Did You Hear?

I wrote this probably five years ago, which is so crazy! 

Ugh man have I missed writing. 

1952.

Rhode Island.

I could hear running from behind me as I raced through the grass. Nikolas was coming up close and if I didn't find somewhere to hide right now, I'd be it. I hate being it. I fell to the ground and army crawled till I reached the rose bush. I pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. To keep from laughing I bit down on my knee.

"Danielle! Oh Danielle...hmm..now WHERE could you be?"

Nikolas was a pain in the ass that's for sure, but he was my only friend so I tolerated him.

"Danielle!? Where are you!? Come on this isn't fair!" he whined.

"Oh shut up you sissy" I exclaimed as I hit him. He was never what you would say, fit boy. More like a flag pole. Because of this an eleven year old girl could easily push him to the ground. As he fell backward into s puddle of mud and grass, I took off running. 

I had just reached the back steps to the house when I heard the scream. My body flashed warm then cold. I couldn't turn my head, I couldn't move. I heard the sound of feet slamming against the damp ground behind me.

"What's wrong?" Nikolas asked

"Did you hear that?" I turned to face him. "From over there?" I pointed to the shed.

Nikolas was easily spooked so telling him this naturally caused him to panic. His eyes widened as he slowly turned his head. 

"Hear....wh...what?" he stammered.

"The scream?"

His fear quickly turned to anger. The pale cream shade of his face, was transformed to a shade that almost perfectly matched his mother's roses.

"I hate you!" He yelled as he stomped up the stairs to the back entrance to his father's summer estate.

I stood at the edge of the stairs a few seconds more, trying to convince myself that what I had heard was the wind. After that I raced after the child with whom would soon inherit the land we had once spent endless hours racing across. To someone reading this, well, I suppose you could call "biography" to some degree, may in fact have an image of me. A blonde, blue eyed girl with a million beautiful dresses. I am not going to deny any of this, though I will say, I never wore any of the dresses that hung in my closet. No, I preferred pants. 

But the point of this is not to explain my clothing or living situation. The point, is the scream.

1958

Rhode Island.

Years past and soon I was seventeen and back in that house, Nikolas and I still friends of course. Nikolas's father had just been informed that his estate was being taken from him. Something about his company going bankrupt. I never paid attention to such things. But the truth was, as sad as it may be, this wasn't the plan. Nikolas never showed any interest in his father's business, but it didn't matter. He was next in line, he would take over. 

He sits across from me on a silk cushioned chair as he stares blankly at the pieces on the board. He was never any good at chess, but especially not under these circumstances, so I let him win. But believe me, it was difficult. It's never easy to pretend to lose when your opponent is losing so miserably.

"I win", he announced matter of factly.

"you win." I agreed.

He got up and looked out to the yard beyond the window. He looked destroyed. Inside and out. I watched as he tapped his finger against the glass. He turned slowly to face me, but his eyes moved to the ground. 

"Who do you think it was?"

I was completely confused.

"Who it was?" I inquired.

"Yes." He looked back out the window as he shuffled his feet across the wood floor. "The girl"

I always knew he was a bit of an odd one, but crazy? no.

"Nikolas, what in the hell are you talking about?"

His piercing blue eyes looked into mine, as if trying to find what I wasn't saying.

"I know you heard." He stated as he walked towards the door. Just before stepping out he looked back to say "You can't pretend you forgot. No one could forget a thing like that."

I was dumbfounded. The scream? So he heard it too?

He continued. "Dad didn't go bankrupt. You think a man like him.." he paused to extend his arms out, displaying the lavish furniture and  floor to ceiling decor. "a man like that. He wouldn't lose it all. A man like that wouldn't lose any of it. No, What he lost was his clients."

"I could feel the blood drain from my face, actually feel as it moved down and settled in my throat, blocking all airways.

"You didn't imagine it. I've always known, and now, so does everyone else."

I watched as he walked out, and through the window I watched him trudge down the steps of the back entrance to his father's home. The one we played in as children, the one he was supposed to have. I watched as he walked away from all he'd ever known. And I watched as he realized it was all a lie.