Mused: Asher's Attrition

By Laikyn Meng

I thought losing my buddies in battle would blind my humility. But then I met Luna, and she forced my eyes open. There was a bright sky above us.

 

Waited my whole life to belong to something meaningful. It wasn't the family I was born in, or the army unit I signed up for.

 

Luna and Olallie Lovett were the shoc

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Orange 9 Publishing Company LLC
• Release date: Aug 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781088040706

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

D umbass. I scuffed at the truck zooming down our street, walking home from the grocery store. I hoped I would beat the girls back to surprise them with sweets.

As I got closer to the house, the asshole truck driver honked, and I heard Luna scream for Olallie; that’s when I moved. I dropped the eggs, the milk, stupid crackers with plant-based ingredients. I ran like my family was in danger, because they were.

The smack was the next noise I heard clearly, the scent of burnt tires braking. I rounded my parked car, and I hit an invisible wall as I saw Olallie on the curb, Luna lying on her side a few feet away.

Luna… I saw the truck and made a declaration of murdering the son of a bitch. But as I got closer and looked her over, there was no rescue for the dark beauty I fell in love with. Safety could not come from my arms, and I tried to find any patience for the arrogant asshole who had done this to her.

I screamed profanities as her fingers spelled secret messages to Olallie.

Luna was dying before my eyes, and I wanted to lie down and die with her. She couldn’t be taken from me, not this fast, not ever. Please, God, let me love her longer.

Luna, I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I don’t know how to fix this; your body, baby, it’s broken beyond repair. Tell me how to take the pain away. What do I do, please how can I help you? Where does it hurt? Don’t go, please, help is on the way. Tears were fucking cyclones down my face, pounding mercilessly onto my chest. Olallie laid with her arm outstretched, holding her mother’s hand.

We were going to lose the most important woman that had ever been in our lives.

I…we—please, my Moon, I don’t know what to do without you. I need you, Luna… Her eyes stayed open too long, and I crouched down and held her head in my lap. I told her I loved her in all the moments I resisted; I told her I loved her in every reality or fictional world. I admitted I was hers, and she was mine. We were meant for each other and always.

I told her I would never say goodbye.

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Cops arrive to get statements from witnesses, one of the EMTs checks twice, three times for a pulse; she covers her body in a white sheet. I recognize her as someone Luna went to high school with, a teenage mother too. She looks up and finds Olallie hugging my knee; tears form in her eyes as she knows the tragedy has begun.

Or maybe for Olallie, it continues.

I can sit with her while you talk to the detectives. I think her name was Zoe.

She should stay with me. I don’t think she would go with you; she isn’t good with new people.

It must be hard for her to have seen. I’ll be over there if you guys need anything. She walks over to the first aid kit and breaks down at the sight of losing a childhood friend. I turn away because it isn’t her time to grieve or suffer. She doesn’t know what we’ve lost, and I hate everyone here witnessing our pain. Because it’s public and I can’t hide her dead body, reserve last efforts of self-respect because she is just a corpse in the middle of a street. Because of the unlucky bastard who is going to regret this the rest of his short life.

I pick Olallie up, and she lays her head on my shoulder; her fingers play on my back, and I try not to cry as I explain the details of her mother’s death. While the limbs are still warm and her brown hair probably smells like fresh rain from the shower this morning.

Officer Patch says he has to call a guardian to come to get my Olallie. I tell him I’m her guardian. He says he is doing his job, and I want him to screw his career and just let me hold her forever.

Just the boyfriend, gets repeated over the radio. Lennox Krause is called, and I try not to unleash a wild beast ready to tear off heads.

The road is blocked off, and they need to start moving things along and cleaning up the crime scene. The EMTs begin to put her on the stretcher, and that’s about the time I become unglued. I set Olallie to sit on the edge of the sidewalk, nod at Zoe, who comes over and gives her a sucker.

I reach for her, grab her, not wanting to lose Luna.

Where are you taking her? Here, I can carry her. Let me do it, don’t touch her! Get your hands off of her! Two cops hold me back as they roll her into the ambulance, and she leaves my presence. It seems final, it seems destructive, like nothing will be the same.

I keep screaming, I keep shouting, and the only thing that makes me go silent is Officer Patch approaching with Lennox Krauses.

No. Fucking. Way.

Not today, mother fucker.

Fuck you.

Come here, Olallie. My arms are full as she stands and hangs on to them.

Mr. Krause is her legal guardian as of right now. For the time being, we can sort other legal issues tomorrow, but Mr. Krauses is here to take her home.

"She has never met him before, except once. She has been traumatized enough for one day. You can’t do this to her. I’ll take care of her. I live