And sooner or later, that would get him killed.
She pressed her hands over her eyes until she saw stars, trying to keep the tears from coming.
It didn’t help. They seeped out past her fingertips as the sound of her unsteady breathing echoed in her ears.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He would never have wanted her to do this. He would want to be on her side. He would do everything he could to prove he would be a good ally and have her back.
He would never understand that that was why she’d had to do this.
He couldn’t know. As much as she wanted him on her side, she’d never forgive herself when he inevitably got hurt. He deserved a life where his loyalty and devotion would be repaid in kind, not with danger and bloodstains.
“He’ll get over it,” she whispered to herself. That thought only hurt her more, but she needed to hear it.
It had been two dates, if you counted running away from murderous gangs as a date. He’d get over it, and so would she. You couldn’t come out of a Computer Science major without being able to do basic reasoning. She’d owed it to Christian to do this, no matter how hard it was in the short run. Even if he would have chosen differently, they were two people compared to a city of millions.
Abruptly, it hurt too much for her to bear it. A yell came out of her, and her hands clenched. She didn’t know how to hold this inside herself.
Her eyes fell on the punching bag. So, get it out.
Kera walked over to her heavy training bag. Her nostrils flared as she inhaled, then she unleashed a series of punches on it. First one at a time, deliberate, then flurries and combos. Every time she saw Christian’s face in her memory, she hit again.
It still wasn’t enough, so she switched to kicks. Straight front ones, side-kicks, roundhouses, and flying kicks. The last couple of jumping strikes knocked the thing nearly to the rafters, and she let it swing back and forth through the air a couple of times before she caught it in frustration.
She didn’t feel any better. As the bag bounced on its chains, she leaned against it, crying openly.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me,” she sobbed, “that being a witch could hurt your heart so badly?”
She kicked the bag another time, and it swayed back. She stepped up and caught it. “I will figure out a time. I will give it back. Just…” She rested her head against the bag. “I'm not perfect. Just give me time to figure out how to keep you safe and not get myself killed."
The Story Continues
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Creator Notes - Michael Anderle
December 7, 2020
Thank you for taking the time to read through the whole story to these Author Notes at the end!
Okay, I get it. What Kera did might make a few of you a tad cross. However, I always wondered why we never had heroes who would make the tough decisions in life but never be wise enough to get someone out of the way BEFORE the bad guys used them in their plans.
Conversely, why does the significant other ALWAYS do something stupid? Why could no one see that ”Gee, you have magic, I don’t…” and just not be stupid?
Just once, I wanted to see what happens when a person gifted with power and opportunity has to make a decision that is commensurate with her gains. Not everything is nice when one gets an opportunity.
Kera made the hard decision. I have had people quit a series before because of something that hurts the heart.
As I have probably had people quit this series because Kera mind-wiped Chris.
However, not everything is forever. She told us the reason. She told us her thoughts. Then she gave herself a goal, a way to get him back.
I look forward to when she achieves that goal.
Okay, you can take my picture down off of the dartboard now. She can get Chris back.
But just ONCE, I wanted to read about someone who made a hard decision to keep someone they cared about safe.
Won’t absence make the heart grow fonder? I hope?
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle.
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How To Be A Badass Witch: Book Two Page 25