《Bright Light》 Prologue The rain outside spluttered against the nearby buildings and the pavement below, creating an eerie scene only made from such an occurrence. Gwen nursed her mug of hot chocolate against herself as she looked out at the dreary scene before her from her kitchen window. Life here, out in the city, was dreary in itself- the rain certainly didn¡¯t help. Gwen sighed, bringing the mug to her lips. After she took long sip of the drink, Gwen studied the mug itself. The mug had been just a plain white mug before someone had painted it over, creating a badly painted cat and dog on one of its sides. On the other, there was a person, painted in yellows, blues, and reds. The word ¡®Mummy¡¯ was in a cloud bubble next to it. Gwen stared at the singular word, seemingly transfixed. It had been so long ago, that it no longer felt painful to look at. Instead, it felt almost nostalgic, in a sickening way. The word represented a time of no worries, where the only things that mattered were keeping the routine- not being late for work, and certainly not being late for taking her daughter to school. How things were simpler then. A voice inside Gwen¡¯s head told her that things were still as simple as they were now- perhaps even simpler. Fewer responsibilities, it whispered to her. It was hard to argue with its words, logically. Emotionally, however, it was devastating to even think about. Gwen had lost the person most dear to her, and here she was, thinking about how it was one less responsibility. It was disgusting, sick- Gwen no longer felt like drinking the hot chocolate. As she turned to her sink, Gwen remembered how hot chocolate was her favourite drink. The urge to drain the mug of its contents down the sink grew, and so she gave in to the urges, spilling out the hot drink in favour of having nothing at all. Why should Gwen have anything anyway if she was going to think things like that? Fewer responsibilities? How dare I. The sudden grief that Gwen felt from two words was all-consuming; it surrounded her, in and out, threatening to take over. The impact of it almost made her fall, but Gwen remained steady, holding onto the edge of the kitchen counter. A shudder wracked her body, and she struggled to breathe. Count back from ten, a voice reminded her. She heeded its advice- ten, nine. Eight, seven. Gwen recovered slowly, raising her head first, and then her body after. A couple of smaller shudders went up and down her spine, making Gwen close her eyes, tears already threatening to fall in their glistening glory. If they fell, then the grief would win, she reminded herself. Do not let yourself cry. Not anymore. Gwen knew that the grief would never stop coming for her, not truly, anyway. It was something that she would live her life with- its presence always looming, in the back of her mind. There was nothing to change that. After all, she could never replace her.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Gwen could never replace her child, the light that bloomed in her life. She was, as Gwen had once liked to say, her greatest accomplishment. That there was nothing else that could rival her in terms of importance. And it was true, to a fault. However, Gwen was someone that always valued herself over anyone else. Some people would call it selfish. Sometimes she would agree with them. Other times she would remind herself that she wasn¡¯t her best friend or her lover- she was herself. Therefore, she should put herself first. Call it selfish. Call it survival, or self-preservation. She didn¡¯t have a true name for it. Was it really that bad to look out for yourself first? To not jump into the front lines just for someone else? She could never do that. And that was exactly why her daughter was not here right now. It¡¯s all your fault, she was reminded. Well, that was what she liked to tell herself. Others would tell her that it wasn¡¯t true- there was nothing that she could¡¯ve done- but Gwen never believed them, instead just nodding along, pretending to take their words to heart. But she couldn¡¯t. She never could, and she never would. Gwen knew that it was her fault. There was nothing that she could¡¯ve done- bullshit. Their words were all bullshit. The whole situation was bullshit. Everything in this world was bullshit. And it had taken Gwen just over thirty years to realize that. Pathetic. She decides to exit the kitchen and heads to her living room. Right before Gwen was about to plop on her couch, she hears a knock on her door. Gwen groans, heading towards the door lazily, not ready to deal with whoever was behind that wooden door. Who could it be? Gwen didn¡¯t know anyone who would be visiting her. She had cut everyone out of her life after she was taken from her. Gwen had wanted to start anew, in a different city, away from familiar faces. And so far, it had worked quite well. There was no drama, and the loneliness hadn¡¯t kicked in yet. Putting both of her hands on the door, Gwen looked into the peephole. The peephole itself was blurry, from never being washed, so it was hard to tell who it was. But he was unmistakable. His looks too unique, his light too bright to mistake for anyone else. Knowing that he probably wouldn¡¯t leave anytime soon, Gwen sighs, hesitantly placing her hand on the handle. Before she can turn it, however, she freezes up. Big breaths. Even if you didn¡¯t answer now, he would come back. You know he would. You know everything about him, the voice, the familiar voice tells her. Gwen adheres to it, taking in a couple of deep breaths before swinging the door open. The sight before her is a man of lean build, with messy black hair and just as dark eyes. His right hand is up in front of him, ready to knock on the door again. Gwen freezes again upon seeing him, and he seems to freeze too. Time stands still for a moment, before he utters one sentence. ¡°You left me.