Just a random short story I wrote because I was bored, hehe.
Enjoy it, and feel free to read! :)
He sits in his chair, his shoulders slouched as his body slumped against the wood. It had been a year since the incident happened and yet, he still feels the shuddering shock of it paralysing him whole like it only happened yesterday. His eyes, once filled with content and life, now shone with a glistening darkness and misery, his face, before was stretched with a glowing smile, his cheeks clear and rosy-looking, now revealed a boy who had a face that was washed clean of emotion and replaced with an empty void that surfaced him.
It was all his fault. A voice whispered, almost silently, in his head. But he also took himself for the blame as well. He could still recall the way his best mates, Riley and Will Berchis, insisted that he come with them to a party they were invited to. Seeing that the boy, Adam is his name, was sixteen-years-old at the time, Riley and Will were told not to take too many drinks at the place if they were to take care of him.
The fact that he and his mates got to the party, the fact that they were impatient, the fact that Adam saw a random car and went to it, bringing Riley and Will with him, and the fact that his friends died instantly and Adam survived the incident – it was all his fault, and also, the driver’s fault as well. If only they could’ve waited longer for Riley’s and Will’s father to come pick them up, then the incident would be avoided completely and it wouldn’t have happened in the first place.
“Adam?” A feminine voice called softly at the door. The boy lifted his eyes off the wooden floor, and turned his head sideways, eyes glancing briefly at who was standing in the doorway. It was his sister, Rosalyn, who had her eyes peeking through the door, her fingers gripping the edge of the door as she held it slightly ajar.
A flicker of life shimmered in Adam’s eyes for a split second, and very slightly and slowly did he bring himself to sit straight upright in his chair. “Hey Rosie …” his voice was cracking in his ears, like he hadn’t spoken to anyone in years, rather than a year. “What – what are you doing, here?” Rosie stepped into his room, closing the door slightly behind her, and she walked up to Adam and stood next to him, her head tilted to the side and her bright emerald eyes, shining with curiosity.
“Why didn’t you come downstairs to see me off this morning?” Rosalie asked, blinking her eyes. “It was my first day in grade two,” she slowly casted her eyes to the floor as she bit her bottom lip. “You promised…” she added, a little softly. Adam stared at his sister, his eyes growing sad again, before they followed his sister’s – trained on the floor. “I’m sorry Rosie.” He said it in a sharp, unpleasant voice, and immediately, he regretted the way his voice spoke when he realized the tone he used. Rosie, who must’ve expected softness and gentleness, squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath of air. Adam knew she wanted her older brother back, the one who always gave her a warm smile to cheer her up, had tickle fights with her, played with her toys when she was having a sad day from school, and the one who did all the things Rosie liked to do. “I’m sorry Rosie,” Adam lifted his weak and feeble-like arms and pulled her into his body that caused Rosie to react by wrapping her small arms tightly around his neck, despite how cold his skin was against her warm one.
“I’m so, so sorry for missing your first day of grade two,” Adam mumbled apologetically into her small shoulder. At that moment, the door slowly creaked open, revealing a young woman who looked to be in her twenties with hair, fiery red and eyes like Rosie’s. She looked over at us in each other’s embrace, and her lips crooked into a smile. “Adam,” she breathed his name. Adam smiled just slightly. “Lily,” he croaked. “By the looks of your tousled dark hair and those dark bags under your eyes, you look like you need to freshen up, little brother.” Lily smiled and, seeing Rosie with me, spoke, “Rosie, there’s afternoon tea downstairs. Go have some with mom – she’ll be lonely at the table.”
Rosie glanced at Lily quickly when she said the words afternoon tea and gave me a kiss on the cheek before rushing out of my arms, past Lily and scampered down the stairs. Lily chuckled after her disappearance. “That girl,” she chuckled, stepping into the room and walking over to Adam who was stretching his legs slowly, bones cracking in his knees. “How are you doin’ Adam?” she asked gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“To be frank…” Adam began, his voice quiet and still of emotion. “I’m still feeling a huge amount of frustration, pain, sadness, blame and guilt as I was the day before, and since the accident.” Adam closed his eyes, feeling the tears filling his eyes fast like a volcano about to erupt. But as soon as he closed his eyes, Adam saw Riley and Will, crushed completely, except for their arms and hands, under the hard, cold black metal of the car, unlike Adam who was crushed from the waist down but was conscious of what was in front of him.
