last tour, but no one knows for sure what really happened there. The war changed him. He’s different now, more…” She trailed off, looking up as she tried (I assumed) to find the right words. “Unreachable,” she said. “Untouchable. I’m not sure what his deal is, but he’s meaner. Like he saw horrors that he keeps on living. If the scars on his face are any indication, it was pretty bad.”
Scars?
“He keeps mostly to himself, doesn’t get close to anyone,” she continued. “No one in town is crazy enough to get close to him. I’ve been in this group for a while and never heard him talk, smile, or even interact with others. And honestly, he scares me.”
I gave her a sad smile that probably looked like a grimace. I felt uncomfortable talking about him. The fact that I still felt his eyes on me definitely didn’t help matters.
Bennie was already wrapping the meeting up with a story about having faith, believing in miracles, not giving up and yada yada yada. I wasn’t sure that this whole thing was for me.
“Okay people, that’s all for today. I’ll see you at the next meeting. Don’t forget…bring light to your beloved.”
Bring light to my dad ? How could I do that? He was lost in his sad world and wouldn’t let anyone step in or pull him away.
Feeling a shadow fall over me, I tensed, my muscles locking. I was afraid that if I looked up the guy from the dark would be standing before me.
I’ve been in this group for a while and never heard him talk, smile or even interact with others .
Looking up slowly, I found myself staring at Bennie’s brown eyes. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel relief.
“I’m sorry I called you a little girl.” I raised a brow and folded my arms across my chest. He looked more and more uncomfortable with each passing moment. “I noticed you were upset, and well… it wasn’t my intention. It’s just that you’re, well… little and cute.”
My eyebrow raised a notch higher.
“No, no…” he rushed to say. “I didn’t precisely mean little or cute. Those are adjectives you use to describe a Chihuahua. Not that I’m calling you a dog or anything, because I wasn’t.” He brought his hand to his neck and rubbed with a grimace.
I couldn’t help the flood of laugher that burst out of me. “Bennie, you’re digging your own grave with every word that comes out of your mouth.” Still chuckling, I smiled at him warmly. “I forgive you. Now please, shut up.”
He sighed with relief. “Thank you. This has been the most awkward apology in my entire life!” He grinned and bumped my shoulder. “So, would you come back?”
“Um... I’m not sure. Maybe.” I didn’t want to lie. Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn’t.
He messed up my hair with his big hand and then he was out the door with a smile. While we had been talking, the room had cleared out and I realized I was the only one left. I picked up my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and headed for the door. Preoccupied with getting home, I barely heard the deep voice that broke through behind me.
I halted my steps, petrified. A million possible scenarios from every horror film I’d ever seen ran through my head. I shut my eyes while my fingers closed into fists on either side of my body, readying to defend myself, but hoping I wouldn’t have to.
“Wait,” he said, his voice low and gruff. “Don’t leave.” Something in his voice made me turn around. When I did, his eyes pleaded with mine. “Not yet.”
I counted to ten in my head, my nerve endings were on high alert when it dawned on me who the voice belonged to.
The angry veteran hiding in the darkness.
Dorian.
“Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?”
— Rumi
L istening to that laugh of hers was one of the most fascinating things I’d ever heard. It did something to me.
When I realized we were alone, I couldn’t let the opportunity go by. I had no idea if she planned to come back, and I didn’t
Scars?
“He keeps mostly to himself, doesn’t get close to anyone,” she continued. “No one in town is crazy enough to get close to him. I’ve been in this group for a while and never heard him talk, smile, or even interact with others. And honestly, he scares me.”
I gave her a sad smile that probably looked like a grimace. I felt uncomfortable talking about him. The fact that I still felt his eyes on me definitely didn’t help matters.
Bennie was already wrapping the meeting up with a story about having faith, believing in miracles, not giving up and yada yada yada. I wasn’t sure that this whole thing was for me.
“Okay people, that’s all for today. I’ll see you at the next meeting. Don’t forget…bring light to your beloved.”
Bring light to my dad ? How could I do that? He was lost in his sad world and wouldn’t let anyone step in or pull him away.
Feeling a shadow fall over me, I tensed, my muscles locking. I was afraid that if I looked up the guy from the dark would be standing before me.
I’ve been in this group for a while and never heard him talk, smile or even interact with others .
Looking up slowly, I found myself staring at Bennie’s brown eyes. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel relief.
“I’m sorry I called you a little girl.” I raised a brow and folded my arms across my chest. He looked more and more uncomfortable with each passing moment. “I noticed you were upset, and well… it wasn’t my intention. It’s just that you’re, well… little and cute.”
My eyebrow raised a notch higher.
“No, no…” he rushed to say. “I didn’t precisely mean little or cute. Those are adjectives you use to describe a Chihuahua. Not that I’m calling you a dog or anything, because I wasn’t.” He brought his hand to his neck and rubbed with a grimace.
I couldn’t help the flood of laugher that burst out of me. “Bennie, you’re digging your own grave with every word that comes out of your mouth.” Still chuckling, I smiled at him warmly. “I forgive you. Now please, shut up.”
He sighed with relief. “Thank you. This has been the most awkward apology in my entire life!” He grinned and bumped my shoulder. “So, would you come back?”
“Um... I’m not sure. Maybe.” I didn’t want to lie. Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn’t.
He messed up my hair with his big hand and then he was out the door with a smile. While we had been talking, the room had cleared out and I realized I was the only one left. I picked up my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and headed for the door. Preoccupied with getting home, I barely heard the deep voice that broke through behind me.
I halted my steps, petrified. A million possible scenarios from every horror film I’d ever seen ran through my head. I shut my eyes while my fingers closed into fists on either side of my body, readying to defend myself, but hoping I wouldn’t have to.
“Wait,” he said, his voice low and gruff. “Don’t leave.” Something in his voice made me turn around. When I did, his eyes pleaded with mine. “Not yet.”
I counted to ten in my head, my nerve endings were on high alert when it dawned on me who the voice belonged to.
The angry veteran hiding in the darkness.
Dorian.
“Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?”
— Rumi
L istening to that laugh of hers was one of the most fascinating things I’d ever heard. It did something to me.
When I realized we were alone, I couldn’t let the opportunity go by. I had no idea if she planned to come back, and I didn’t
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