¡± And then he leaves as quietly and swiftly as he came. For a minute, she stands there at the door, mouth wide open, ready to catch flies. Gwen becomes torn- should she go after him, or leave him? Eventually she decides that she¡¯s already been standing at the doorway too long, so Gwen steps back and shakily closes the door, shock still in her system. The ring on her left hand burns, and yet she doesn¡¯t take it off. Gwen takes a look at the plain gold band and go back to ignoring its existence. She then takes a look around the living room. It suddenly feels dirty, as if his visit stained the place with his toxicity. Gwen had gone no contact, and yet he found her. Her husband. As he said he would. Chapter 1 It was bright. So, so, bright. The flames danced in her eyes, showing the grief held within them. Those eyes were glossy with tears, and red around the edges. It had been an accident. If only she had gotten home sooner, she could have prevented it. But alas she could not go back in time. If she could, her daughter would be in her arms. Instead, she was still in the house. She was gone. The house before her burned so bright, so brazen that it didn¡¯t seem like night. It felt like just another day. But it wasn¡¯t like any other day. It never would be. Gwen then heard a scream. She didn¡¯t realise that it was hers. The screaming would continue until her throat was hoarse, and her vocal cords rough. She would scream her pain away, but it would never be enough. Her husband soon arrived at the scene as well. Without a word, he wrapped Gwen in his arms, and stayed with her until she left. He didn¡¯t need to follow her- he was a reminder of the child they had together, and so left her to her peace. What he didn¡¯t know was that Gwen would leave the country to get away. Away from him. And so when he found out he looked for her. She was selfish- he was in grieving too, and yet he had gotten another person stripped away from him. Grief turned into anger. And with anger, he hunted her down. ¡°It wasn¡¯t an accident.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Of course not. How could it have been?¡± Kate sighs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry-¡± ¡°You say one more word and I will slap you,¡± Gwen threatens. Kate instantly stops speaking and decides to instead take a big mouthful from her coffee. Gwen looks down at her own coffee. ¡°Uh- sorry. I get a bit¡­uh¡­¡± ¡°Tense? Stressed? Anxious?¡± Kate offers. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you find that amusing,¡± Gwen says, as Kate chuckles quietly. The two then both reach a lull in the conversation, though it isn¡¯t awkward- quite the contrary, in fact. They both take gulps from their respective coffees and turn to look at the scenery outside. It¡¯s another rainy day in New York, with people bustling along the streets, all in a hurry to reach their destination. The hum of the city as it worked brought Gwen into a sense of security. Here, in New York, she could be whoever she wanted. There were no standards, no boundaries to confine her. It was just Gwen, and all that she can achieve. And Gwen believed that she could achieve anything.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Whereas Kate thinks that New York could stop raining. In her mind, the rain made things dreary, and quite depressing. And after what she¡¯s gone through, Kate wants nothing to do with sad and dreary. She wants to be bright. Good for her. The main focus is Gwen, however. And Gwen has no desire to be bright. She has no desire to shine light. She is, in her eyes, different. Changed by the trauma that she has endured and will always be affected by it. For Gwen has lost everything. ¡°The rain makes New York dull,¡± Kate comments. Gwen looks to her with a frown on her face. ¡°I personally think that it makes New York brighter. I mean, look at how the saturation makes the lights reflect on everything.¡± And this is where Gwen and Kate come to a small disagreement. It¡¯s not anything big, but it is what eventually leads to the end of their friendship. ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Kate, as Gwen can tell, obviously doesn¡¯t see the beauty in rain. But that was okay. The conversation once again reaches a silence, a pianissimo. But that quickly changes once Gwen glances out of the window again. As her eyes wander the limits of the window, a crescendo picks up without her even knowing it. An allegro, taunting her. For when she sees her husband outside the window across the street, it reaches a fortissimo. And then it stops, as abruptly as it came. Gwen¡¯s frozen in her chair as if were tied to it. Kate doesn¡¯t notice, and continues to drink her coffee in silence, blissfully unaware of the inner turmoil raging in the woman sitting beside her. Well, that is until Gwen stands. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go,¡± she says. Kate¡¯s face draws into one of concern, but she doesn¡¯t question Gwen. She only nods. And as Gwen rushes out of the caf¨¦, she realizes how much Kate doesn¡¯t notice things. She realizes all the things that Kate doesn¡¯t do. Sadness and grief clutch her heart- surely it wouldn¡¯t take much for someone to notice, would it? And someone does take notice. Gwen just doesn¡¯t know it yet. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Watching you, of course.¡± ¡°Let me ask again. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll tell you again. I¡¯m watching you.¡± ¡°Yes, but why?¡± ¡°Come with me.¡± Her husband- oh, how Gwen hates that word- then takes her by the arm, leading her towards a red car. ¡°Hey. Hey! Let me go!¡± Gwen subtly struggles against his grip, not wanting to draw too much attention. Her husband however is much stronger than her and doesn¡¯t even flinch. Fuck it, Gwen then thinks. Let¡¯s make a scene. ¡°LET ME GO!¡± She screams, kicking and making more of a struggle against him. ¡°SOMEONE HELP ME! PLEASE!¡± All bystanders turn and look, a few pointing. Gwen sees a woman take out her phone in a panic. Yes. ¡°You bitch!¡± Her husband swears, finally getting her to the red car. He takes out his keys from his pocket, still holding Gwen in his other arm, and presses a button. The car beeps, and he opens the back door in haste, quickly throwing Gwen in and shutting the door before pressing another button. The car beeps again, and Gwen knows that she is locked in. Her husband rushes to the other side of the car, opening the driver¡¯s seat and sitting down before slamming the car door shut fast enough that Gwen couldn¡¯t do anything. She suddenly feels regret for not going to the gym even when she had a membership. Gwen suddenly regrets a lot of things as the car leaves the park and speeds down the street. From afar, Kate films the whole thing on her phone. She, like many others, are in shock at what just happened on the street, and the only appropriate thing to do was film the whole thing. Gwen looked like she knew the guy, Kate thinks. That didn¡¯t help, however. Kate barely knew Gwen. They were just co-workers, both working in a dermatologist clinic. How was Kate supposed to know who that man could¡¯ve been? It was then that Kate decided to get to know Gwen more. That is, if she saw Gwen ever again.