11-20-2014, 11:05 AM
Lucas wasn't really sure what to say about Aria. He didn't know her that well, really. There was no denying the connection they had. Very easily, it could have been just about sex. But there was something about her that made him want more from this.
Maybe it was the pain and isolation with which she'd grown up with. He understood that. Maybe it was because there was just something in him that could not stop rooting and feeling for a person struggling with demons. His reaction was visceral, uncontrolled, when he saw that kind of thing. He would bend over backwards to help such a person. Someone doing that for him had saved him. Every person he helped felt like he was really also helping himself.
The feel of the glass in his hand called to him and the magnitude of where he was- and more importantly what he was doing- struck him. He was drinking. Fear lanced through his body and the blood drained from his face. He was in the exact worse place he could be. The fuzziness around his mind only heightened his terror.
What the hell was he doing there? What had happened to him? He just didn't understand. From the moment this man had come into the shop he just couldn't stop feeling so badly. It gnawed at the edges of his mind, sucking him below the surface before he was able to come up for air, only to pull him down again. And the only thing he could think of to make it stop was a drink.
He had to get out of here. Now! He fumbled for his wallet, to cover his tab when it started ringing. Aria! A sense of shame came over him but he fought it down. He was through being pulled under. He clung to the thought of her, that she needed his help. It didn't matter how he felt, now more than ever. Perhaps even because he was in this state, he needed to be there for someone, to get back to who he was, a life jacket to keep him above surface. "Hello?"
"Lucas, It's Aria. I need a favor."
It was what he expected. A lifeline to pull him out. "You have no idea how glad I am that you called. What is it?"
He could hear Aria take a deep breath before she started. "I need you to come pick me and uh... a friend up. It's cold, and she's in bad shape.
He thought for a moment. He had only finished the one drink. And was half-way through the other. He definitely felt a bit of a buzz but thought he was ok to drive. Then again, it didn't matter. He needed to get out of there and this was his chance. "No problem. Send your location and I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
Aria sent the GPS location to his wallet. "Again, thanks."
He switched off and looked at the old man. "I have to go help a friend out. Hope you are happy with the piece. And that things work out with your daughter."
He stood and offered his hand in a shake.
Giordano smiled and nodded. He stood up and took Lucas hand and pulled him closer, and put his other around around him in a gesture of friendship and whispered. "Do tell Aria I'm coming for her."
Lucas stumbled back, looking at the man in surprise, his mind tryign to make sense of the words. "What?"
was all he could say.
Giordano's smile widened. "When you see my daughter again, just tell her I'm coming for her." He grabbed his coat and pulled it on and smiled again clasping Lucas on the shoulder as he passed. He sent fear, but not just any kind, the worse kind, the kind that promised death and was filled with hatred. "Been a pleasure my boy."
Giordan walked out of the bar with a smile on his face and resonating pride at the peice of work he had just finished.
Lucas barely had time to think about the man's words when suddenly he was overwhelmed with fear and every bad memory of his life all at once. It seemed to last for an eternity as he struggled to find his way out of this hell, like he was being chased from room to room and each time he went into a new one, old familiar horrors presented themselves.
He was not aware that he had falled to the ground, knocking over a table, or that someone was helping him up, asking him if he was ok. He was not aware that people were looking at him and that more than one person had their wallet out dialing the police.
Finally, when he came to, it had seemed like forever had passed but really had only been a minute. Breathless, all he could say was "I'm sorry. Sorry about that."
He was still shaken and could barely focus.
Aria. The name pulled at him. He needed to go to her now. Now more than ever. She had the answers. But he knew he couldn't drive. It wasn't the drink. He was far to shaken emotionally to concentrate. To the bartender, "Can you call me a cab?"
<small>continued in What Comes After a Fall</small>
Edited by Lucas, Nov 20 2014, 11:42 AM.
Maybe it was the pain and isolation with which she'd grown up with. He understood that. Maybe it was because there was just something in him that could not stop rooting and feeling for a person struggling with demons. His reaction was visceral, uncontrolled, when he saw that kind of thing. He would bend over backwards to help such a person. Someone doing that for him had saved him. Every person he helped felt like he was really also helping himself.
The feel of the glass in his hand called to him and the magnitude of where he was- and more importantly what he was doing- struck him. He was drinking. Fear lanced through his body and the blood drained from his face. He was in the exact worse place he could be. The fuzziness around his mind only heightened his terror.
What the hell was he doing there? What had happened to him? He just didn't understand. From the moment this man had come into the shop he just couldn't stop feeling so badly. It gnawed at the edges of his mind, sucking him below the surface before he was able to come up for air, only to pull him down again. And the only thing he could think of to make it stop was a drink.
He had to get out of here. Now! He fumbled for his wallet, to cover his tab when it started ringing. Aria! A sense of shame came over him but he fought it down. He was through being pulled under. He clung to the thought of her, that she needed his help. It didn't matter how he felt, now more than ever. Perhaps even because he was in this state, he needed to be there for someone, to get back to who he was, a life jacket to keep him above surface. "Hello?"
"Lucas, It's Aria. I need a favor."
It was what he expected. A lifeline to pull him out. "You have no idea how glad I am that you called. What is it?"
He could hear Aria take a deep breath before she started. "I need you to come pick me and uh... a friend up. It's cold, and she's in bad shape.
He thought for a moment. He had only finished the one drink. And was half-way through the other. He definitely felt a bit of a buzz but thought he was ok to drive. Then again, it didn't matter. He needed to get out of there and this was his chance. "No problem. Send your location and I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
Aria sent the GPS location to his wallet. "Again, thanks."
He switched off and looked at the old man. "I have to go help a friend out. Hope you are happy with the piece. And that things work out with your daughter."
He stood and offered his hand in a shake.
Giordano smiled and nodded. He stood up and took Lucas hand and pulled him closer, and put his other around around him in a gesture of friendship and whispered. "Do tell Aria I'm coming for her."
Lucas stumbled back, looking at the man in surprise, his mind tryign to make sense of the words. "What?"
was all he could say.
Giordano's smile widened. "When you see my daughter again, just tell her I'm coming for her." He grabbed his coat and pulled it on and smiled again clasping Lucas on the shoulder as he passed. He sent fear, but not just any kind, the worse kind, the kind that promised death and was filled with hatred. "Been a pleasure my boy."
Giordan walked out of the bar with a smile on his face and resonating pride at the peice of work he had just finished.
Lucas barely had time to think about the man's words when suddenly he was overwhelmed with fear and every bad memory of his life all at once. It seemed to last for an eternity as he struggled to find his way out of this hell, like he was being chased from room to room and each time he went into a new one, old familiar horrors presented themselves.
He was not aware that he had falled to the ground, knocking over a table, or that someone was helping him up, asking him if he was ok. He was not aware that people were looking at him and that more than one person had their wallet out dialing the police.
Finally, when he came to, it had seemed like forever had passed but really had only been a minute. Breathless, all he could say was "I'm sorry. Sorry about that."
He was still shaken and could barely focus.
Aria. The name pulled at him. He needed to go to her now. Now more than ever. She had the answers. But he knew he couldn't drive. It wasn't the drink. He was far to shaken emotionally to concentrate. To the bartender, "Can you call me a cab?"
<small>continued in What Comes After a Fall</small>
Edited by Lucas, Nov 20 2014, 11:42 AM.