The Promise of Forever

By A. Sylvur

Word Count: 1048

A deep silence unfolded after the artist in his mid-thirties placed his brush and palette on a nearby table. Seconds later, he stepped back to view the funeral scene he had just finished on his living room wall. The dim lights cast eerie shadows in the room as he listened to the painting. He could feel the suffering being portrayed, because it was his own. In a recent dream, he was the man in the mural. Instinctively, he reached for his phone to call his fiancée, but resisted the urge and hoped she would relieve his fears to prove the dream wrong.

His cell phone vibrated on the coffee table and he twitched at the sudden sound. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face, then answered as he dropped on his sofa, “This is Nick.”

“Nick, it’s Zach.”

Nick’s muscles tensed. “I’m listening.”

“Can you meet me at our unusual spot?”

Being the serious type, Nick despised Zach’s love for life, and he replied, “An unusual request.”

Playfully, Zach added, “I’m an unusual kind of guy.”

“We’re not dating, so I don’t care. But F.Y.I., I prefer our usual spot with coffee.”

Zach laughed. “Loosen up, man. I think your fiancée would love you more if you did.”

With the press of a button, Nick ended the call then dropped his phone on a nearby table. A sigh escaped his lips before he stood up. He wasn’t ready to meet his partner.

However, today his partner’s attitude wasn’t a problem. Fear gnawed at him and he tried to contain the feral emotion, but it disturbed him. Even though, he knew his fiancée was due back into town tonight, it didn’t ease his fears. Why hadn’t she called? Something snapped and he called her. Three times it rang, but there was no answer. Finally, he left a message before he grabbed his coat and keys, then left to meet his animated, humorous partner on his day off.

As he pulled into a parking space of the four-story mall, his phone rang. And in his eagerness to see who the caller was he stalled the car, it jerked forward and almost hit the concrete wall.

Nick cursed after he recognized the caller, but answered, “I’m on my way.” Unhappy with the ‘unusual’ spot Zach chose, he wondered audibly, “Why would you want to meet in a mall? There’s something wrong with you.” He jumped out of his blue sports car, and locked it up before he walked toward one of the many entrances.

“Want to know what I think?”

“No, but I get the feeling you’re going to tell me anyway.”

“Yes I will.” Zach paused and sounded as though he were chewing on something then swallowed. “You are way too serious.”

“And you aren’t serious enough. I’m glad we can establish that all over again. Because you know that if you don’t remind me at least once a day I’ll feel neglected.”

A long pause of silence before Zach seemed to recover then said in amazement, “You made a joke.”

“I’m sure you’ll get over it eventually. I’m coming in through the blue gate number six.”

Zach laughed. “Another one?! Now you’re getting the gist of it. And to think it only took ten years.”

“We’ve been working together that long?”

“Yes.” Oddly, it was Zach who turned serious.

At the monotone reply, Nick smiled. “Bizarre.” About to take the escalator down, his eyes landed on a familiar figure a few stories up. It was his fiancée, Amber! His face lit up as he waved to get her attention. His cell phone forgotten, he shouted, “Amber!” The deadly fear was erased by her presence.

Hearing her name, Amber searched for the familiar voice that called her. Over the railing she searched then spotted him and shouted joyfully as she waved her hands in the air, “Nick! I love you!”

From somewhere behind him, Nick heard Zach shouting at Amber to move and it was in that moment Nick felt time slow down. The next few seconds passed by so slowly that he felt if he were somehow fast enough he could stop what was about to happen. But he just couldn’t move. His legs were frozen by trepidation from the dream. He felt rather than saw Zach rush passed him. To save to Amber? Nick knew his partner’s attempt was a wasted effort as his fiancée was crushed by the group of football players who had been playing around. Unintentionally, one tripped into the others and the chain reaction crushed his soon to be wife’s small body against the railing which quickly snapped beneath their weight. Hands reached out to grab . . . to save, but three were lost.

Helpless, Nick watched Zach reach the lower level with his fiancée buried beneath two football players. His hands reached for the railing in front of him, not sure of where his cell phone was at that moment. It was odd for him to wonder about a cell phone at such a time. Perhaps he still held it, he didn’t know. Vaguely, he felt his knees hit the floor and tried to force himself back to his feet, but couldn’t. Nick didn’t have to look at her to know there was no hope. It was the dream. Her name was trapped in his throat and the scene below was burned into his memory.

In a blur, he noticed Zach pointed to him before his partner fought his way up the downward ‘one way’ escalator. Moments later, Zach knelt next to him and spoke. Nick tried to understand it all, but to breathe and think was remarkably difficult at that moment. A part of his mind expected her to jump up and say, ‘April fools,’ but it didn’t happen. His heart ached as Zach pulled him to his feet. Nothing seemed real. Suddenly, he remembered the names of the children Amber planned to have. She had given each one a personality. Ashley, their daughter was going to be serious and love the color pink like royal princess. Cody, their son was going to be a normal out of control teen with emotional problems and would possbily drive something dangerous. Tears poured from his eyes as he heard his partner apologize.