Adam flashed his eyes open instantly and a loud sob escaped his throat before Lily immediately embraced him, rubbing his body with her hands to soothe him. “It’s okay Ad, it’s okay.” She mumbled, repeatedly. “Don’t think it was your fault that those two boys died, because it wasn’t.” Lily added, hugging him tighter.
“I want that guy – whoever his name is – to rot.” Adam muttered against her, almost silently. “Adam…” Lily said, in a tone that caught Adam slightly off-guard because she hardly had to be stern with him before. “I know you miss your two mates, and the day with that funeral–” Lily took a breath, pinching her lips together in a straight line before continuing. “It has so much of you, leaving you to be in this room of yours for months on end, even though you go to school. But you need to understand that revenge or anger is not the case anymore – you need to work through that and learn to let it go, though you mustn’t let the situation disappear completely in your mind.” Lily gripped a tight hold on Adam’s hands and gave them a squeeze.
“Otherwise you’ll be living this life every day, without any joy or hope. Try to understand Adam.” Lily whispered the last part, staring at Adam. Silence was heard. “Okay,” Adam muttered under his breath, with a slight nod. “I understand…” he looked at Lily briefly, before casting his eyes at her hands holding his. “Did the police say anything?” Adam asked after a long brief moment of more silence. Lily didn’t say anything for a while, and for a second Adam had the urge to look at his sister directly and see what her face read – she was an open book in the family. “They’ve …” she cleared her throat quietly.
“They’ve had the driver who drove you in prison for a year since the accident, giving him seven years in total … They called me up not long ago, asking if they could have you in their customs.” She paused, her teeth biting her lip. Adam’s eyes narrowed as they flickered to meet Lily’s. “What else?” He said bitterly, words spitting from his lips. “They mentioned that it was the driver’s request to have you come.” She said is almost inaudibly, and for a second, Adam couldn’t make out her words, before he realized and his face twisted, menacingly. “Why would he want to see me?” Adam’s words flew out of his lips like bullets– fiery with a hint of rage that he masked behind the dark façade.
“Maybe he wants to ask you a favour.” Lily mumbled, still soft and inaudible, but every word rang clear in Adam’s head. “A favour?” Adam laughed, bitterly. “Favour?” “Please, Adam, try to reason with yourself.” Lilly begged, eyes pleading with Adam as he turned his head to the other side. “He’s probably having just as much of a hard time trying to forgive himself as you are with your memories.” At that sentence, Adam immediately stood up, his body trembling with much fury as his hands, balled into fists, shook tremendously. “He was being a prick Lily! He knew what he was doing when we stumbled into his car, and he drove us straight into hell!” “Adam Williams! That’s not true!” Lily was now on her feet and she firmly turned her brother to face her, hands crushing his shoulder blades in her grip as she held him straight.
“I know it’s not true because I saw him before I came home,” Lily told him as calmly as possible, even though her voice slightly shook from Adam’s reaction. “He was so thin – thinner than the time of his sentencing to three years, his hair was shaggy-looking and completely filthy – oh Adam, he knows he deserves it, he knows that what he did was the most unthinkable.” Lily watched as Adam’s rage slowly shimmered from his face, and the way his eyes glowed with such intense fury, gradually died and just flickered.
Adam was listening, and hanging on to every word Lily said. Thin? Shaggy? He knows? Single word questions and such filled his mind and it wasn’t until Lily sighed saying softly, “He was wallowing in self-pity in his cell,” did Adam finally come to the conclusion that perhaps maybe the man did want to see him, for the reason that involved the tragedy.
