True Love’s Sacrifice
By: John Fischer
Luke had never succeeded at what he wanted most out of life. What he wanted was love, but he never found it. He went through so many years searching for the right girl, but she never appeared. He had girlfriends of course, but none that he could say he ever loved. He was very handsome, and had a great personality and that was the only reason he had any girlfriends. All of them were nice, sweet, and cute, but none of them could touch the deepest part of Luke’s heart. He walked down the dark alley and wondered if Love would ever come his way.
It began to pour, but he was too depressed to pay attention to it. He continued to walk as the rain ran off of his jet-black hair in streams. He was soaked to the bone and finally returned home. He walked into the dark apartment and flicked the light on trailing water behind him. It pooled at his feet on the hard wood floors as it continued to drip off of him. He stared at the empty, cold room and only wished that he had found the girl that he had always wanted.
He was freezing so he took a boiling hot shower. The warm water felt good as it chased away the chill from his muscles. He hung his head as the water raced down his face and wondered what the point was. Luke had always believed that he would be the knight in shinning armor that found his princess he would live happily ever after with. He had long since given up on that idea and saw the world in a more cynical way. Dreams do not actually come true, he thought as he smacked his fist against the wall. He had heard so many stories of people finding true happiness and living their dreams, but that could never happen to him, why would it, he was just Luke.
He got out of the shower, dried himself off, and climbed into bed. He thought of the perfect girl that he had always desired. Radiant brown hair, big blue eyes, pouty lips, a little shorter than him, sweet, nice, and all for him. He fell asleep and dreamt of her. It was the perfect moment between the two of them. He never wanted to wake up from the series of dreams he had that night. He woke up hours before he was supposed to and wondered why, when he was having such a good dream, he could not stay asleep. He shut his eyes and drifted back off to sleep, but could not return to the dream world he was so happy in.
Beams of sunlight streamed through the slats in the blinds and covered his face. He woke up and groggily got out of bed. He walked over to the window and peered through to see glowing fog drifting in across the bay being illuminated by the strong sun that threatened to dissolve it. He sighed and got dressed for the day. He went out to go about his normal routine not knowing what lay in his future. It was a beautiful blue-sky day with a brilliant bright sunlight. The leaves and grass were the brightest shade of green they could ever have been and for the moment they took Luke’s mind off of the depression lurking in the dark recesses of his mind.
He sat on a park bench and took in the breathtaking scenery. He looked at the empty space next to him and sighed. Thoughts of failed loved raced through his mind and he wanted to be alone at home in the dark shadows of his room. He got up to leave and then he saw her walking towards him. She was exactly what he wanted, every last detail that he had imagined. He wondered if he was dreaming and tried to prove that he was awake. He rubbed his eyes pinched his side and as he suspected, was wide-awake, with the girl of his dreams walking towards him. It was love at first sight; he had instantly fallen for her and could not let her go by without saying something.
He stopped her and introduced himself. He found out that her name was Darla and not one thing that she said deterred him from falling in love. He could not have asked for a more perfect girl, and likewise she instantly fell for Luke. They were destined to be together, but fate had a different plan in mind. Darla’s old and obsessed boyfriend came running after her, with gun in hand. He was crazed and when he saw her with Luke shouted that no one could have her but him. He raised the barrel of the gun and Darla’s eyes widened as she saw the dark gray, fully loaded tube aimed at her.
Time seemed to slow down as a nearby police officer rushed over to the crazed man, Luke tried to act as the deranged, obsessed lunatic slowly squeezed the trigger. In an instant all manner of thoughts raced through Luke’s head and he made his decision. He grabbed Darla and spun around wrapping his arms around her and putting his back to the gun. The police officer tried his hardest to get to and subdue the man, but it was not enough. The trigger reached its tipping point and the loud roar of fire and exploding gunpowder filled the serene park. Luke looked into Darla’s eyes as the bullet flew through the air. He was content with his decision knowing that he had finally found what he had always wanted.
The bullet plunged into his back only seconds before the police officer knocked the crazed former boyfriend to the ground and hand cuffed him. Luke’s eyes widened as the projectile dug into him and the pain rushed through his body. He let go of Darla and stumbled over to the grass. The crimson red blood poured from the wound and tainted the bright green grass. Luke fell on his back as Darla stood in shock and the officer called in for an ambulance. What had just occurred finally impacted Darla and she ran over to Luke. She picked up his head and held it looking lovingly into his eyes. Tears fell from hers and she wiped the sweat and hair from Luke’s face. His eyes were closed and he was silent, but still breathing.
The officer ran over and asked Darla who he was. She told him his name, and everything else she had learned before he threw himself in the path of the bullet to protect her. He asked her if Luke was her boyfriend or husband to which she simply and quietly answered that she might never know. Luke opened his eyes and said, “It was worth it, I know that you’re my dream, and I’m fine with dying knowing that I found my dream, the girl I could love.
The ambulance sirens grew louder and louder as it neared and Darla begged Luke to hold on. Time seemed to slow down once again as Luke’s blood flowed into the grass. The officer ripped Luke’s shirt, held it to the wound, and carried him to the ambulance. He handed him over to the EMTs and went back to the assailant to take him back to the precinct for charging and processing. Darla got in the ambulance as they tried to patch and stabilize Luke to get him to the hospital. He was pale and cold, but still clung to life. Darla looked at the EMT in the back as the ambulance raced and bounced down the street to the hospital and said, “Will he make it?”
He simply looked back at her and said, “I don’t know.”
The ambulance pulled up at the hospital and they rushed Luke inside. Darla waited in the emergency room as they took Luke immediately into surgery. Hours passed as she paced anxiously back and forth waiting for news. The doctor came out and walked towards Darla. She stopped dead in her tracks and drifted away in her mind. She thought of Luke, of the future they could have and the possibility that it may never happen. She waited for the words as the doctor approached and could not bear to hear the words she feared. The doctor stopped in front of her and opened his mouth. The words began to drift from his tongue and Darla’s heart began to beat fast and she clutched her fist as she awaited the prognosis. Seconds before she found out the outcome she thought to herself about her dream guy and how his life and her own dream hung on the string of the next few words of the doctor.
