Ring Ring
the alarm clock ring loudly, I open my eyes and saw a bit of sunshine has entered the room from the cracks of the curtain, I stand up slowly from my bed and begins to stretch my arm.
"what a lovely day," I said to no one particular.
I stand up and begin to move to my curtain, it old curtain that I bought last summer in a garage sale, I bought it cheap cause of the stain at the corner of it but I learn to ignore it but it still a good curtain it got a good design on it and its beige color.
the light poured into my apartment of one bedroom, a kitchen and bathroom as I open the curtain. I don't have much stuff in my room but this is my cozy home even though it small.
you know what? today is an important day for me, why its important day for me I will tell you just wait.
but first let check the calendar, I walk excitedly toward the calendar and tore the past date and I saw today is Valentine day. it not an important day because of valentine day and it not my birthday keeps guessing.
I walk toward the bathroom sink and wash my face, I look in the mirror and saw a reflection of myself, I saw a ginger haired guy with a black eye on his right eyes. I touch the swelling a bit it still hurts.
I ignore the black eye it will probably go away in time.
I shower like always and brush my teeth afterward following my routine every day but today's I'm gonna wear all black just for the occasion and it not for a funeral keep guessing.
I wear slick black jeans and black long sleeve sweater with turtleneck, as I head to the kitchen I step onto a few broken pieces of the plaster. "I thought I clean all of them, doesn't matter" if you wondering where the plaster came from, it came from the hole in the wall.
in front of the cabinet I open it grab a bowl and box of cereal then I grab the milk carton from the fridge, I mix both of them in the bowl and proceed to enjoy my breakfast taking my time eating while checking the twitter from my phone.
A lot of quotes about love today because of the valentine days, love is the air right now. Also
speaking of love in all my experience I categorize love into two type the first one is T-Love as in temporary love or quick Love. For example, it happens when you see a cute a puppy or kitty on the way of work you will pet it because you love it but you not gonna miss your work for that puppy or kitty.
the second type is L-Love or some people call it True love the one which you willing to sacrifice literally your leg and arm for. surprisingly I never experience it before, it not because of I never had any girlfriend it just I used to have but it more of the first type rather than the second one.
I look at the clock near my bed then I realize its time to go, I bring the dishes into the sink to wash it later then I head outside of my apartment room, I returned back to my room as I forgot about my duffel bag. I grab the duffel bag head outside locking my door in the process.
I walk down the hallway I can hear the sound of music playing loudly and couples fighting, my neighbor is really lively not that I hate it because they make me feel calm and not lonely when I'm home, as you can guess I lived alone.
I took the elevator down to the first floor as I exit the apartment, I saw a bustling people going to somewhere to a place I don't really know while holding Valentine decoration stuff.
As I was about to take the first step, an older gentleman struck me with his coffee causing it to spills some onto my shirt, as I was about to apologize, I was suddenly cut off by the older gentleman.
"WATCH IT, WHERE YOUR EYES AT HUH?" he speaks loudly then quickly start walking.
he probably in a hurry and if you wondering why I shouldn't yell back, it because I'm not that easy to get angry over something, it just the way I am since I was a child.
I start to walk again heading toward the banks, and it not payday besides I already quit my job as a waiter yesterday, I'm not getting pay anytime soon.
It was my late night shift, I walk to the manager office.
"Lenny, I want to quit"
"Sure, just put resignation letter on my desk"
I did what he told then I walk out of the restaurant, it was really anticlimactic if I imagine it now, you know what let put a big explosion right behind me when I leave the store 'BOOM!!'.
Movie and TV make it seem like a dramatic event, well I probably watch too much Show.
As I walk, a sweet smell hit my nose and I stop in my tracks then start looking for the source of the delicious smell when I saw the vendor selling chocolate covered donut. I went to the vendor and buy two of them then continue walking.
I look into the paper bag I noticed now the donut is shaped like a Hearts, that so sweet and cute.
Look at that I arrive in front of the bank already, first let check the time on my phone.
Why is today important? it is because today I decided to rob the bank.
I open the duffel bag an take out the ski mask, I put it on then proceed to takes out a gun and hold it in my hand.