“Alright…” Adam muttered, under his breath. “I’ll go with you Lily.”
The drive was quiet as Lily drove their way to the police. No words were exchanged between them, not because they wanted to keep the silence, but because Lily thought it was best she give her brother space and thought to think of what to expect when they see the driver. As soon as they got to the police station, Adam bolted from his seat, the passenger door flying open as he stepped out and walked swiftly down the path, hearing Lily call out as she locked the car, “Adam, wait up!” The glass doors of the station drew open as Adam walked into the building and went straight for the reception, causing the person behind the desk to almost exclaim in alarm.
All Adam could hear was his hard breathing, how he was panting even though he was only walking, how his hands shook on the desk’s surface and the fact that his whole body was getting tremors. He could only imagine what his face revealed and it didn’t look inviting, according to the person, the man, who stared back at him in shock. “We’re here to see Mr. Lightwood,” Lily told the man, breathlessly. “O-Oh,” the man regained his posture and quickly flipped through some folders around his desk, eyes searching. “Adam, are you alright?” Lily asked, turning to him. Adam pursed his lips, pinching them together in a firm line.
“Let’s – just get this over with.” Adam sharply inhaled. “Here,” the man gave Lily a folder that had Reed Lightwood written on the top. “Take this and show it to the police men by the prison so they know that you’re here to see this man.” He explained, words racing out of his lips like paper planes. As Adam followed Lily a few steps behind her down the white corridor, Adam tried to mask his expression with a straight face, and his temples with his fingers to help ease the emotions he was feeling. Lily, having probably noticed, asked if he was alright and ready to see him.
I don’t particularly want to see him … but I do want to see him only … because of his request.” Adam told her, carefully. Lily nodded at that and, approaching the policemen, gave them the folder and explanation. “Right, follow me this way,” One of them walked a little more in front of us as we trailed behind. They entered a room that had several large empty tables and long chairs on either sides of them, evenly spaced and against the cracked cemented wall.
“Wait in here while I grab the prisoner for you,” said the policeman and raced quickly out of the door again. Adam slumped into the wooden chair, flinching at the pressure he suddenly did as he sat, Lily sliding to sit beside him. “Are you nervous?” Lily placed her hands, folded together, in front of her. Adam shook his head. “I’m about to go mad, to be honest.” Adam hissed through gritted teeth. Lily reached a hand over his shoulder and squeezed gently, shaking her head. “I’m telling you Adam, he’s not–” The sound of the metal door swung wide open, interrupting Lily, and Adam nearly shot up from his seat, eyes widening at the sight of who was standing at the door.
It was the man, but he was completely unrecognizable, aside from his eyes. His skin, once before was creamy white and healthy looking, now seemed coated with filth and dirt, his body was barely standing correctly, leaning sideways away, not because of the policeman, but his body was angled towards the floor, causing it to look as though his body had been sitting on something hard for so long without standing. The man’s hair was long and dishevelled, covering his eyes almost completely, and he was growing a dark beard as well.
“Here’s Mr. Ferrel for you,” the policeman dragged the man and plonked him down on the seat opposite the siblings. “You have 15 minutes with him before I send him off.” He left us with the prisoner, walking to close the door shut and stand by it to keep watch of him from afar. At first, Adam didn’t know what to say or even come up with the words to say. He just watched as the man Mr. Ferrel lift his head up to see him, eyes clouded with such sorrow and grief. Adam was taken slightly aback from the sight. “Adam Williams, right?” His voice was like an echo of Adam’s when he spoke – low, husky and dreaded. Adam nodded as he slowly sat back down. “Y-Yes …” Adam blinked, feeling so small, as a rush of heaviness fell over him.
“Your sister – she told you that I wanted you present?” Adam nodded, a little more steadily. “What is it … that you want?” Adam stared at him, not knowing what expression showed on his face. “I know,” Mr. Ferrel began, “that you have gone through so much suffering because of my foolishness …” Mr. Ferrel cleared his throat as his eyes turned to his hands that were under the table. “But I wanted you here, because …” He slowly bowed his head over the table towards Adam.
