FicWad

Away
Disclaimer: What is a disclaimer anyway? Everyone knows I don't own Darren Shan or 'Solitude' by Evanescence. And for those who don't know, I don't own them.
This is something that came to me when I was supposed to be revising history. I suppose I see things in textbooks that others don't. It features two characters of my own. This is my first attempt at writing a love story- I've tried before but they end up being hilarious and completely not serious.

For several reasons the park was perfect. Firstly it was empty- no people meant no bother or confrontations. It was quiet, nothing to interrupt or annoy. It was outside, so there were no walls to stare at or enclose. Just bushes, trees and wide open spaces waiting for someone to occupy them. Lucinda was waiting for someone too. James was never late, and if he was he rang her so she wouldn't be worried. Although, of late he had been.... Different. Distracted. James Macallen was Lucinda's best friend and had been for as far back as she could remember. In fact he was everything. Her friend, her family, her world. Having no-one and nothing would have been a lot worse without him. Her family, if indeed she had any had never been mentioned to her by anyone, least of all the people at the home she had been raised in. Although there must have been somebody because girls such as herself did not attend first class boarding schools like St. Georges free of charge. That had always puzzled her. It didn't matter anyway, because she had James. For seventeen years she had always had James and there was no one else in the world that she wanted. That was why she was so worried. Stopping the swing she sat in she looked around the park, squinting in the bright afternoon sun. Spotting the huge old oak tree she and her best friend had fallen out of many times, she sighed. There he was, standing underneath. He had been watching her all along, leaning against the park railings in that arrogant way. She smiled in his direction, but couldn't really see him with the sun in her eyes.
"James?"
He didn't answer, but stayed very still. She frowned. He had developed a strange attitude of late, he was quiet, and somehow....angry.
"James, are you ok?" She got up and began to walk towards him, so she could speak to him without having to squint or raise her voice. It was quite a way between the swings and the railings, and she still couldn't see James properly.
"James, you seem different at the moment. Are you sure you're...."
She stopped abruptly. The overhead branches of the oak tree provided enough shade for her to see that it was not James that had been watching her.
"Hey Lucy, you ok?"
Lucinda was strangely relieved to hear James's voice behind her, and even more so when he bounded up behind her and grabbed her shoulders. But....she couldn't take her eyes away. He was still staring at her, leaning in the same position. James stood still.
"Who's your friend?" he asked happily.
Lucy was silent. She shook her head and backed away. James's expression changed.
"Luce, what's up? Did he upset you? Who is he?"
"I...I don't ..."
James grabbed Lucinda and turned her to face him.
"I don't know him James; I just...thought he was you."
James frowned.
"You're all shaken up! What's the matter?"
"I was just worried 'cos you were late, that's all."
James seemed satisfied and let her go. He steered her away from the railings and they began to walk away.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Mr Kennedy kept me in. Wants me to play hockey on Saturday against that prep school......"
Lucinda turned as she walked, nodding at everything her friend said. Looking back to the tree she shivered. The guy had backed up a few paces, and now there was a strange smile in his cool grey eyes. He backed up casually and suddenly she couldn't see him anymore.
"Lucy?" She felt James's hand on her forehead.
"You sure you're ok? You look a little delirious." His thick Scottish accent was laced with concern as he studied her face.
"Seriously James I'm fine. Let's just go home...."
They began to walk again, this time in silence as Lucinda thought. Why had he had such an impact? Even now she could still feel his piercing eyes watching her.
"Luce, I have something to tell you."


