He Is Coming

• Erika Jenner, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2013

It was an unusually cold and windy night. In her bed, Carmen Tanner shivered. For a summer night, the air was cold and the stars in the night sky were shining bright.
Carmen rolled over, clutching her pillow, and tried to fall back asleep. But something was not right; no matter how hard she tried, some ghostly force prevented her from sleeping. With a sigh, she rolled out of bed, pulled on her night gown and poured herself a glass of water from the jug on the nightstand. Quietly, she left her room.
The halls were silent as she walked down the dark passage. She didn’t know where she was going, or why, but her body seemed to move on its own accord. Past her mother’s bedroom, past the dining hall, and out onto the balcony. With the moon shining bright Carmen saw something standing below that made her gasp in shock.
“Brad! What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Carmen asked surprised. She climbed over the railing and onto the ground below, running towards her boyfriend as fast as she could. Her heart pounding, she fell into his arms. Without a second thought, Brad picked up Carmen and cradled her in his arms. “Coming to see you” Brad Ackerman replied. Carrying her, he snuck them back into her bedroom. He could sense Carmen’s fear as he lay on her bed, still cradling her he began combing his fingers through her hair long brown hair. Suddenly a wave of tiredness struck over her body as she drifted into a deep sleep.
He is coming, I thought to myself. He is definitely coming. My hands were clasping tighter and tighter around my knees as I waited and waited. I started to feel that he wouldn’t show. The sun felt warm on my back but unexpectedly I was overcome with chills down my spine as I felt his presence. I stood and slowly turned, taking in the summer breeze as I saw him standing there gazing in my direction. He was holding a picnic basket in one hand and a bouquet of roses in the other. I held my breath in anticipation as he gradually walked towards me. He handed me the roses as he kissed me on the cheek and took my hand, guiding me to sit while he prepared our picnic.
Gasp. Catching her breath as she woke from her fanciful dream, Carmen realised something. It wasn’t Brad who she was receiving the wonderful secret admirer notes from. She was amazed, when she became aware that from the very beginning the secret notes had all been from her best friend Christian Kaiser. He was the one who she was falling for, the one who had captured her heart all along.
Still cradling her in his arms Brad noticed Carmen’s sudden wave of shock when she woke from her fantasy. Immediately she stood up and put on her night gown as she left the room yet again. The halls were still silent as she made her way past her mother’s bedroom, past the lounge room and out the front door leaving her boyfriend behind. Brad, knowing what Carmen was capable of without taking her medication, rushed out of the house behind her. Racing down the road Carmen dodged any obstacle that seemed to emerge in her path.
Carmen held in her hand another secret admirer note she had received earlier today which read ‘being with you for just a while, shadows vanish with your smile. Like the calming of the sea, being with you means much to me. Meet me by the lake tonight and I will show my love is right.’ Checking his watch as he stood by the lake waiting, Christian began to worry that Carmen wouldn’t show. He turned around slowly to walk towards his car when she appeared. He stopped and stood still in amazement as she ran to him. There they remained holding each other close with the moon shining bright reflecting off the waters front.