“I’m asking … if you have any – somewhere, in your heart,” his voice trembled and slightly sobbed, “for your forgiveness.” Adam closed his eyes as he felt a deep sadness slap at him, hard in the face. All the anger, hurt and unforgiving mask he hid behind for what felt like forever, passed from him and was replaced with a grave sadness. Silence was heard between the two after Mr. Ferrel made his surprising favour. Adam exhaled a deep breath, signalling to Mr. Ferrel that he was going to speak.
“At first … I would’ve disagreed,” Adam started, choosing his words carefully. “And it would only be because you killed two of the most important people in my life – my … best mates,” Adam tried to cover up his sobs like Mr. Ferrel, by sucking in a sharp breath. “I would be in so much rage and start firing words at you,” Mr. Ferrel cringed at Adam’s words. “But …” Adam said quietly and gently, “I can see now, that your words ring out with a genuine, heartfelt voice of forgiveness…” Adam continued, reaching an arm over to slightly touch Mr. Ferrel’s arm.
“I forgive you Mr. Ferrel,” Adam said, and he saw a brightness in Mr. Ferrel’s eyes, his face flooding with utmost relief and slight joy. “Not because you deserve to be forgiven, but because I do as well.” Adam explained, a small smile breaking across his lips. “Thank you …” Mr. Ferrel’s voice was ringing with heartfelt content as he spoke, crystal-like tears forming in his eyes and rolling from them. “Alright, you guys – time’s up.” The policeman announced, striding over towards our table. “Thank you police officer,” Lily nodded, a few tears escaping hers as well as she saw everything surpass between her brother and Mr. Ferrel.
“Thank you,” Adam bowed his head towards Mr. Ferrel, receiving a nod back and a cracked smile that showed revolting teeth, but a smile all the same.
It wasn’t until Mr. Ferrel had his back towards the boy and was walking out with the police officer, did Adam suddenly feel a sense of relief himself rise inside of him, a smile crossing his lips also.
Enjoy it, and feel free to read! :)
He sits in his chair, his shoulders slouched as his body slumped against the wood. It had been a year since the incident happened and yet, he still feels the shuddering shock of it paralysing him whole like it only happened yesterday. His eyes, once filled with content and life, now shone with a glistening darkness and misery, his face, before was stretched with a glowing smile, his cheeks clear and rosy-looking, now revealed a boy who had a face that was washed clean of emotion and replaced with an empty void that surfaced him.
It was all his fault. A voice whispered, almost silently, in his head. But he also took himself for the blame as well. He could still recall the way his best mates, Riley and Will Berchis, insisted that he come with them to a party they were invited to. Seeing that the boy, Adam is his name, was sixteen-years-old at the time, Riley and Will were told not to take too many drinks at the place if they were to take care of him.
The fact that he and his mates got to the party, the fact that they were impatient, the fact that Adam saw a random car and went to it, bringing Riley and Will with him, and the fact that his friends died instantly and Adam survived the incident – it was all his fault, and also, the driver’s fault as well. If only they could’ve waited longer for Riley’s and Will’s father to come pick them up, then the incident would be avoided completely and it wouldn’t have happened in the first place.
“Adam?” A feminine voice called softly at the door. The boy lifted his eyes off the wooden floor, and turned his head sideways, eyes glancing briefly at who was standing in the doorway. It was his sister, Rosalyn, who had her eyes peeking through the door, her fingers gripping the edge of the door as she held it slightly ajar.
A flicker of life shimmered in Adam’s eyes for a split second, and very slightly and slowly did he bring himself to sit straight upright in his chair. “Hey Rosie …” his voice was cracking in his ears, like he hadn’t spoken to anyone in years, rather than a year. “What – what are you doing, here?” Rosie stepped into his room, closing the door slightly behind her, and she walked up to Adam and stood next to him, her head tilted to the side and her bright emerald eyes, shining with curiosity.
