The Promise and Unpaid debt

SEVERAL years ago... Spring Break...

The 16-year-old Henri met the 13-year-old Latton when she entered his tree house located outside their family's estate. For her, he is the only boy she can talk to without triggering her anxiety and, for him, she is the only person that treats him kindly.

From one spring break to another, their fondness for each other grew stronger, and they developed emotions for one another.

But things were about to change on one normal day. Henri had just turned 18 years old and Latton flew a week early to Ohio to surprise him.

She went to the tree house and waited for him patiently. She knew he goes the tree house every day. By six in the evening, he arrived and was surprised to see her there, with a small chocolate cake in hand. She sang him a birthday song and could see how delighted he was.

"Come on blow your cake and make a wish," she uttered, smiling from ear to ear.

He nodded, then stared into her eyes. The light of the candle was reflected in her dark brown eyes. "I hope we will be like this forever." He replied, then blew his candles.

She puckered her lips. "No! Henri. You're not supposed to say your wish out loud or else it won't come true." She explains, then tries to light the candles again, but he stops her.

He held her hand and then grinned, "You believe in those kinds of things, Lat?" He uttered playfully.

She nods.

He laughed, then took the cake from her hand and, for an unknown reason, he felt something that he had never felt before. A spark traveled all over his body, and it made his ears and face scarlet. As if he is seeing her differently. She's not just a girl or a friend. She's a lady that he could see building a life with.

He slowly leaned forward, caressed her face, and gently kissed her. Her eyes widened but soon got lost in his touch. She could feel the warmth of his hand on her cheeks and the softness of his lips intertwined with hers. His hands began to travel on her body as if he were rummaging through cabinets looking for a hidden treasure.

He gently unbuttoned her shirt and nuzzled her neck.

She gasped. Soon flashes of unwanted memories entered her mind.

Breathless, she slowly pushed him away. "I can't..." She mumbles as she breathes rapidly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I got carried away." He says while fixing her clothes.

She shook her head then stroked his face, "You're too nice and gentle, but I'm not ready yet." She remarked, then kissed him on the cheek.

He smiled and then patted her head. "I can wait." He mumbled softly while holding her hands.

She blushed.

Soon a promise was made.

"When I turn 18 I think I will be ready." She remarks.

He beamed and opened his mouth, but before he could respond, they heard an angry man shouting.

"Henri!"

"Henri!" The man yells at the tree house. "Get your ass down here."

It was Henri's uncle. Latton was about to scream back, but Henri stopped her. "Don't waste your precious time with him." He muttered while giving her one final kiss on her lips. "Let's meet again tomorrow?"

She nods.

Soon he went down and Latton saw how his uncle punched him in the stomach and then pulled him to the car by the ear.

Rage flared in her as she stared at their car speeding away.

When they are out of sight, she glances at the untouched cake and her gaze darkens instantly.

Her impulsiveness took over her. She took the cake and drove to the Marx farmhouse. A few feet away from the gate she stopped her car and walked discreetly to the estate.

She was still far from the house, but she could hear Henri's grunts. When she reached the corner, her heart sank. Henri's uncle kept on hitting him like he was his punching bag while the guards held Henri's arms so that he couldn't fight back.

She stood witness to how Henri's life was.

"You hear stories of abuse but seeing it still hits differently." She realized to herself. "And yet he smiles whenever we are together like the world never did him wrong." She added as tears rolled down her eyes.

"Do you think, because you're at legal age, you can now take everything from me?" Henri's uncle screamed. Veins from his forehead bulge as if they are going to pop anytime. "Remember who took you in when your parents died... Me... I did... You fucking ingrate." He added, then spat at Henri's face.

She couldn't take it anymore, but what could a teenager do against a fully grown man?

She glanced around and found a shotgun. She didn't yell or make any sound. She took the shotgun, and aimed it at the barrel near them to get their attention, so Henri could run away. Unfortunately, her aim was bad and it hit Henri's uncle. Luckily, the shotgun had birdshot bullets. It did not kill him, but it wounded the man, hitting his torso and left thigh. The incident caused a commotion in the Marx Farmhouse. The guards holding Henri hastily ran to their boss.

One of the guards was about to attack Latton, but Henri jumped on the man and gestured to her to run.

Her heart is pounding, her palms sweating, and she still hasn't fully processed what she did.

She ran fast while Henri put the guard in a chokehold. Soon, the guard lost consciousness.

He glanced around and saw how his uncle was being carried to the car while a few other guards were about to make a move on him. He was about to accept defeat, but soon Latton arrived with her car. "Get inside!" She yelled. Her eyes convey mania.

With trembling legs and a bloodied face, he ran to her. She drove as fast as she could and accidentally ran over one of the guards and the car's windshield was smashed due to the collision. They could see the blood droplets from the windshield.

Both of them glance at the unmoving guard on the pavement. Blood soon gushes out of him as if it wants to drown the body.

Her body stiffened, "Oh my god!" She cried out, realizing she had just killed someone. She covered her mouth in shock while her widened open eyes continued to pour tears. "I'm going to jail!" She muttered.

Henri sensed her fright, and he held her firmly in an embrace. "No, you won't. I did this. I shot my uncle and ran over that guard." He said to her. Soon he asked her to move to the back passenger seat, and he continued to drive her to the airport.

The rain started pouring and Latton couldn't stop crying.

He smiled awkwardly, "Calm down, would you? Accidents happen." He uttered, trying his best to make light of the situation, "You need to go back to California. I'll take care of this. Let's see each other on spring break." He uttered.

She nods.

But she never came back. That spring break she got into an accident and when she woke up she had unknowingly forgotten about him.

Meanwhile, Henri was detained. He endured the intense interrogation of the police officers about the guard that Latton ran over, but he kept on saying it was him and no one else.

After a week, he was released on bail by his uncle, only to be tortured to give up the name of his accomplice. He never yielded and, for the first time in his life, he fought back hard.

On that day, something snapped out of him. When his uncle told him what he'd do to the person who shot him, his uncle's words frightened him. To save Latton from his uncle, he burned the house with his uncle still inside. He watched as the flame engulfed his uncle alive.

When the police apprehended him, he was laughing maniacally and there was contentment in his eyes as if he was relieved from a heavy load.