Barnabus took his plate and threw it across the room. The ceramic plate shattered into pieces as it clashed against a nearby wall. Everyone in the dining chamber looked to Barnabus, waiting for some kind of statement, but Barnabus remained silent. It was in that silence that his guest felt a sense of despair. Why hadn't he made any comment about the food? Was there something else wrong? The scene couldn't have been anymore confusing.
His wife was the first to question the explosive act, “Honey, what was that all about?” She felt quite embarrassed about her husband's actions. It wasn't like him to freak out like that. Nor was it normal for him to be silent in the midst of what appeared to be anguish.
His wife was the first to question the explosive act, “Honey, what was that all about?” She felt quite embarrassed about her husband's actions. It wasn't like him to freak out like that. Nor was it normal for him to be silent in the midst of what appeared to be anguish.
He scowled at her and rose from his seat, undid the napkin that was tied just below his shirt's collar, wiped off his mouth in a gentleman-like manner, then placed the napkin down on the table. He looked around the room with an absent motivation. As if a ghost had just swept through the room and taken over his body. After the awkward moment of connecting eyes with each guest in the room, including his beautiful wife, Barnabus walked forth and out of the dining chamber. Without a single word.
All of the guest looked at one another, their brows furrowed in a quizzical position. Some of them held their eyes widened by the event, and others squinted and pondered to themselves.
“What in the world just happened,” asked one of Barnabus' associates and co-workers, Jeffrey. In all the years that Jeff had known Barnie, he hadn't known him to be implosive like that before. Apparently there was something going on behind the scenes here. Barnie wouldn't hide anything from his closest friends unless it was something really, really, bad. “Angelica, what was that about?” Barnabus' wife looked at Jeffrey and shrugged with her hands up in the air. “I haven't the slightest clue.”
~*~*~
He threw the shutters of the balcony open wide and climbed through the portal. On the other side he straightened himself and brushed off the dust that collected upon the window's seams from his coat and trousers. Barnabus walked elegantly towards the balcony edge, placing his hands upon the marbled railing, and looked out across the crashing waves below him. The edgy cliff below him and its cave echoed the sounds of a voice calling out to him. It was a familiar voice that he never thought he'd hear ever again. It called to him, “Barnie... where are you... I can't find you.” The echoing vibrated within his bones and sent shivers through his spine.
“Barnabus dear, step away from the railing sweetie,” Angelica pleaded with him, “we can talk about this. Please come back inside.” Barnabus turned around to look into the eyes of his wife. Her azure eyes like a swirling melody of blue jays singing as the morning rises. For a second he saw nothing but the ghost of his past. Her white silk dress flowing along her perfectly curved body, her silky dark hair flowing in the breeze, her red lips sweeter than the sweetest rose bud.
“Natalie,” he wispy muttered under his breath as he raised his hand to cusp hers. His wife barely able to understand it stepped closer to her husband, and placed her hand within his.
“Barnie, it will be okay dear. I'm here,” she tried to place a smile but couldn't quite make it genuine enough. She had known her husband to be delusional and it was sad for her to see him like this. How could she bear a smile that would surely be a lie. She wasn't happy and neither was her husband.
“Natalie.. I've missed you,” Barnabus softly wrapped his arms around Angelica. It was in that moment that she realized what he was muttering about. Natalie was the younger sister that Barnabus had lost six years before to a sickening disease. The poor girl suffered greatly in those last couple years she lived, and it was Barnabus that decided to flip the switch to Natalie's life support. It wasn't an easy decision for him to make, and it was a memory that haunted Barnabus throughout all these years. He loved her more than anything in the world.
“It is okay my dear. I am right here. I'm not going anywhere.” Angelica wrapped her arms around her husband's sickened heart. She knew that he didn't see her for who she really was. He saw Natalie instead of her. He had always seen Natalie in her since her death. She gently separated herself from Barnabus, keeping her hands on his shoulders. “I will never leave you brother,” she said before shoving her husband over the balcony railing. There wasn't a single scream heard as Barnabus plummeted to his death. Not a single splash was heard at the end.
Angelica walked over to the edge of the marbled balcony and placed her hands upon the railing. She looked down into the rocky pit below and smiled. “Be with your sister love.” She didn't shed a single tear and turned to face Jeffrey watching her with eyes wide. She smirked and let out a little chuckle before walking over to him. Coming face to face she placed her hands upon his shoulders and said, “It will be out little secret,” then kissed him on the lips before climbing back through the window.
All of the guest looked at one another, their brows furrowed in a quizzical position. Some of them held their eyes widened by the event, and others squinted and pondered to themselves.
“What in the world just happened,” asked one of Barnabus' associates and co-workers, Jeffrey. In all the years that Jeff had known Barnie, he hadn't known him to be implosive like that before. Apparently there was something going on behind the scenes here. Barnie wouldn't hide anything from his closest friends unless it was something really, really, bad. “Angelica, what was that about?” Barnabus' wife looked at Jeffrey and shrugged with her hands up in the air. “I haven't the slightest clue.”
~*~*~
He threw the shutters of the balcony open wide and climbed through the portal. On the other side he straightened himself and brushed off the dust that collected upon the window's seams from his coat and trousers. Barnabus walked elegantly towards the balcony edge, placing his hands upon the marbled railing, and looked out across the crashing waves below him. The edgy cliff below him and its cave echoed the sounds of a voice calling out to him. It was a familiar voice that he never thought he'd hear ever again. It called to him, “Barnie... where are you... I can't find you.” The echoing vibrated within his bones and sent shivers through his spine.
“Barnabus dear, step away from the railing sweetie,” Angelica pleaded with him, “we can talk about this. Please come back inside.” Barnabus turned around to look into the eyes of his wife. Her azure eyes like a swirling melody of blue jays singing as the morning rises. For a second he saw nothing but the ghost of his past. Her white silk dress flowing along her perfectly curved body, her silky dark hair flowing in the breeze, her red lips sweeter than the sweetest rose bud.
“Natalie,” he wispy muttered under his breath as he raised his hand to cusp hers. His wife barely able to understand it stepped closer to her husband, and placed her hand within his.
“Barnie, it will be okay dear. I'm here,” she tried to place a smile but couldn't quite make it genuine enough. She had known her husband to be delusional and it was sad for her to see him like this. How could she bear a smile that would surely be a lie. She wasn't happy and neither was her husband.
“Natalie.. I've missed you,” Barnabus softly wrapped his arms around Angelica. It was in that moment that she realized what he was muttering about. Natalie was the younger sister that Barnabus had lost six years before to a sickening disease. The poor girl suffered greatly in those last couple years she lived, and it was Barnabus that decided to flip the switch to Natalie's life support. It wasn't an easy decision for him to make, and it was a memory that haunted Barnabus throughout all these years. He loved her more than anything in the world.
“It is okay my dear. I am right here. I'm not going anywhere.” Angelica wrapped her arms around her husband's sickened heart. She knew that he didn't see her for who she really was. He saw Natalie instead of her. He had always seen Natalie in her since her death. She gently separated herself from Barnabus, keeping her hands on his shoulders. “I will never leave you brother,” she said before shoving her husband over the balcony railing. There wasn't a single scream heard as Barnabus plummeted to his death. Not a single splash was heard at the end.
Angelica walked over to the edge of the marbled balcony and placed her hands upon the railing. She looked down into the rocky pit below and smiled. “Be with your sister love.” She didn't shed a single tear and turned to face Jeffrey watching her with eyes wide. She smirked and let out a little chuckle before walking over to him. Coming face to face she placed her hands upon his shoulders and said, “It will be out little secret,” then kissed him on the lips before climbing back through the window.