“Why didn’t you come downstairs to see me off this morning?” Rosalie asked, blinking her eyes. “It was my first day in grade two,” she slowly casted her eyes to the floor as she bit her bottom lip. “You promised…” she added, a little softly. Adam stared at his sister, his eyes growing sad again, before they followed his sister’s – trained on the floor. “I’m sorry Rosie.” He said it in a sharp, unpleasant voice, and immediately, he regretted the way his voice spoke when he realized the tone he used. Rosie, who must’ve expected softness and gentleness, squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath of air. Adam knew she wanted her older brother back, the one who always gave her a warm smile to cheer her up, had tickle fights with her, played with her toys when she was having a sad day from school, and the one who did all the things Rosie liked to do. “I’m sorry Rosie,” Adam lifted his weak and feeble-like arms and pulled her into his body that caused Rosie to react by wrapping her small arms tightly around his neck, despite how cold his skin was against her warm one.
“I’m so, so sorry for missing your first day of grade two,” Adam mumbled apologetically into her small shoulder. At that moment, the door slowly creaked open, revealing a young woman who looked to be in her twenties with hair, fiery red and eyes like Rosie’s. She looked over at us in each other’s embrace, and her lips crooked into a smile. “Adam,” she breathed his name. Adam smiled just slightly. “Lily,” he croaked. “By the looks of your tousled dark hair and those dark bags under your eyes, you look like you need to freshen up, little brother.” Lily smiled and, seeing Rosie with me, spoke, “Rosie, there’s afternoon tea downstairs. Go have some with mom – she’ll be lonely at the table.”
Rosie glanced at Lily quickly when she said the words afternoon tea and gave me a kiss on the cheek before rushing out of my arms, past Lily and scampered down the stairs. Lily chuckled after her disappearance. “That girl,” she chuckled, stepping into the room and walking over to Adam who was stretching his legs slowly, bones cracking in his knees. “How are you doin’ Adam?” she asked gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“To be frank…” Adam began, his voice quiet and still of emotion. “I’m still feeling a huge amount of frustration, pain, sadness, blame and guilt as I was the day before, and since the accident.” Adam closed his eyes, feeling the tears filling his eyes fast like a volcano about to erupt. But as soon as he closed his eyes, Adam saw Riley and Will, crushed completely, except for their arms and hands, under the hard, cold black metal of the car, unlike Adam who was crushed from the waist down but was conscious of what was in front of him.
Adam flashed his eyes open instantly and a loud sob escaped his throat before Lily immediately embraced him, rubbing his body with her hands to soothe him. “It’s okay Ad, it’s okay.” She mumbled, repeatedly. “Don’t think it was your fault that those two boys died, because it wasn’t.” Lily added, hugging him tighter.
“I want that guy – whoever his name is – to rot.” Adam muttered against her, almost silently. “Adam…” Lily said, in a tone that caught Adam slightly off-guard because she hardly had to be stern with him before. “I know you miss your two mates, and the day with that funeral–” Lily took a breath, pinching her lips together in a straight line before continuing. “It has so much of you, leaving you to be in this room of yours for months on end, even though you go to school. But you need to understand that revenge or anger is not the case anymore – you need to work through that and learn to let it go, though you mustn’t let the situation disappear completely in your mind.” Lily gripped a tight hold on Adam’s hands and gave them a squeeze.
“Otherwise you’ll be living this life every day, without any joy or hope. Try to understand Adam.” Lily whispered the last part, staring at Adam. Silence was heard. “Okay,” Adam muttered under his breath, with a slight nod. “I understand…” he looked at Lily briefly, before casting his eyes at her hands holding his. “Did the police say anything?” Adam asked after a long brief moment of more silence. Lily didn’t say anything for a while, and for a second Adam had the urge to look at his sister directly and see what her face read – she was an open book in the family. “They’ve …” she cleared her throat quietly.