-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Lucinda rubbed her arms as she sat on the bed, staring out of the window of her room at St. Georges boarding school. It was cold in there, especially after what James had just told her. It may be a beautiful sunny evening outside, but her world was black.
"When?" she croaked.
James stood up.
"Tommorrow."
He started to walk towards her.
"Luce, I'm sorry. It's just for the summer. It's just....I may never get a chance like this again."
"It's ok James, I understand."
He nodded and sat down next to her.
"You can still go though. The cottage is still yours for the summer. Take someone else..."
"Who?"
Lucinda was trying to be strong but was failing miserably.
"I don't have anyone else."
"I.....I don't know what to say..." James looked away, his face full of guilt.
She snapped.
"How about bye Lucy, see ya in a few months, and enjoy your summer all by yourself."
She jumped to her feet and raised her voice.
"Go on, Lord James Macallen! Go! Go and treat the rest of the world like your sort do! We're only people, aren't we? What the hell do we matter? What does seventeen years mean?"
James buried his face in his hands.
"Lucy I hate this too."
"THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU GOING?"
"Because I may not be able to again!" He stood up and walked towards her, his dark hair falling into his eyes.
"Just....tell me one thing. If you knew you would be going off like this, why did you make sure I didn't have anyone else? You made us stay cooped up in your parent's estate, rather than here where I could have had friends. Now I have no-one."
James sighed.
"Because I'm selfish. I didn't want to share you."
Lucinda nodded, unable to speak. Her vision was blurred- tears that wouldn't fall.
"Go." She whispered.
"What?"
"You go. And.....don't look back."
James's face creased with sadness and he took Lucinda's arm.
"You....I can't leave....."
Lucinda looked up at him coldly.
"You already did."
She moved away slowly, staring at him with empty eyes. The door seemed to open by itself- she couldn't feel anything.
"Lucy, please don't leave like this..."
She stared at him for a second longer, then turned slowly. The door closed behind her, but it wasn't long before James opened it again.
"Lucy?"
He strode out into the hallway and looked all around him.
She was gone.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Lucinda felt very small as she wrapped herself in a black shawl and looked up at the huge medieval building that had been her home for so much of her life. Most kids hated school, but it was her home. The wind was blowing hard, and her long black hair was flying all around her pale face. The sky was alight with a huge full moon, bathing the old English countryside in a surreal light. The sea roared under the cliffs, sending ocean spray across the playing field. Seeing James appear at the window, Lucinda closed her eyes and turned away from the school. Then she ran. It wasn't long before heavy rain began to fall, making her pathway muddy and all together treacherous. The cliffs loomed beneath her, and the bare trees that lined their tops grabbed and clawed at her. Suddenly a huge bolt of lightning split the sky with an almighty cracking sound. Lucinda screamed, as her path descended and she slipped. Her fall seemed to last forever, until she realized that she was holding onto a tree root, dangling over the edge of a perilous cliff. She screamed, but there was no one there to hear it. Her shawl slipped from around her shoulders and blew away over the sea, leaving her hanging. She tried not to move but her arms were growing weak. She didn't have long left. Then a hand appeared. She stared at it, squinting through the rain, wind and fear. Looking into a pair of icy grey eyes, she let go of the root and slid down a little further. But Lucinda did not scream, and as the strong arms hauled her up she rolled over and lay on her back, looking at the sky from her clifftop. The moon had never looked so beautiful.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Lucinda was not really aware of much after that, except from the fact that the strong arms holding her did so for a long time. When she woke, her first impulse was to call out for James. But James wasn't there. It was someone else.
"You're awake."
She turned in the direction of the voice, realizing that she was lying in a bed- not her own.
"Where am I?"
"You are safe."
She studied the speaker. It was him. She sat up quickly, pulling the soft quilt with her.
"You!"
He smiled. His deep grey eyes twinkled slightly as his dark hair fell across them. He sat in an arm chair, near a window. The sleeves of his black jacket were rolled up, revealing the same strong muscular arms that had saved her from falling to her death.
"Who are you?"
He looked sad, disappointed.
"A friend."
Lucinda noticed that he was clutching a white towel to his torso, as sticky blood seeped through his jacket.
"You're hurt." She said.
"So are you. There's one thing we have in common." His voice was quiet.
"Yeah, but I'm not dead, so call it a bonus." She swung herself out of bed and went to the window.
"You have some explaining to do."
Her breath caught in her throat as she was pulled away from the window and stumbled back onto the bed.
She looked up at him angrily but he still stood at the window.
"What the hell...."
"Don't stand next to windows, it's not safe." He looked around. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, I didn't mean to."
She sat up and softened her gaze.
"Look, none of this makes any sense to me, and I don't know what to do."
He strode over to her slowly, removing the towel from his abdomen and wincing.
"You can do what you like, just don't be scared." He sat down next to her and watched her intently.
"I'm not." Lucinda knew she should have been, and normally would have been. But....
"Do I at least get to know you name?"
He laughed softly, still clutching his side.
"Darren Shan."


x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

How many times have you told me you love her?
As many times as I wanted to tell you the truth.
How long have I stood here beside you?
I lived through you, you looked through me.

Ooo, Solitude
Still with me is only you
Ooo, Solitude
I can't stay away from you

How many times have I done this to myself?
How long will it take before I see?
When will this hole in my heart be mended?
Who now is left alone but me?

Ooo, Solitude
Forever me and forever you
Ooo, Solitude
Only you, Only true

Everyone leaves me stranded,
forgotten, abandoned
left behind.
I can't stay her another night

Your secret admirer, who could it be?

Can't you you see all along it was me?
How can you be so blind as to see right through me?

Solitude
Still with me is only you
Ooo, solitude
I can't stay away from you

Solitude
Forever me and forever you
Ooo, Solitude
Only you, Only true

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
So how was it? Please let me know so I don't continue it and look like a mahousive fool......
Thanks for reading,
X x x x x x x x x x

Ps, work out who's point of view the song is coming from.