borrow a bike?” I asked hesitantly, looking at the rental. But Asher shook his head. I sighed as I saw a man take one.

I could only watch as he was run over by a car. But we still didn't stop.

More and more accidents and deaths littered our path as we continued running, further and further away from my home. 

I didn’t know whether we arrived at where he wanted to lead me, but we abruptly stopped at the cliff side. Waves splashed below us, scarring the rock that held us. Asher turned towards me, grabbing me by my shoulders.

“Look. You wouldn’t believe me, so let me just ask this of you. Just stay there with me, alright?”

He pointed at a small cabin nearby that I hadn’t even noticed. It was positively tiny.

Without another word he pulled me inside, not even waiting for a response.

Once situated inside he seemed to exhale, calming down by the looks of it. I asked him who this house belonged to, especially curious about why it was absolutely empty. 

“It’s been standing for a few years now,” he stated simply, pacing back and forth. It was odd, because I’d been thinking about having a cabin by the sea for quite some time now. 

“We’re safe, Ash,” I told him. The place seemed sturdy and dry, so I was sure that nothing he was so afraid of could harm us inside, especially since he’d locked the door really tight. But even calmed down, the worry didn’t fade from the young man’s eyes. I took his hand.

“Why don’t you just explain?”

But he shook his head, eyes squeezed shut.

“I can’t.”

“Try me.”

He seemed to fight with himself, but then he visibly deflated, taking a deep breath. He opened his mouth for a moment.

The next moment he was on the floor. I gasped and rushed to his side. He looked crazed and his hair was frazzled. He snarled at me and I flinched back.

“I-, I’m sorry! I told you I can’t!” He shouted. I couldn’t understand. Didn’t we tell each other everything? But I decided not to press any further.

“Okay. What do we do now?” I asked. He pressed two tickets into my hand. Ferry tickets to somewhere far away.

“If we wait until morning we’ll make it,” he told me, hope evident in his voice. The same hope he’d always had whenever he talked about our plans for the future.

“But what about my parents?” I asked. They may have been quite strict and narrow-minded when it came to Asher, but they were still the parents I loved dearly. I couldn’t just leave them behind.

Asher looked grief-stricken. “They can’t help you. I don’t even know if I can.”

I had no words. I could ask what he meant, but I had a strong feeling he couldn’t tell me that. The very thought made me sad.

“Okay. It’s only a few hours until sunrise anyway. Then we can go.”

I took his hands again. He flinched at first, but his warmth soon merged with mine.

“I trust you, Asher. We’re going to make it.”

As the storm grew, Asher looked into my eyes. A deep, impossible sorrow filled his own.

“I love you. But..,” he began softly. “…no. We were never going to make it, were we?”

I couldn’t respond. I couldn’t form any words. My lips froze in the shape of ‘I love you too.’

The cabin was claimed by the waves, me with it. I reminisced for just a moment.

Asher D’Ambrisio was a brave man who’d do anything for me.

Anything.

My world went black.

His did not.

He tried again.

***

“We have plenty of time, Ash. What’s the rush?”

“Why? Why does this keep happening?”

Why can’t I save you?