“They’ve had the driver who drove you in prison for a year since the accident, giving him seven years in total … They called me up not long ago, asking if they could have you in their customs.” She paused, her teeth biting her lip. Adam’s eyes narrowed as they flickered to meet Lily’s. “What else?” He said bitterly, words spitting from his lips. “They mentioned that it was the driver’s request to have you come.” She said is almost inaudibly, and for a second, Adam couldn’t make out her words, before he realized and his face twisted, menacingly. “Why would he want to see me?” Adam’s words flew out of his lips like bullets– fiery with a hint of rage that he masked behind the dark façade.
“Maybe he wants to ask you a favour.” Lily mumbled, still soft and inaudible, but every word rang clear in Adam’s head. “A favour?” Adam laughed, bitterly. “Favour?” “Please, Adam, try to reason with yourself.” Lilly begged, eyes pleading with Adam as he turned his head to the other side. “He’s probably having just as much of a hard time trying to forgive himself as you are with your memories.” At that sentence, Adam immediately stood up, his body trembling with much fury as his hands, balled into fists, shook tremendously. “He was being a prick Lily! He knew what he was doing when we stumbled into his car, and he drove us straight into hell!” “Adam Williams! That’s not true!” Lily was now on her feet and she firmly turned her brother to face her, hands crushing his shoulder blades in her grip as she held him straight.
“I know it’s not true because I saw him before I came home,” Lily told him as calmly as possible, even though her voice slightly shook from Adam’s reaction. “He was so thin – thinner than the time of his sentencing to three years, his hair was shaggy-looking and completely filthy – oh Adam, he knows he deserves it, he knows that what he did was the most unthinkable.” Lily watched as Adam’s rage slowly shimmered from his face, and the way his eyes glowed with such intense fury, gradually died and just flickered.
Adam was listening, and hanging on to every word Lily said. Thin? Shaggy? He knows? Single word questions and such filled his mind and it wasn’t until Lily sighed saying softly, “He was wallowing in self-pity in his cell,” did Adam finally come to the conclusion that perhaps maybe the man did want to see him, for the reason that involved the tragedy.
“Alright…” Adam muttered, under his breath. “I’ll go with you Lily.”
The drive was quiet as Lily drove their way to the police. No words were exchanged between them, not because they wanted to keep the silence, but because Lily thought it was best she give her brother space and thought to think of what to expect when they see the driver. As soon as they got to the police station, Adam bolted from his seat, the passenger door flying open as he stepped out and walked swiftly down the path, hearing Lily call out as she locked the car, “Adam, wait up!” The glass doors of the station drew open as Adam walked into the building and went straight for the reception, causing the person behind the desk to almost exclaim in alarm.
All Adam could hear was his hard breathing, how he was panting even though he was only walking, how his hands shook on the desk’s surface and the fact that his whole body was getting tremors. He could only imagine what his face revealed and it didn’t look inviting, according to the person, the man, who stared back at him in shock. “We’re here to see Mr. Lightwood,” Lily told the man, breathlessly. “O-Oh,” the man regained his posture and quickly flipped through some folders around his desk, eyes searching. “Adam, are you alright?” Lily asked, turning to him. Adam pursed his lips, pinching them together in a firm line.
“Let’s – just get this over with.” Adam sharply inhaled. “Here,” the man gave Lily a folder that had Reed Lightwood written on the top. “Take this and show it to the police men by the prison so they know that you’re here to see this man.” He explained, words racing out of his lips like paper planes. As Adam followed Lily a few steps behind her down the white corridor, Adam tried to mask his expression with a straight face, and his temples with his fingers to help ease the emotions he was feeling. Lily, having probably noticed, asked if he was alright and ready to see him.
I don’t particularly want to see him … but I do want to see him only … because of his request.” Adam told her, carefully. Lily nodded at that and, approaching the policemen, gave them the folder and explanation. “Right, follow me this way,” One of them walked a little more in front of us as we trailed behind. They entered a room that had several large empty tables and long chairs on either sides of them, evenly spaced and against the cracked cemented wall.
