FlashBacks by Shelby Alexander (reading women .txt) 📕

Not So Perfect

1.
October 15, 2007
She sat staring with her empty eyes out of the window into an empty world. Flashes from the cameras showing her beaten face, bloody clothes and bed sheets; also the three inch slash on her throat. The hotel room was in disarray. Tables knocked over, clothes and papers scattered throughout the room, blood spatter on the windows and bloody finger prints on the door handle. The bathroom also what a disaster and had the feeling of the terror that happened there. The mirror was broken with dry blood coming down, the bathtub was littered with bloody palm and shoe prints and the curtains were pulled off their holders leaving the crime scene finished. The investigators picked up all the evidence, put the body in a body bag and took her and the crime scene to the lab for testing. The hotel was one of the best in town and now that there had been homicide in it the news would pick it dry and after all her time and effort trying to become famous this surely did it. It was all over the news and of course they had all their own theories.
Meanwhile, he lies there looking at the ceiling, cheating wife in a hotel room with a man he doesn’t even know. He deserved it, he knew. He was never home, work always kept him late. She deserved someone better. If he wouldn’t have taken on this case, if only he had spent more time with her maybe he could have saved his marriage. He couldn’t take the force of his thoughts anymore. He walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. He saw himself going for the gun in his belt and put it too his throat and pulled the trigger. Taking a glimpse at the cold hard world he left behind.
2.
October 15, 2004
Walking down Main Street holding her boyfriends hand, her long blonde hair flying over her shoulders as if the breeze was always making her seem like she was on a run way. There was no doubt of her beauty, long blonde hair, hazel eyes a body any woman can dream of and of course she was dating a model. He had black hair, green eyes, some scruff and a six-pack. He was also funny and sweet but for some reason she couldn’t fall in love with him. There was always someone one else on her mind. Sean. He treated her like she should be treated but they broke up. Before she started thinking too hard about this some man ran into her right arm. He turned and gave her a dirty look.
“Sod off!.” The man said with an English accent.
“Hey man this isn’t London, you can’t just run into a lady and get an attitude!” Damien said. He was getting red at the face and looked as if he were going to start stuff with this guy.
“Just leave it babe.” Carol said grabbing his arm.
“Can you believe that jack ass?” Damien said looking back over his shoulder.
“Just leave it. Look! Let’s go into Starbucks and get a coffee and then go home.” Carol replied.
“Sure.” Damien muttered.
He pushed the door open and they walked to the counter. Damien was ordering for her of course. He always did everything for her, like she was a child. She looked over her shoulder and there he was. His brown hair, with the prettiest baby blue eyes, a smile that could kill and the perfect olive skin tone. She looked away, thinking she was imagining all of this and looked back. He was gone.
“Here.” Damien said.
“Oh, uh, thanks.” She said.
Damien looked at her a bit worried but she smiled and he grabbed her around the waist and led her out the door; the sign saying “Come Back Soon!” and the bell ringing them a goodbye.

3.
Sean ran out of that Starbucks door like someone was chasing him with a knife. He couldn’t believe that he saw her, what were the chances? They came from the same small town and wound up in the same big city. Was this fate or was this the idea of some bad joke? He got to his apartment and sat on the couch. He couldn’t believe it. So many years of trying to chase her down and this is how they meet and this is how he reacts, running away like a chicken? She had a boyfriend so there was no chance he would ever be able to see her. After all these years he still had hope. How pathetic?
4.
Sex wasn’t great that night. Her mind had been preoccupied by the thought of seeing Sean again. She felt kind of bad, Damien was so great to her but he was a bit over protective. He had never been over protective. He let her do her own thing and not push her out of doors or told of men who checked her out or gave her a dirty look. She saw Sean in the most ordinary place. When did he move here? It’s been what four or five years since they last seen eachother? She broke up with him back in high school so she could “focus on herself and become an actress.” looking back now that excuse was so ridiculous. She did, however, push him from her mind when she was taking casting calls and “falling in love” with Damien. Then on a day like today she was going through some old stuff and found some pictures and notes from when they were together. Being reminded of that she opened her bedside drawer and pulled out a note and read:

Beautiful,
People may say I’m too young to know what love is but darling you are the one for me. I know it with my heart and soul and I love you so much. You are on my mind every second of everyday and I hope you realize you mean the world to me. I wish and hope I can spend the rest of my life with you.
Love,
Sean
P.S. I can’t wait to see your beautiful face when class is over!
When she got done reading it she smiled to herself. He was so corny but she knew he loved her. She wondered if he still felt the same way or if he had moved on. She laid back in bed and the last though she had before drifting off to sleep was how she wanted him to be lying next to her.
Early the next morning she had woken up to the smell of pancakes and coffee. Damien had fixed her breakfast in bed, she smiled and took the tray and ate the food on it. He kept looking at her with a huge grin on his face. He took the tray and did the dishes, she got out of bed and walked over to the refrigerator and got a glass of orange juice when she turned around Damien was on one knee with a ring in his hand.
“Carol I love you, will you marry me?” He said smiling. She stood there in shock and his smile slowly faded.
“I have to go for a walk.” She said and got up walking to the room and put on her shoes. She didn’t even hear what he was saying as she was walking out of the front door.
5.
He woke up to his alarm clock bursting into life at 5:30 in the morning. He turned it off, rolled out of bed and walked to the kitchen to get his early morning fix of coffee. He sat in his rocking chair for about five minutes before getting up and getting ready for work. He pulled off his boxers and got into the shower. When he got out he got a fresh pair of boxers, put his black pants and then his black undershirt on. Then he put his police shirt over under shirt and buttoned it up. He went back into the living room to finish his cup of coffee. He wondered if she was dreaming about him and what she was doing right now. He wished he had been able to be the one who lays next to her every morning, waking up to her beautiful face. Did she still hold onto him? Or had she let go? He held on for so long how could she let go? He went back in his room pulled on some socks and put his shoes on. He checked himself in the mirror and left for work, his thoughts traveling with him.
6.
It was a cool morning as she walked to the nearby Seven Eleven. How could he propose now? Didn’t he sense that she was in love with someone else? How could he not? Sean was the only thought that consumed her mind lately. She walked into the door and the bell greeted her. The cashier smiled at her as she passed. She went to the coffee machine ripped open two sugar packets and the bell rang greeting someone else. She was too distracted to pay attention until she her someone yelled. “Nobody move!.”
7.
He was driving past the Seven Eleven. He wanted to get this day over with; all he did was sit at the front desk anyways. It was quite boring and uneventful. He was sort of hungry and so he turned around in the next parking lot and went back to go get some donuts.
8.
“Everybody…” said the gunman smiling. “Get on the fucking ground.” She followed the orders. “Oh no pretty, you’re going to be close to me” He walked over to her and pulled her up by her hair and dragged her to the front of the store. “Don’t even thinking about pushing the emergency button either.” He said to the cashier. “
People were crying and the cashier looked frightened. The gun man continued to look at the cashier “You know what to do, GIVE ME ALL YOUR FUCKING MONEY!” he yelled.
“Please sir, I have a little boy at home.” The cashier said.
“Well if he doesn’t want to see his mommy with her head blown off I suggest you give me all your money.” He said.
She knew that he just needed money and she had to distract him from everyone else. “Hey sir.” She said standing up.
“Get back down on the ground.” He said.
“Sir, you are a pathetic excuse for a human.” She said and spat on him. She didn’t know what happened after than but when she opened her eyes there was blood everywhere. She saw someone bleeding to her right and grabbing their arm. It was him. He looked at her.
“Hey you.” He said smiling.
“You’re.. shot..” She said.
“Well, yeah.” He replied and then fainted.
9.
Questioning took all day, twelve hours. She was worried about him so she headed off to the hospital. This was defiantly NOT the way she wanted to meet him again. Her first words were “you’re shot”. She got to the hospital and parked then went to the main lobby. What was she going to say?
“Hi can you tell me where I can find Sean Murray? She asked.
The secretary smacked her gum and said “Hold on.” She picked up the phone and dialed a two digit number. Carol zoned out. Was he alright? Could she see him? Then she came back to reality.
“Who are you?” The secretary said.
“Carol.” She replied. The secretary went back to talking on the phone