She looked out at the window, watching as the raindrops kiss the ground. The trees were swaying with the wind. Was there a storm coming? Big, dark clouds engulfed the skies. "It's going to be another cold, rainy night," she thought.
She turned around and headed to the bedroom. "Ah, that scent. Vincent used that perfume again," she liked it when wore that perfume. Not too strong, yet the scent lingered in the air and soothe her being.
"But where is Vincent?" she wondered. She fully expected him to be there in the bedroom. It was past his bedtime already. "He must be at the study. He must have lost track of time again," she said to herself. He had to drive early tomorrow for work. She had to remind him to get some rest.
There he was, his back to her. His head was slightly bent. He was breathing heavily. She could see his shoulders move up and down. She was battling with herself if she should wake him up or no, when she heard him utter her name.
"Jessica," Vincent said in a low voice, almost inaudible.
She was about to respond when she noticed that his eyes were closed. "He must be dreaming," she told herself.
She slowly walked towards him and knelt in front of him, careful that he won't wake. She saw his face through the shadows. Did he look much older? Why?
His forehead was creased, like it had never been stretched to a smile in a very long while. His beard had grown into a messy stubble. Since when did he not care about himself? Vincent wanted to be presentable all the time. His face always wore a smile for everybody.
"Why, Jessica?" his voice cracked.
Jessica was taken aback. "What is he saying? Is he crying? What did I do?" she asked herself.
"We were living our dreams. Did I not do enough?"
"V-Vincent," she wanted to caress his face, but he shifted that she missed.
"Vincent, I am here. Hush now, why are you crying? I am here," she could not stop her tears. She could feel Vincent's agony, like he had not been dreaming. It was like he had been living in pain for a long, long while.
She looked around. The house was in a disarray. Vincent and her never wanted to see any mess, in the house. It did not make any sense.
Her gaze stopped at the computer screen Vincent left on. June 9, 2025.
Jessica froze. Her head spun in disbelief. "It's 2020... H-how?"
She turned back to Vincent who was now sleeping peacefully. She looked at his slightly opened palm. "Wait, is this my wedding ring? Why do you have it Vincent?" Jessica whispered. She never removed her wedding ring, ever.
Jessica felt Vincent move. He opened his eyes and looked past through her. His eyes locked on her portrait hanging on the wall.
"Jessica..."
End.
This is my entry to the theinkwell fiction challenge | Week 2
Prompts:
- Ghost
- The Day the Rains Come
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