“Wait in here while I grab the prisoner for you,” said the policeman and raced quickly out of the door again. Adam slumped into the wooden chair, flinching at the pressure he suddenly did as he sat, Lily sliding to sit beside him. “Are you nervous?” Lily placed her hands, folded together, in front of her. Adam shook his head. “I’m about to go mad, to be honest.” Adam hissed through gritted teeth. Lily reached a hand over his shoulder and squeezed gently, shaking her head. “I’m telling you Adam, he’s not–” The sound of the metal door swung wide open, interrupting Lily, and Adam nearly shot up from his seat, eyes widening at the sight of who was standing at the door.
It was the man, but he was completely unrecognizable, aside from his eyes. His skin, once before was creamy white and healthy looking, now seemed coated with filth and dirt, his body was barely standing correctly, leaning sideways away, not because of the policeman, but his body was angled towards the floor, causing it to look as though his body had been sitting on something hard for so long without standing. The man’s hair was long and dishevelled, covering his eyes almost completely, and he was growing a dark beard as well.
“Here’s Mr. Ferrel for you,” the policeman dragged the man and plonked him down on the seat opposite the siblings. “You have 15 minutes with him before I send him off.” He left us with the prisoner, walking to close the door shut and stand by it to keep watch of him from afar. At first, Adam didn’t know what to say or even come up with the words to say. He just watched as the man Mr. Ferrel lift his head up to see him, eyes clouded with such sorrow and grief. Adam was taken slightly aback from the sight. “Adam Williams, right?” His voice was like an echo of Adam’s when he spoke – low, husky and dreaded. Adam nodded as he slowly sat back down. “Y-Yes …” Adam blinked, feeling so small, as a rush of heaviness fell over him.
“Your sister – she told you that I wanted you present?” Adam nodded, a little more steadily. “What is it … that you want?” Adam stared at him, not knowing what expression showed on his face. “I know,” Mr. Ferrel began, “that you have gone through so much suffering because of my foolishness …” Mr. Ferrel cleared his throat as his eyes turned to his hands that were under the table. “But I wanted you here, because …” He slowly bowed his head over the table towards Adam.
“I’m asking … if you have any – somewhere, in your heart,” his voice trembled and slightly sobbed, “for your forgiveness.” Adam closed his eyes as he felt a deep sadness slap at him, hard in the face. All the anger, hurt and unforgiving mask he hid behind for what felt like forever, passed from him and was replaced with a grave sadness. Silence was heard between the two after Mr. Ferrel made his surprising favour. Adam exhaled a deep breath, signalling to Mr. Ferrel that he was going to speak.
“At first … I would’ve disagreed,” Adam started, choosing his words carefully. “And it would only be because you killed two of the most important people in my life – my … best mates,” Adam tried to cover up his sobs like Mr. Ferrel, by sucking in a sharp breath. “I would be in so much rage and start firing words at you,” Mr. Ferrel cringed at Adam’s words. “But …” Adam said quietly and gently, “I can see now, that your words ring out with a genuine, heartfelt voice of forgiveness…” Adam continued, reaching an arm over to slightly touch Mr. Ferrel’s arm.
“I forgive you Mr. Ferrel,” Adam said, and he saw a brightness in Mr. Ferrel’s eyes, his face flooding with utmost relief and slight joy. “Not because you deserve to be forgiven, but because I do as well.” Adam explained, a small smile breaking across his lips. “Thank you …” Mr. Ferrel’s voice was ringing with heartfelt content as he spoke, crystal-like tears forming in his eyes and rolling from them. “Alright, you guys – time’s up.” The policeman announced, striding over towards our table. “Thank you police officer,” Lily nodded, a few tears escaping hers as well as she saw everything surpass between her brother and Mr. Ferrel.
“Thank you,” Adam bowed his head towards Mr. Ferrel, receiving a nod back and a cracked smile that showed revolting teeth, but a smile all the same.
It wasn’t until Mr. Ferrel had his back towards the boy and was walking out with the police officer, did Adam suddenly feel a sense of relief himself rise inside of him, a smile crossing his lips also.
