Page 19 - Contrast2006
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plosion of perpetuating terror. Joe, nightmare. Drinking at the local
though, seems to have no reaction bar, a woman in a red dress, the drip,
as he keeps on staring at the game drip of water, my head spins. Real-
and his breathing has encountered ity, sunken space, dark holes, more
no alteration. spinning. I break out into a cold
sweat while tossing and turning in
Dad had passed away about ten bed. I'm screaming, or maybe that's
years ago. They, the doctors you her ... A drunken fight with Joe...
know, said he was suffering from "Stop this" Joe says as he holds me
a heart ailment, but they were not
certain if it was the direct cause of in a headlock.
death. Mother had passed away "It will never stop."
that year that Ihad turned five. We "Life goes on," come Joe's wise
do not know how she died because
dad refused to tell us. What Joe and words.
I do know is that she ... the woman "What is life, without the girl in
in the red dress showed up shortly
after her passing. the red dress?"
. Joe finally turns to me and looks It was all there and all in place,
Into my eyes. Those eyes of his,
they express everything to the point just jumbled in my brain because I
where he rarely needs words, but he wanted it to be confused. Iwanted
chooses to use them anyway. "We
can't prove it." it to all go away.
I am standing in the middle of
"we don't have to." I say, "We
the fourth floor hallway of the Ra-
know it." mada Inn. My gaze looks upon an
older woman, with wrinkles and
Joe nods his head in the way that sags. She has two beautiful looking
!oe does, all slow and comprehend- daughters with her who can't be
Ing l1"ke he has some deep under- more than six years old. She looks
standiIng of how the universe works tired and worn out, but happy. She
and the nod just expresses how well lifts her head up slowly and those
he already knew it. Joe then turns baby blue eyes of hers lock onto
?ack to watch the game as if noth- mine and I see, no, I feel them reflect
Ing had ever happened and I am left sorrow, regret, and guilt. She is not
to ponder the situation. the woman in the red dress. A tear
rolls down the side of her cheek.
Dreams upset dreams, and my Thud! My pistol drops to the floor
Whole existence becomes one long and I fall to my knees. I place my
cupped hands over my eyes and be-
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