FADING HEARTBEATS

The tepid waters curled around my body, enveloping my whole being in comfort. I sighed as I rolled over to my side and wriggled my toes. Warm tongues licked the insides of my feet sending ripples of love through me. The lighting was dim and homely. The gentle lapping waves soothing and rocking me at the same time. I felt safe.

She looked out of the window as she thought of him. She could almost touch him. He was floating and she was grounded. Unfair! All she wanted was to hold him, leave red lipstick marks all over his face and watch him sleep. But she couldn't. She knew she shouldn't torture herself this way. But how does one forget?

The door opened, the light from the hallway illuminating her tired brown eyes and whorish red hair. Her mother walked in and sat on her white bedspread. Even though I wasn't there I knew there was going to be trouble. Her mother hated me.

She looked at her daughter's tired face and the anger welled up inside her. Red long tentacles with sharp pointed swords at their ends jabbed. How she hated him. Couldn't he see how he was ruining her daughter's life? She got up, went to the door, turned around and said, "We leave at eight tomorrow morning."

The girl burst into tears. She cried quietly, the tears racing down her cheeks towards an imaginary finish line. After tomorrow, she'd never see him again.

I felt the sobs that racked her body. I always knew what she was feeling. The sea was getting turbulent. Suddenly I felt I was in a bathtub. And somebody had pulled the plug. It was like a whirlpool sucking all the water down towards an opening, taking me along with it. I couldn't scream. Or maybe I did. Nobody heard me.

The lights came on; she opened her eyes and looked at the doctor. Smiling he said, "Don't worry madam, the abortion was successful."