Harmony

3/3/2055

I arrive home. Tired. Closing the front door behind me, I sigh deeply.

Taking off my shoes, I put them on the shoe rack and strip my clothes off, being careful not to let them touch the ground. I rush into the kitchen and throw all of my clothes into the machine, add washing powder and turn it on, then run into the bathroom and turn on the shower.

As the water is running, I look at my reflection in the mirror, my normally well-kept long black hair, messy and frazzled.

Face covered with dirt, my makeup mostly smeared or just outright gone. One of my hairclips is missing, not like I care much about that right now. I feel the tinge of tears well up in my eyes, so I shake my head, disgusted with myself, and walk into the shower.

Hastily, I scrub myself, ridding my body of any visible evidence. Then I begin shaking. Trembling heavily and whimpering, dropping to my knees again trying to hold back oncoming tears.

"I'm so fucking useless." I curse to myself.

After a time, I exit the shower and dry myself off. Shaking my head, I walk into our room and put on a long t-shirt and some shorts.

Taking a seat on the living room couch, I clasp my hands together and sit in silence, looking at the ground.

The only sounds being my breathing and the machine washing my dirty clothing.

Slowly, I calm myself down, rest my head on the end of the couch and doze off.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Minutes turn into hours, and then I hear a key enter the keyhole. I'm awoken by this, hurriedly sitting up and turning the television on with the nearby remote.

"Hon?" I know it’s Sue, but I have to act oblivious, as much as it pains me. Hurts me.

"Yeah, it's me." An exhausted Sue replies as I hear the front door being shut and locked.

"Hey Sue... you're back early. Everything alright?"

I hate lying to her. I really do. I want the ground to open up and just swallow me right now for lying to the woman I love.

"...No, I don't think I am actually." Suzanna, covered in dirt and soot, takes her jacket off as she enters the room and puts it on the coat hanger by the door and walks and sits next to me.

"Sue..? What's wrong?"

"It's uh... It's... If I'd just gotten there faster, I coulda-"

She’s struggling to form a sentence. This isn’t like her… but considering what happened earlier… All I can do is rub her back softly.

I need to be better than this, I could have done something, damnit!

"Calm down, take a deep breath and talk to me."

I try to calm her down but let’s be honest, who am I kidding here? Neither of us are going to be ok for quite some time.

"Sorry."

"What's the matter babe?"

She struggles to look at me. And that alone is breaking my heart.

"I was too slow. Didn't get there fast enough. Isabelle and Sara, they got hurt because I was too slow."

I grit my teeth at this, then squeeze the arm of the couch. Shaking in anger at myself.

"What... Do you mean, Sue? Are they OK?"

"Sara, she....*sniff* she.."

I have to watch as the woman I love breaks down into tears, unable to say what happened…

"Honey..."

I hug her tightly and try to console her, unable to stop myself crying.