Always Forever

Always forever

They ran. Were they yelling in fear or was it in anger? Were the blue lights in the distance from the ambulance to save a life or the police to end theirs? Was the damp soaking through his top from the lashing rain or was it blood? Shapes flew past – blurred more and more by rain and alcohol. Turning off the path, crashing through the trees they were still were with him, mud splashing up their thighs, shirts ripping, hair so carefully styled flattened in seconds. And still they went on so fast and they didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. He could still hear the music pulsing through his mind – he didn’t need to replay the images – they were flashing forwards and backwards faster and somehow more vibrant than they had happened. He slipped and stumbled, regaining his balance and falling slightly behind the others – and now tears had joined the rain splashing down his face – tears like he had never known. He knew nothing; what had happened, what would happen, where they were running – it was now so dark and the rain so heavy he could barely tell who was alongside him. His foot caught on a root and this time he could not regain his balance – flying down the leaf strewn bank – bushes and thorns cruelly scratching him as he went. As he flew so to did the memories come flying back to him…finally in an order: putting on his best shirt, spraying on the D&G, all five singing along in the car, entering like they owned the world, vodka flowing like water, the most beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair he had ever seen….

He hit the bottom with a thud, clambered and continued to run. Alone now he did not dare to look round or look back. The motorway blaring in the distance he did not know how far he had come. And reaching the edge of the woods he staggered and stopped. Lying propped against a tree the his memory flicked back once more: those beautiful eyes, a kiss, shouting, shoving, fists flying from all directions mingling with profanities in the air. Then a smash, a flash of glass, a splash of blood, and all five crashing out of the front door – and out of their innocence.