I enter bank while holding my gun up.
"Everybody don't move this a robbery!!!" I said in a slighter heavy serious tone.
the faces of people in the bank changed from relaxed to confusion as I wave my gun around and yelling "EVERYONE ON THE FLOOR NOW!!!'.
I look at everyone in the bank and they still look confused, well they didn't listen to me, I have to do this then with the gun in my hand I raised it aiming at the ceiling then proceed to fire two shot.
which cause the ceiling dust to fall on me and people to scream while panicking.
"PLEASE, EVERYONE CALM DOWN AND LAY ON THE FLOOR NOW ALSO DONT TRY TO BE A HERO!!!"
I look at everyone face in the bank, each of them in fears as this is the worst thing that had to happen in their life, they probably right. Not many people start their days off by being robbed by some random guys.
as I look at everyone making sure nobody is doing anything foolish then I see her, the most mesmerizing, beautiful and fierce woman with a white short hair and silky white skin even if her face is in fear she still looks beautiful, her clothe consist of a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and black boots while carrying a small backpack from the look of it she ride a Motorcycle here.
and just like that, Love at first sight.
my heart beating fast and my breathing is heavy, never I have felt like this in my entire life, a song 'Simply Beautiful by Al Green' kept playing in my mind as if I was in Love story then everything starts to slow down.
I start to imagine my life with her, a small house facing toward the beach with a white picket fence in front of the house while her Motorcycle park in the driveway, we would sit in a bench on the patio and cover ourselves in a blanket while watching the sunset.
I stare blankly at the woman, then I snapped back to reality as the alarm of the bank start to sound. I look around and saw the guard beside the counter raising his taser toward me.
I immediately raise my gun toward the guard aiming for his foot, I fire once the loud boom from the gun travel entire bank.
In the blink of the eye, I saw the guard fall down, scream in pain as his foot bled, the taser by his side.
"I'm sorry but I warn you don't be a hero"
Now, what should I do? I just shot somebody, oh crap.. crap... Why did I have to get distracted, I look at everyone laying on the floor cowering in fear when I look at that woman again. This might be crazy, ok let do this, damn it all then.
" You there the woman with a scarf!! Yeah you"
"Get the duct tape on the counter and tied that woman hand" I pointed to my crush.
After a few minutes, the siren can be heard outside the bank and my crush has been tied.
"OK, all you get out of this bank but leave the woman and somebody please help the guard with injured out of this bank"
They all look stared at me with a confused look, "GET OUT OF HERE!!!" I yell at them and they start to move quickly.
After they rush out the store leaving me behind with my first love.
"Well Shit" I look at my first love and she looks at me scared out of her life.
After a few minutes, a loud sound from a Megaphone can be heard outside the bank.
"THIS IS THE POLICE, RELEASE THE HOSTAGE AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HAND UP"
One of the police say through the microphone, I sigh as I hear the request while leaning on the counter.
I look at my first love, tied up by tape even gag by cloth, that woman who tied her earlier really tied her really good. She looks at me with teary eyes, even if she is in distressed she still manages to look beautiful, what is going on with me. Am I going crazy, well I did try to rob a bank?
I should say something to her, what is a good opener, oh my god my hand is sweaty.
I look in my duffel bag there is a paper bag of donuts I bought earlier.
I take out the paper bag and show her the donuts.
"You want some, I bought it earlier... It a crazy day huh? The weather seems fine today"
She looks confused as I said. What, the weather....is that the best I could come up with? Why am I worry about what I just said, I just rob the bank and make her my hostage? She probably hates me.
She shakes her head, rejecting my offer. So we sit there behind the counter away from the window for a long time.
I look at outside it past the time of the afternoon, the light beginning to drain away, the police is beginning to set up the floodlight for coming night.
She tries to say something but muffled by the gag on her mouth.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"If I pull out the gag you not gonna scream right?"
She nods her head, I pull out the gag from her mouth and her luscious red lips can be seen.
"What are you gonna do with me?please...just let me go.." She said in tremble tone.
Even her voice sounds like music to my ears, "Actually, I don't know what I'm gonna do with you and I can't let you go."
