You Alone

• Charlotte Askew, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2010

He grabbed my wrist, fingers burning my flesh and forcing away the blood that raced past my skin. My strength a pin prick attempt for freedom against his solid grasp, I stumbled, powerless. He was pulling me north our feet scuffing the Australian sand, his face set like a carving in stone. For the first time I noticed his eyes burned a brown that hinted red and his shoulders cut ridged lines. My wrist rang with pain sending spikes shooting up my arm. I could feel his grasp begin to indent white marks against my skin. It felt like he held my very bone and ground it against his nails.
I had to do something, anything. I wasn’t his, a possession, I wasn’t in love. My mind skipped through thoughts like skim reading a book. Pulling ideas out of empty air and throwing them aside in quick succession. My other hand dangled free after me as he dragged me further from the party and through the gums. I watched him utter words under his breath, “you’re not his, you’re not his.” The sour smell of beer leaked out with every word and ruined any chance of admiring the brilliance of country air. This was not me. This was not where I wanted to be.
Throwing all of my weight against him I swung my free hand across my body and raked my nails down his forearm. Yelling in pain his grip rested for a matter of seconds. Not waiting to see his full reaction I wrenched my wrist away and ran. I ran with passion, fire to light one thousand hearts, courage to match the strength of stone. I didn’t look back to see if he followed, I didn’t look down to catch my steps. Instead I searched for you and ran to the light of the bon fire. To the truth. To love. Breaking into the clearing I saw you, standing by the fire hands tucked effortlessly into your back pockets.
“Cory” I yelled your name and as you turned flung myself into your arms.
Your smell like husky perfume slid over my body and settled on my skin, bleeding into my heart. It was so familiar it was almost touchable. I cradled it in my arms and hugged it to my chest. Your eyes, rough diamonds in the endless sky of your face glistened in contrast with the moon. A softened midnight blue racing through the clearer summer sky tumbled in your iris.
Enchanting.
You pulled my gaze into your grasp and locked me in the windows of your soul, holding me in that moment. Stopping time. My breath caught and from that second, from that precise and exact moment I was yours. Never would I see another the same, never hold onto their heart, nor try to discover their soul. Never would I be captured by the dreams that live in their eyes, for I am held by you and you alone.