Decaying Hearts

Chapter 3

Four Years Ago    

Snow fell from hovering grey clouds, the darkening skies a clear warning of the looming winter. Bright lights and decorations hung festively from windows and homes displayed with large trees standing proudly for all to see. These trees varied from home to home, many a dark green, others snow white and a few homes even displayed trees that were pink or black. Each and every tree was decorated differently, some had an array of beautiful lights that twinkled like stars or flashed a rainbow of colours along with colour co-ordinated hangings. Some became home t glittering tinsel that sat elegantly amongst the artificial branches, wrapped snugly around the branches, spiralling down until it could go no further. Others hung homemade treasures sprinkled with glitter made by their young children, nieces, nephews or grandchildren who were all so eager for the annual visit from Father Christmas.

I watched the snow from the warm comfort of my living room; I had always admired how each and every flake was unique, yet they would all somersault to Earth and gather to create a layer of soft fluff across the ground. Looking at the pure white snow made me shiver with the threat of a bitter winter. But the smell of hot chocolate warmed me instantly as the sweet scent wafted through the air. It demanded my immediate attention with Samia tapping me lightly on the back of my shoulder.

I turned to her and saw her usual bright smile greeting me. She held out the steaming cup of liquid chocolate in my usual England football cup, sported our nation's three lions. She kissed me lightly on the cheek before walking back in to our kitchen, my pyjama pants hung lightly at her hips. Our kitchen; our first Christmas in our first home together. I couldn't wait to spend the rest of my life with her.

Samia was beautiful, charming, kind, funny, everything you wanted in a woman; she was it. She was the love of my life. She returned only moments later with her own cup in hand and a plate full of tiny marshmallows, what was a hot chocolate without them?

We sat together on our brand new leather sofa we had bought in celebration of our new home and we watch the fire that burned in its hollow place. The flames flickered an array of tantalising colours oranges and yellows and reds warming the room with its deadly heat, its colours swimming through the room.

I couldn't remember when or how she had done it, but she had scooted closer to me so her body now laid in the crook of my arm and her head rested my shoulder. I was so familiar to me now it just seemed automatic, I no longer noticed the shift.

I looked down at her and couldn't help but be awe struck by her beauty. The light of the flames only emphasised her naturally beautiful olive tan and her brown eyes seemed to glimmer like water in the darkest depths of the sea infiltrated by waves of light. She was perfect.

The doorbell rang. For a second I was disappointed. It was our first Christmas Eve together in our new home and it seemed like someone was more than willing to intrude. But I remembered who it must be and I remembered her with glee. I Kissed Samia softly on her lips with a wordless expression of love and rose to my feet, rushing to the door with the dread of keeping our guest waiting in the cold of winter any longer.

"Hey, big brother!" A joyous voice chimed.

My little sister stood on the wooden porch with arms opened wide and I Instantly pulled her in to mine. She looked up to me with her gleaming smile that I had missed so much, her eyes were wide and bright with the excitement of Christmas. It had been too long, she had moved down south with her fiancée just a few months before and so we had barely seen each other.

It was weird: to go from seeing her almost every day; to seeing her only on the odd or special occasions – but really it was only when allowed it. We had always been close, the furthest we had ever been was only a matter of streets. Then we were miles apart. I had missed her.

Growing up we had always had a close bond, maybe it was the 5 year age gap that kept us from hating each other. Perhaps it was just the fact that neither one of us liked confrontation. Nevertheless, we had always been like best friends. It was good to see her again... and the bump that was now defining her petite body. She had only a month to wait before she would meet her new addition to the family and I just couldn't wait to meet my niece or nephew.

She was glowing in her pregnancy, regardless of the snow that had clung to her dark hair and the bright red blush across her cheeks that had always made her look out of breath.

"It's good to see you Annie." I smiled.

It wasn't until I saw the mess that followed her up the stairs. Oscar, her fiancée, was an over-weight¬ middle-aged thug who seemed to think of himself as a young Leonardo Dicaprio. The truth was a distant dot amongst a cloudy horizon. His stomach hung heavily over his waist line and although he was only thirty – 6 years older than myself, yet his hair was already limited. The crown of his head seemed to reflect the light of the street lamp and somehow reminded me of a lighthouse. His eyes were like black holes, as though they mimicked his dark and hideous soul.

In my eyes, he was nothing more than a monster. I knew how he treated my sister and I knew she was too scared to leave him. I knew she deserved so much better. She deserved a prince rather than a beast.

"You're still with this idiot?" I whispered harshly.

"Please, don't start Josh..." She begged me in an utter, her grey eyes urging me to be nice to him – or at least tolerate him. At the end of the day, if he knew what I thought of him, he would just take it out on Annie later.

So I held my tongue and gave an exaggerated, two faced grin.

""Hi, Oscar. Nice to see you, come on in mate. You must be freezing!" I said through gritted teeth as I held out a hand to the slime ball that terrorised my sister.