"I can give you all my saving if you let me go please!!"
"I'm sorry, I can't let you go"
"Why.. I never did anything wrong to you, I didn't even know you, why are you keeping me here?"
Should I tell her why I keeping her here? She deserves to know.
"You deserve to know why I keeping you here, it because you make me feel something, my heart is beating fast even being near you, I think I'm in love with you"
"You are insane, LET ME GO, PLEASE HELP ME!!!"
She starts to scream for help, well that was painful to hear but still, my heart still wants. I gag her mouth again as she begins to scream, now she even looks more terrified, she probably thinks I'm crazy.
She begins to calm down after a while and trying to say something again then I proceed to remove her gag again.
"Can I go to the toilet?"
She says with a pleading look on her face. I lost in my thought as I look at her face but quickly snapped back to reality.
"Oh, sure ok"
I search a pair of scissors on the counter, finding it I quickly remove her leg binding first as I was cutting her leg binding.
After I finish removing her leg binding, suddenly she knees me in the stomach, causing me to stun and stumble back.
"STOP!!!" I yell
She tries to run toward the main door, I quickly recover and launch my self, chasing her.
Time slows down as a sound of gun fired can be heard echoed outside, the bullet pierced the window of the bank then travel through a flesh, piercing through it and hitting the floor.
I push my love away from the window, then I felt it a bullet piercing my flesh leaving a trail of a trickle of blood. I saw the look of horror mix with regret on my love face. she pulls me with her arm as she falls causing me to fell on top of her but I managed to place both my hand beside her head stopping me from slamming my body into her.
The pain I felt disappear but something new replaced it, Rage? Anger? Worried? Pain? maybe the mix of them.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!! IT DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY CANT SEE YOU IN THE DARK, THEY WILL ASSUME IT ME!!!"
I yell in Anger, never I have yell in rage toward someone, it makes my Heart feel sick and hurt. This woman or my First love almost hurt because of her stupid action.
"I'm sorry..I'm really sorry"
my love tries to say while she sobbing heavy drop of tears, she keeps on trying to apologize even though it's my fault for getting her into this situation. my blood trickle onto her face small drop keep falling.
"if you want to escape so bad, GO!!"
I said in anger even though I want her to stay with me, what am I doing letting her go. My love looks to the door where it is. she will probably go, I roll to my side laying beside her then I place my arm on my eyes, I know she will leave me.
There it is the sound of My love standing up and..... pulling my leg?.
I look up and saw her with face smear with my blood and the look of determination dragging me to the behind the counter. After she drags me behind the counter, she walks away searching for something.
The pain of my wound course through my body and its center is my shoulder, I check my shoulder a tingle of pain can felt I look at it I can see it the bullet wound pierce my shoulder.
She came back later bringing a white color box with a red cross on it. she knees in front of me and holding a scissor she cut the tape off of her hands and start cutting my shirt off.
she takes out a bottle of liquid medicine and pouring it on my wound causing me to let out a voice in pain as the liquid burns my wound, she wipes the wound with a medical cloth and takes out a needle and something type of string.
she begins sewing my wound from the front at first she turns my back repeat the same thing. After she finishes, she leans my back on the counter and she leans right next to me.
I look at her face still filled with regrets, her face still has my blood on so is her hands.
"I'm sorry that I endanger my self and you,"
"it not your fault, I put you in that situation besides you help stitch me up"
There a moment of silence, it was unbearable for me so I offer.
"so do you want that Donut I offer you earlier?"
she laughs slightly "Yes, please"
"well you better wash your face and hand there are cover with my blood"
After a while she comes back her face cleans, I can see her eyes slight redden is it because she was crying. she sits right next to me placing a bottle of water next to my leg. I can feel her body warmth beside me, it felt comforting to have in this cold Dark bank.
I raise the bag of donuts to her offering her donut, she took it and opening and taking one out the Heart shaped Donut.
"Ohh I forgot today is valentine days, this donut is so cute" she took a bite of them.
"and delicious too, where do you get it?" she says while her mouth full of the donut, I let out a laugh but this causes me to feel pain, Her cheeks redden as she realized her behavior.
