The Kidnapped Bride

"I..I...lost..someone very dear to me. Not Once, or twice but thrice in my life till now…"

Jennifer was able to mutter these words in between sobs which was already a big shock for Javier to learn.

Never, until now did he expect her to go through such a vital loss, of losing someone closer to her.

Yes, he might have been through that experience too but not more than once.

Recalling his time, he can clearly remember how much the past incidents changed him. 

"Wh...Who..was it? If you are comfortable to say.." Javier made sure to sound assured, though he can feel himself shivering a little bit. 

Jennifer lowered her face, to see her fingers intertwingled with each other and trying to ease her announcements, "First… when I was a child, second, when I was a teen and thirdly...when I was..back in my university days. Life has been never much kinder to me, Javier." 

Her eyes turned red recalling all how much she misses all of them.

If it was a mere accident, she would have accepted the same yet it wasn't a mere incident.

Especially, the third time when she remembered it crystal clear that the person died, in front of her eyes itself. 

"The first time was when I was still a child.. around six to seven years old at that time. I still remember… I had a puppy with me. He was too cute and my parents were kind enough for me..to bring a roommate like him.."

"They did take notice that I have some likings towards some pups so.. they brought me the one.. his name was Lucifer."

Jennifer murmured in her timid voice with a lot of silence engulfing her.

Licking her lips, she tried her best to control her beating heart yet it wasn't in her hand either to stop herself from letting the fear of something known to capture her very soon.

The grip of her hand around her items of clothing tightened, "Lucifer…was too much love to me. Wherever I used to go, I would bring him along with me. The only exception was school as pets aren't allowed there."

"What happened to your dear dog then?" Javier asked with a sweet little tone.

Despite her feeble voice in the pitch darkness, her body language did change immensely.

It doesn't go unnoticed from his eyes to feel that she was feeling discomfort but somehow trying to overcome it too.

'Probably, she has never shared her deepest fear with anyone else in her lifetime..'

"Lucifer... was at home and my mother used to bring him on walks while I was away from the house, in the school. I still remember, I was at my school during the day and later on, hoped into the bus when the school finished."

"It is unclear what happens on the midway but when I stepped out of the bus, near my home, I saw my mother and father surrounded near something."

Tears were on the verge of falling.

Her eyes were already red, now looked more like red jelly with the nose and cheeks turning red as tomatoes.

Covering her face, she tried to sound normal as always yet it was disturbing or more difficult to act as if nothing major happened.

Staring at her face, Javier brought his other hand on her shoulders and whispered, "Sh… Lucifer won't be happy to see you like this."

"Then.. why did he even left me?" Jennifer replied with her eyes closed and face covered. "No one has control over anyone's death. God had given him a life to love and he loved that.."

She was against everything that happened and Javier already knew this from her facial expressions as well.

When Javier didn't reply, did she continue?

"Yes… you are right but.. he was taken away by me in the cruelest manner where he experienced the most deathless death."

Javier didn't add anything but gave her enough time to speak.

Rather, he drove the car at the minimum speed so that she could express her feelings.

He wasn't eager to reach home, instead of waiting patiently to hear out her sorrow, which shaped her into the woman she is now.

In the end, Jennifer shredded her tears and nodded her head, to indicate she is fine.

Showing a thumbs up, she continued "I saw my Lucifer was covered in blood. He was.. lying on the ground motionless and at that moment, a six years old received her first shock and came face to face with the word called, 'Death'.." 

Hiccups started to come in between when she tried to sound normal. Javier immediately patted her back and when she found her breathe again, she completed her words.

"My mum told me that when she's taking Luci... for a walk, it was Lucifer who was hit by a truck and in the end.. you know what happened so I guess I don't need to elaborate that." 

Javier nodded his head in understanding.

It was easy to guess that her dear dog died in an accident by coming under the truck driver. "That… how a six years old Jennifer lost someone close to her.."

"For the very first time, I lost someone most dear to me at that moment. When can you expect a six years old child to know and understand!? Hahaha. a.a similarly, I cried too much that I don't have my baby with me but.. in the end, accepted slowly and gradually overcame the grief with my parent's help."

It was the hardest part to know that someone you love is not anymore in this world.

Lowering his eyes, Javier's face is covered with a small smirk, "Death a part of life.."

His words did make sense to her but that brought a light scoff of her lips as well.

"Yes. But when you witness that every time you're getting close to in your life is snatched from you, in the end, you start avoiding everything and everyone out there."