Love Lies Dying by Steve Gerlach Read Free Book Online

said it five times now.”
    “Fine. But I don’t need to know the running score, alright?”
    “Whatever you say, Johnny,” she slid across the sofa and kneeled next to him and hugged him once more. “I’ll do whatever you say.”
    “Good.”
    He rubbed her bare shoulder once more; it felt cold.
    “Are you cold?” he asked. “Do you want a blanket or sweater or something?”
    “Nah,” Zoe replied by his ear, still hugging him. “Just hold me and I’ll feel safe.”
    They sat that way for a long time. So long that John thought maybe Zoe had fallen asleep.
    I should get her into bed for some proper rest , he thought.
    But there was no denying that she was a nice girl, a real nice girl, and if she wanted to hug him all night long, well, there was nothing wrong with that.
    He could live with it.
    As long as Helen didn’t make a surprise entrance.
    Just imagine trying to explain that! he thought.
    But Zoe said Helen would be gone all night.
    Does it take all night to find out if a patient has been admitted to a hospital on the other side of the country? John didn’t know. Helen’s job had always been a bit of a mystery to him. Only because he didn’t really care what she did.
    “A job’s a job,” he had told her once. “We’ve all got one. But when I come home I don’t want to think about mine and I don’t want to hear about yours.”
    It was a harsh thing to say, and he’d said it in the heat of one of their arguments. Helen always felt he didn’t take enough interest in her job, but she didn’t take any in his either. He was fine with that, but she obviously wasn’t.
    Now he wished he had listened to Helen when she told him about what she did. At least now he’d know what she was doing.
    John turned his head slightly to look over at the gun once more. Zoe’s head was resting on his left shoulder so he was sure she wasn’t looking at the gun now. It was a reminder of what she had lived through and he had to move it or hide it so she wouldn’t see it. He didn’t want those memories resurfacing every five minutes or so. He had to make sure she kept her mind off it all until they found out if Ricky Fox was alive or dead.
    Ricky Fox. What a fucking sick bastard , he thought. Hope you are dead, you pathetic son of a bitch.
    He held Zoe tight. The heat from her body radiated through his left side. She was hard up against him, pinning him to the side of the sofa. He wasn’t uncomfortable yet, but he couldn’t last all night in that position. He rested his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes.
    I’ll give her a few more minutes , he thought.
    And then he fell asleep.
     
    Running.
    Must run.
    But what if I’m caught?
    Turn around, look.
    No one.
    Still gotta run.
    Gotta run.
    Run.
    Run, RUN!
    I can’t.
    My legs. I can’t.
    My legs!
    They’re after me and I can’t.
    I can’t run.
    They’ll get me.
    Turn around and look again.
    There’s nothing there. It’s too dark.
    I can’t see anything!
    Why is it so dark?
    I’ve gotta run and I’ve gotta run now!
    Where?
    I can’t see where to run!
    It’s so dark!
    Why?
    Why can’t I run and why can’t I see?
    They’re gonna find me before I even move!
    Run, damn it, just RUN!
    RUN RUN RUNRUNRUNRUNRUNRUN!
    Too dark.
    Where’re the lights?
    There must be some light somewhere.
    Oh my GOD!
    It’s too dark.
    It’s too dark because I can’t see!
    I CAN’T SEE!
    My eyes.
    I HAVE NO EYES!
    I can’t see.
    My GOD. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY EYES?
    WHERE ARE MY EYES?
    Laughter, I hear laughter.
    Where are you? You fuck, where the hell are you?
    GIVE ME BACK MY EYES!
    Pain.
    More Pain.
    Shit, you hurt me.
    What have you done now?
    My stomach? No, lower down.
    You fuck, what have you done to me?
    Wet.
    Sticky.
    What have you done to me?
    Have you killed me?
    My God, you’ve killed me?
    How could you?
    GIVE ME BACK MY EYES SO I CAN SEE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME!
     
    John woke with a start.
    He was still sitting on the sofa but Zoe had