"I bought it on the way here, it was from a guy wearing a white cap and one of those Food stands"
I just notice this she eats like a hamster it so cute I just want to pinch her cheeks, I keep or staring at her while eating until she notices me staring.
"Do I have something on my face?"
"no, it just you look like a cute hamster when you eat it is adorable"
she blushes again but this time she bum her shoulder to mine, this causes me to feel pain. I let out a grunt, she immediately realized her mistake and apologize to me.
After a few minutes, she still here watching me helping me when I need to drink or something, why is she here? she is free to go why is she still here, is it she love me too or something else.
I remembered an article on the internet about Stockholm syndrome, a situation that causes hostage to have trust and feeling toward their captors.
I don't want her to become like that, I don't want to force my feeling too, should I tell her what happens but I don't want her to leave me, maybe for this night, I could just pretend that she loves me too.
my thought was interrupted as she asks me a question.
"so why did you try to rob the banks?"
"you want to know? it a long story".
"I got nothing to do anyway" the look curious is on her face compel me to tell her.
"When I was a kid, my mother gets in a car crash on the way to home from work it took my mother lives, it causes my Father to become depressed so he starts to do thing that would make him forgot about my mom, first he starts drinking it gets worse as the time goes by as alcohol became losing effect then he moves on to drugs until he has no money which causes him to loan a lot of money from a loan shark"
"What happens afterward?"
"My father died of drug abuse and the loan shark still want their money so they track me and threw me into the wall which causes my wall to break and punch my eye which explains the black eye I have"
"you have a shitty father"
"He not the worse father I had but he is the only father I had, I remember every time it's my birthday he would buy me a cake, he never once forgets."
"but it still no excuse for leaving you with a debt that you have to rob a bank to pay"
"It, not his fault, some people came back but he came back but only his half is there"
"why are you not mad at him?"
"it because I never the type to become angry'
"that a lied you just yell at me earlier.
"yeah it's my first time, watching you almost getting hurt make me feel uneasy and painful"
the look of sadness came back as she remembers the incident earlier, so I quickly change the subject.
"so tell me about yourself?"
"My name is Lily and since I was a kid I love music, I always wanted to be a musician/singer but I never got a chance and got stuck working as a secretary for an IT company, this has been the most stressful unstressful situation I been in"
"Stressful unstressful situation?"
"My everyday life is pressure from my boss, my family, my friends and life in general, all I think of is the bill to pay, work needs to be done, I just want to be like I was young writing music again and perform them in front of my friends"
"so what kind of music you enjoy"
"Right now, I love Lorde Music"
I look at her shock and she looks at me with making a sigh sound.
"What?"
"I love Lorde too!!!"
we both in shock now then she holds her fist out and I fist bump her fist with cause me some pain but I don't care, the feeling having something similar to your love is amazing. she opens up her phone and plays 'Lorde-Perfect place', she stand-ups with a huge grin on her face and begins to dance to the music.
I laugh as she dance but she grabs my good arm and starts to make me dance with her, I dance through the pain, her eyes shine brightly as we dance in dark bank with only lamp light on, I can see the happiness on her face, my heart beating again.
Beating for her, she truly is my True Love.
"You know when I was a kid my mother would play this song to help me go to sleep but the problem is I don't remember that song, I wonder if you can help me?"
I turn my head toward Lily and saw she has fallen asleep, a strand of hair is out of place, her eyelid close revealing a beautiful eyebrow and her lip open slightly, I can hear her breathing and her body is relaxed, there a rope mark on her wrist, I look at it felt guilty.
We dance together, talks about our life, our dreams and the event that happen today, that probably tired her out. I smile as I look at her innocence face, her calm, and serene expression while her sleeping, I wonder if I could have a chance to be with her after this.
I look at her smartphone then I grab it seeing there only a few batteries left, there few message pop up, it from her family asking if she fines. this may be wrong to answer someone else message but I replied to the family, pretending to be her saying that she is okay.
I look back at her, lifting that strand of hair gently back to where it is and she smiles in her sleep, I wonder what is she dreaming off?.
