In Reach?

I was working late and I’m on my way to the bar right now. I need to pick Alex up, he’s drunk again. And knowing him, he’s probably looking for trouble again which always ends up in a bar fight.

I get to the bar, and there he is, already trying to rile someone up the pool table.

I push through the people to get to him as fast as I can.

“Alex, let’s go.” I pull on his arm hoping to distract him enough from saying whatever he wanted to say this very angry, and very big man holding the pool cue.

“Mira, you’re here.” He pulls me into a tight hug.

“Of course I’m here, who else would get you home in this state?”

“Mira.” He sounds sterner and even more sober all of a sudden. “I’m the one that looks after you. I’m the one that will make sure you won’t be worried about anything, that you won’t be afraid of anything. It’s just me and you in this world. We have just each other. So I will kill anyone that tries to take you away from me.”

I roll my eyes. He always gets so deep when he’s drunk. “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

He pulls on my arm. “I’m serious Mira.” His grip is getting a little too tight for my liking.

“Alex, what is this about?” I try to grip his fingers off of me as we get outside the bar.

“I don’t like it when other fuckers touch you.” Oh my goodness, not again.

“Alex, please not this again.”

“I swear to god Mira, if I see that asshole Marcus around you again I will break his neck.”

“I already told you that nothing happened between me and him. He was lying to you, probably to just piss you off. And besides, you do know you don’t have a say in my dating life anyways.”

“I have everything to do with your life.”

“Oh really? Why is it that the moment you hear another guy just talking about me, you feel like you have a right to intervene? Yet you screw every girl that walks past you, like it’s just another hobby.” I don’t blame them though. Alex is one fine man. That short blonde hair and deep brown eyes, with all the right muscles in all the right places. My time with him was definitely fun.

“Tha-….that’s not the same.”

“Oh, please. You and I had our thing, and yes it was great. But we both agreed that it just wasn’t for us. That we’re better off as just friends.”

“Then why does it feel like I’m losing you?” He’s moving closer, cupping my face. “I don’t want to be the cause of you getting angry, but I don’t want to lose you either.”

“You need to remember that yes, we’re not as close as we used to be as kids, but it’s not like we can still do everything together like we used to. We both have our own lives now. I have the dance studio and you have your late night jobs doing god knows what.” I release a deep breath. “You and I will spend less time with each other, but I will never forget you. How can I, when you’re literally all I have?” I smile at him.

He smiles back and leans in to kiss me.

“Alex, no.” I try to pull back. He seems angry though.

“It’s because of Marcus isn’t it?” What did this dude do to him?

“I already told y-.”

“Stop lying to me! I know you slept with him.”

“Alex, stop this.”

“I don’t understand why you would sleep with an asshole like him after I told you he’s a worse dick than that foster brother of yours.” He almost seems disgusted as he says it. “But what annoys me even more is that you are actually lying to me about it.” He grips my arms tightly.

“I told you, I’m not lying. Alex let go. You’re hurting me.”

He immediately drops his hands. Of all the things I know, Alex is a tough rough man, but he has never hurt me. It is one of the reasons I trust him.

He pinches the bridge of his nose at the situation.

“You know what, I think you need time.” I fumble through my purse. “Here.” I hand him some cash. “Take a cab home. I’m leaving.”

“Mira, wait.”

He’s walking after me as I go for my car. I get in and lock the doors before he tries to rip it open.

“Mira open this door.” I roll the window down a bit.

“Alex, I’ve had enough of this. I don’t know what’s going on with you lately. You’ve already called me a slut and now you’re calling me a liar. You’re plainly disrespecting me, and frankly, I don’t want to be around you anymore.”

Alex is pulling on the door handle repeatedly. “Mira! What are you doing? Open this door.”

“Alex, think about it, ever since we met, we’ve never actually been apart. It’s always just been you and me against the world. But I think it’s time we need a break.”

“Excuse me? Did you just say ‘a break’?”

I start the car. “I say this with the utmost honesty, but Alex, you’re a real douche, and I think you need to work on that by yourself instead of trying to blame me for it.” I put the car in gear.

“Mira, don’t you dare! Don’t you dare leave like this.”

“I’ll see you………when I see you. “ I step on the gas and drive away from him.

“Mira! Mira!” I hear him shout as I look at him through the rear view mirror.

