Follow The River

Follow The River

The morning was darkened with the pouring rain which seemed as if it’d never cease. Each raindrop pounded against the wilderness, the trees swaying with the wind as the animals took cover to stay dry. A river was rapidly growing with this downpour and a young man stood on the bank of it. His black hair was flattened against his head by the rain and his solemn face held a five o’clock shadow. He wore nothing but a simple blue plaid shirt and jeans. A flash of lightning struck the sky and he took a step forward, his somber grey eyes never leaving the river. Once thunder boomed through the sky he took a step backwards, his hands clenching into fists of frustration.

The snapping of a branch broke his concentration and he reluctantly looked over his shoulder. There, breathing heavily against a tree, was a young woman holding herself up as she tried to calm down. Her shoulder blade dirty-blonde hair clung to her face and her bangs were messy and pushed to the side. She wore a grayish-blue zip-up sweater and formfitting jeans. The man stared at her in shock, his knees shaking for a moment before he turned around and stared at the river once again.

“Dylan, you don’t have to do this! Please!” The woman pleaded as her deep blue eyes never strayed from the man. She stumbled towards him, her legs quivering from exhaustion.

The man, Dylan, shook his head and closed his eyes, his fists tightening. “No Kate . . . I have to do this. I didn’t mean to hurt those people . . . but I did, now I should pay.” He said as if he were thinking out loud to himself. Pain riveted through his voice and he took a step forward towards the river again.

“Please don’t leave me! I need you! We can run away together! You don’t have to go to jail! You don’t have to pay!” The woman proposed in her quivering voice, tears getting lost among the rain. She stumbled forward again, her foot slipping on the muddy ground causing her to fall. As she dropped to the ground her strength snapped and she broke out into a heavy sob.

The man turned to her and crouched down, gently caressing her cheek with his hand. Carefully he dragged her hair out of her face and smiled. “Kate, I love you.” He whispered to her before kissing her forehead tenderly. A tear escaped his eye but it was quickly hidden with the rain. Slowly he backed away from her and, at the crack of lightning, his foot slipped causing him to fall back into the raging river. The boom of thunder covered the woman’s screams as she stayed frozen in the mud, her eyes never leaving the river. Her hands shook with terror and loss while her body quaked with each sob.

“And I love you . . .” She whispered to herself as she slowly staggered to her feet, her body cold as ice and her eyes bloodshot. Ever so slowly she staggered to her feet in a robotic, numb-like manner. Her body no longer shivered from the freezing rain and she took a step forward towards the river. With one last breath of the salty air, she closed her eyes and fell forward into the raging river. The rain continued to pour down and cleansed the area of all that had once happened, washing the day away.

A quick short story I wrote in first block one day. I was wondering if it made sense and what type of emotion you feel when reading it.