Fall of Venus Read Online Free PDF

hear it. We break into a run,
racing toward the sound of rushing water. We only run for a few minutes,
probably no more than a mile, but it feels like a lifetime. As the sound grows
louder, my feet move faster. I hadn’t realized just how dehydrated I was until
I heard the flow of water.
    Water
never tasted so sweet. I open my lips to the edge of the gushing river and
allow the cool, foamy water to flood my mouth. I can’t seem to swallow fast
enough. Marcus is lying next to me on his belly dunking his entire head into
the water, slurping on his way up.
    It
reminds me of all of the simple things in life that I have taken for granted,
like a simple glass of clean water. Who would ever think to be so thankful for
that? We drink it every day without a second thought. It becomes such a part of
us that it is hard to imagine ever being without it. There are so many nameless
things in life that we place value upon, but the truth is, they are worthless.
Televisions, computers, high-tech gadgets. Will these things save your life
when you are at death’s doorstep? Probably not. But when dehydration sets in,
what is the only thing left in the world that can save your life? That simple
glass of water. My mind starts to wander to the other things I take for
granted:   Glenn’s hand clasped
around mine, the toxic smell of my dad’s grease-stained clothes after working
in the garage, Eve’s contagious laugh that sounds like tweeting birds, the
succulent spice of my mother’s baked apple pie, the satiny soft pillow that
cushioned my cheek at night, the safety and security of my previously dull
life. I could go on and on. I have a feeling nothing will ever be dull and
secure again.
    With
my belly bloated with water, I sit up on my knees and stretch the collar of my
shirt up to wipe my chin. I gaze up and down Marcus’s backside as he continues
to drink. He must work out. A soft flutter ripples down my body. If I didn’t
have Glenn, I don’t think I could resist flirting with Marcus. As he stops and
sits up I’m sure he catches me gaping and I quickly avert my eyes.
    We
sit for a moment, catching our breath, and give our bodies a chance to release
the pent up tension. I remember the canteen and dunk it into the water. It
fills quickly, gurgling bubbles when the water reaches the top.
    “We
should probably head upstream,” says Marcus. “It’ll be safer to cross.” I nod
and we begin walking along the river’s edge.
    “So,
who are you, Marcus?” I ask, realizing the moment it came out of my mouth how
terse I sound. “I mean, what did you do before all this happened? Did you have a
family?”
    He
chuckled at my nervous chatter. “Not really. I was married, but we divorced a
couple years ago. We didn’t have any kids, so I’ve pretty much been on my own
ever since. Well, I take care of my mother, too. She’s not well, but she likes
to think she can take care of herself. I think she just wants me to have a
life. Other than that, I just keep myself busy working.”
    “What
do you do?” I ask.
    “I’m
in construction. I could have gone to college on a football scholarship, but I
gave it up for her .”
    “Your
mother?”
    He
chuckled, “ No, Siera, my ex-wife. We were high school sweethearts.”
    “Oh.
That would explain your accurate throw earlier,” I smile, recalling how the
rock landed perfectly in the car before it blew up.
    Marcus
closes his eyes and snickers, “What about you?”
    I
think about Lex and how I had to put my ambitions on hold when he was born, and
then again after he died. That strikes a painful chord in my heart; not only
for Lex, but also for the life I put on hold, the life that I may never catch up
with. I can’t tell Marcus about that so I come up with the most vague response
I can think of.
    “I’ve
been trying to get into college. Just doing some odd jobs here and there.
Babysitting and stuff.”
    “What
are you going to major in?” he asks.
    “Teaching.
I love kids. I’m always