Many people always said our relationship wasn’t healthy. But we didn’t give a crap. We trusted each other; we didn’t care about other people. It’s not like we knew every little detail about each other. We had an understanding, that we don’t need to tell each other everything, but we never lie about it either. So we know that everything that is between us is the truth.

But he’s changing, and something tells me that he hasn’t quite gotten over the fact that we are no longer a thing. We both agreed to it though. It just seemed like things were getting toxic. And we knew that if we continued, we would lose each other, and most likely forever. And neither of us wanted that. But I don’t think he’s dealing with it that well.

With all the crap that just went down, I decided to take the long way home. It’s already been fifteen minutes and I’m on the back road on the cliff at the lake side. It’s a very beautiful sight, - the lake and the trees. I’ve always enjoyed the scenery of nature. It’s always nice getting out of the city every once in a while. The water is shimmering with how bright the moon is shining. It must be a full moon.

Alex has been trying to call me non-stop and my phone is really starting to annoy me. I’m actually glad that its battery Is going to die soon.

It’s ringing again, and I don’t even know why I bother to look at the screen. Of course it’s him again.

I look up and gasp, seeing the sharp curve ahead of me. I’m going too fast and I know I won’t make the turn in time. I still try to turn though as I step on the breaks. But the car crashes through the guardrail, speeding off the cliff. Everything is happening so fast, I don’t even know if I can hear myself scream. The moment I open my eyes, I see the water crashing the windshield into sherds and the car fills up with streams of water all around me. But the car is sinking faster than it’s filling up.

Water is coming in from all sides, and I find it hard to focus on what I need to do. The water is so cold. The water is already at my chest and I have but a few seconds to hold my breath before it’s over my head. I lower my hands to unbuckle my seat-belt. But knowing how badly I do in the cold, my fingers are already numb and I’m not sure, what I’m touching.

I finally get it undone and raise myself to the roof for more air. I’m going to have to completely break the window if I want to get out of here. And with every passing second the car is sinking deeper.

I take a deep breath as the last air disappears with water. I lower myself, and try to kick at the cracked windshield, but the slow motion is making my attempt look pathetic. I get closer and try at it again. It’s giving way, like some weird glass sheet. I push it open the rest of the way to make a big enough gap for me to get out.

I don’t know what I did, but I think I just cut my hand on the glass. It doesn’t feel like a deep cut, but that could just be the numbing cold talking/thinking.

I swim up with as much strength as I can, but it seems tiresome to move up. I think my clothes are dragging me down. But I don’t stop, I continue to swim to reach out for the top. All I can see is the huge moon, it looks like a flashlight. I try reaching for it. It’s my only focus right now, -try reaching for the moon.

I can see slight waves of my blood flowing before me with every stroke as I try to reach further up. I’m already exhaling the air in my lungs. I don’t know if I’ll make it.

My body is getting tired and numb at the same time, but I’m not losing focus on the moon, I continue trying to reach out and the moon seems to be getting brighter. I’m almost there, I know it. But the light is getting very bright. It’s like it’s reaching back to me.

I’m probably hallucinating, but that’s beside the point right now. I give another stretch of my arm as I try to reach for the surface of the water. But instead, a hand grabs a hold of mine. It’s pulling me up. Is someone here? Is someone helping me? But looking at the hand, I see no shade of a skin colour, but rather a silver glow. It’s warm where it’s is touching me. In fact, my whole body is warm all of a sudden. Looking back up, I see that the huge light of the moon is in the shape of a face, a woman. She’s smiling, she’s so beautiful.

That was my last thought as I close my eyes.

I wake up grabbing my chest as I’m gasping for air. I’m in bed. It was just a dream.

No, it was a memory. That is what happened that night. Why am I only remembering it now though? And why through a dream?

But I was right. I did see Selene that night. Either that or I’m crazy and was just hallucinating. I prefer the former. Crap. Alex. I’m still pissed at him though. I don’t need to worry though. Luckily, we ended things with me saying we need time apart. So, he’s not worried sick about me. This is probably why I’ve been so calm about Alex when he pops up in my head.

My breath hitches as a sudden realization hits me. That entire scene just reminded me of something, - the picture in the book. The picture of a girl reaching out to the moon. I’m starting to think there is much more to the rituals than just what those pictures are showing.

I think I’m going to need to do some research in my time here. Maybe I can find a way back after all. I smile slightly, but I have a deep knot in my stomach.

It’s not like I want to stay here, right?