I search through her phone and enter the gallery looking at her picture with her friends and picture of his strict boss, she made funny gesture behind him, I let out a small laugh at that.
There it is the cheating boyfriend, somehow I feel jealous and anger toward him, jealous because I didn't get to be with her like he did and angry because he would leave her, maybe he has his own reason but he could tell her the truth instead of cheating behind her back.
I look through the picture of her adventure when she was in college until I stumble upon her picture holding a small baby, this must be the nephew she tells me about. I look at the picture somehow I can see me beside her like a husband and wife holding our own baby, I'm probably hallucinating because of the blood loss.
I back out from the gallery and enter music app, I scroll through the list of music she has on her phone some of it I know and some I never heard of, then a music file with no name of artist only -Record 023- name on it and couple more with only the number change.
Curiosity is overwhelming me, I search for earbuds and found one on the desk the bank worker probably left it, well it was robbery most people don't think about their stuff when they escape from a dangerous situation.
I plug in the earbuds and play it, I was surprised to hear her voice singing. this must be the recording of her song she sang, her singing was something else I felt warmth and sadness, the way she sang with her heart even if it was recording, it was mesmerizing, I was blown away.
Then I start playing her other recording, one by one some of its covers song of other artist and some of it is original that she wrote. I listen to it while staring at her while she sleeps, today is not just important it is special, I found love and received love back. I don't care whether is some psychological effect or she trying to trick me for me it is real 'I love her'
I grab a piece of small paper and begins writing something for her, I fold it and place it in motorcycle bag. I stand up slowly as to not wake her up, my shoulder still in pain as I walk to my duffel bag, I grab the gun in my good arm and walk back to her, gently I knee in front of her and move my lips close to her forehead touching it slightly and gently then back away.
I stand up and slowly walk to the double door of the bank. I listen to her song while walking, a light shines through the window begin to fill the room with light, its brightness stops me as I look directly and saw the rising sun perfectly, rising from the small apartment in front.
Today is valentine days, she the one who was giving me the most instead of me I should the one who give her back something, hmm what about a dinner under a moon and night sky, while my knee in front of her giving her a box chocolate, it a cliche because it's always work.
I look at the gun in my hands, I felt its weight and I use it on a person feel the power of a weapon, I wonder how my life would turn out if my mother dint died and my father didn't turn into an addict. I should feel anger what had happened in my life but I don't if my mother didn't give birth to me I wouldn't meet Lily, even if my father did a lot of bad things, pick a lot of bad choices but he still manages to raise me, so I'm grateful even in darkest moment there still light.
I take a step in front of me and start walking again, I know what will happen to her if stay with her, she would be drag down with me, the debt, the prison, the separation. I know what to do.
as I near the door, my leg shaking, I'm scared of what comes.
suddenly, I hear Lily voice play on the track that I listening to she is talking.
"Hello, whoever listening to this, as you may know, I just found out that my boyfriend just cheated on me so I dump his ass, I always thought he the one true love but who am I pretending, I always had a hunch that he was not the one, I firm believer in true love, one true love or my other half"
"My true love probably out there living his life, I wonder if he felt empty like I do, so I want to dedicate this cover song to him, I'm sorry for not able to find you, here is the song Elton john-sorry seem to be the hardest word"
That is it the song, that I been searching I know you can help me find it.
With resolve in my heart, I walk through that door with a smile.
"STOP WHERE YOU ARE, DROP THE GUN AND RAISE YOUR HAND OVER YOUR HEADS!!!"
A dozen police aiming their guns at me, I aim my gun slowly toward the car tire then shot it and just like that, a trigger for fireworks. one by one shower me with rains of bullets some of it miss and some hit my body.
The time slow down for me and I feel my body falling back slowly then I see it a reel playing in front of my eyes the stories of my life. me and lily dance together, the time I got punch by that loan shark, every birthday cake my father used to buy without fail and my mother face as I was cradling in her arms, she looks beautiful with her blonde hair and white blouse.
The reel starts to burns and broken, then just like that everything went dark.
THE END.
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Thank you for reading my short stories and sticking around until the ends, if you like this type of short stories just comment and tell me below or Favourite it. there also other stories that i writing right now please check it out.