One Last Visit

I hear my window creak as the wood slides against the frame, signaling it’s being opened. I roll over in my bed to face the window. A cool breeze enters the room, dancing across my face and giving me chills.

I stare at the open window, waiting to see who enters. A black combat boot pops up on the ledge. I sit up and smile, knowing who it is. Glenn enters the room, his cargo pants rustling as they drag against the windowsill as he slides inside.

“What time is it?” I whisper to him, getting out from under the covers.

He pulls out his phone to look at the time. “It’s half past two.”

I quietly laugh as I lock my bedroom door. The last thing I need is one of my parents bursting in and seeing Glenn.

“It’s a bit late to be coming over, isn’t it?” I walk past him, lowering the window a bit to lessen the breeze.

He wraps his hand around my waist, giving me a tight hug from behind. “I missed you. I need to see you.”

“I missed you too, I just wasn’t expecting you.” I smile to myself as his hands slide off me.

I turn to face him, his rough and cold expression the same as it’s always been. Underneath the hard exterior, he’s a softy. It’s a side of him only I get to see.

I gently drag my fingertips down his face, specifically the scar the runs along his cheek and over his jaw. The skin is tight and doesn’t move, unlike the rest of his cheek, which is soft and shifts slightly under my fingers.

“Does it scare you?” Glenn asks in a whisper, his hand running down my raised arm.

I shake my head. “No, I’ve told you this. I think it’s beautiful.”

He chuckles, tipping my head up with a hooked finger to meet his eyes. “You think the strangest things are beautiful.”

I smile and step back, twirling before I lean over to reach under my bed. I keep a photo album of all our memories. It has every smile, trip, and beautiful moment captured. Glenn doesn’t like all the photos, but he’s happy that I find the beauty in them.

I sit on the edge of my bed, opening the book. Glenn slides next to me, the bed creaking under the weight. We both freeze, listening for footsteps outside my door.

Silence follows, the only sound is our hushed breathing. After a few minutes, we resume looking at the album, knowing that we didn’t wake my parents.

Browsing through our old photos gives me mixed emotions. My face smiles, but my heart hurts. I miss our spontaneous trips and getting into trouble by trespassing for the perfect photo.

“When can we go on another adventure together?” I whisper, biting my bottom lip to keep my tears at bay.

Glenn rubs my back, pulling me closer to him. “In time, we will get to have more adventures together.”

Glenn has always been cryptic when he speaks. He thinks he’s being poetic, but really, he’s giving me heartache.

“Can’t you give me a real answer?” Tears rolling down my cheeks as I search his eyes.

He shakes his head. “I can’t make any promises, I’m sorry.”

“Why not?” I stand up abruptly, crossing my arms and facing him. “First you show up unannounced, after months, and now you won’t even tell me when I will see you again?”

Glenn rises, trying to pull me into a hug. I swat his hands away and scoff; he always tries to solve my problems with hugs. I want communication, not a silent hug.

“You keep playing with my heart, Glenn. If you continue pulling it every which way, it’ll break,” I whisper, wiping my face and trying to hold back more tears.

“You know I love you, Madison. I never want to hurt you,” Glenn says softly, his face showing more emotion than usual. “It’s complicated and I can’t give you any promises. This was my only chance to see you.”

I stare at him, not shocked by the way he responds. I love him too, but the heartache I’ve felt as a result of his words and actions is nearly unbearable. My friends and family have rejected the thought of him being in my life anymore.

The day he told me we had to cancel all our future plans together was the worst. He told me to cancel our application on an apartment, as he had enlisted in the army.

He was to leave in five days to go overseas. He left with practically no notice, and no consideration for my feelings, or how his actions would affect me.

“And to think that I was happy to see you climb through my window again,” I say, shaking my head at him.

He frowns, his eyebrows drawing together as his gaze locks with mine. “You aren’t?”

I laugh, though it’s the opposite of funny. “I was, then I remembered that you only care about yourself.”

“I care about you, Madison.” Glenn places his hands on my shoulders, giving me a serious expression.

“Really? Do you?” Venom laces my voice as I spit the words at him. “It didn’t feel like you cared when you left me with five days’ notice. It didn’t feel like you cared when you signed up to fly thousands of miles away from me.”

Glenn’s lips part, as if he wants to say something, but no words come out. He just stares at me, unable to deny or argue what I’m saying.

“And it certainly doesn’t feel like you care about me now.” A single tear rolls down my cheek as I maintain eye contact. “You show up with no notice, and you can’t even give me any answers?”

Glenn pulls me in, wrapping his arms around me. I don’t hug him back; I keep my arms crossed in between us. He’s still trying to fix things with hugs.

“I never meant to cause you all the pain I did,” Glenn whispers into my hair. “I wish I could give you the answers you want now.”

“Why can’t you? Can you at least answer that?” I push him back, anger replacing the sadness that once engulfed my emotions.

Glenn sighs, lifting the window back open. “I can’t give you any answers or promises, all I can say is I love and miss you. I will see you one day, but not for a very long time. Don’t hold on to me.”

“You’re just going to leave?” I can’t stop the tears from flowing freely down my cheeks now.

“I have to. I’ve overstayed my time here, I’m sorry.” Glenn climbs out the window, closing it behind him.

My vision blurs as the tears continue to come. I can’t believe he came over one last time, just to rip my heart out again.

How dare he. I rush to my window, grabbing the bottom to throw it open.

That’s when I see it. I wipe my eyes to get a crisper look.

Glenn is in my front yard, and he’s not alone. A tall figure covered completely in black stands in front of him. The man holds a massive scythe in one boney, gray hand.

The man raises its empty hand to Glenn but stops before anything happens. The figure turns its attention to me, a black abyss staring back at me from under the hood.

I freeze, every hair on my body rising. The corners of my vision start to go black. I blink rapidly, trying to see clearly, but it’s no use. I stumble backward, landing on my bed as my vision goes entirely dark.

* * * * *

I gasp for air as I sit up in bed. I’m covered in sweat, my blankets and pillows damp to the touch. I reach under my bed, feeling for my photo album. It’s exactly where I left it; I could’ve sworn I had it out tonight.

I rub my eyes, trying to grasp what’s going on. I must’ve had a nightmare. I look around my room. Nothing looks changed, my window is closed. I begin to lay down again but stop and look at the window once more.

There’s a small brown paper box on my windowsill. I slide out from under the covers, tiptoeing across the room. The box is inside, not outside my window. I check the locks, wondering if I forgot to secure them before I went to sleep—I didn’t.

I pick up box, it’s very lightweight. There’s a small tag attached that reads, open when you are ready for all the answers. I clutch the tiny box to my chest. Was Glenn’s visit really a dream, or…?

It doesn’t make sense, none of it does. How did this package get here? I had my window locked. I look at the box again, the temptation to open it swirling at the back of my mind. I can’t open it yet, though. I’m not ready.

I’m not ready for the truth.

I’m not ready for the reality.