She Was Already Gone

A creative piece inspired by Sugarland's song


Already Gone
By - Carl Waxmonsky

The look in her eyes told the story she knew it was over .
The night sky was surrounding as the cool night sky sent a chill down her neck. Looking into the distance Monica looked at the pavement a foot way. She never knew she would be visioning Luke's footsteps alone in isolation.
The last time she saw Luke , Monica left him on his front porch alone . See look had fire in his eyes and confidence , but truthfully Monica knew she had left him before it was offically over.
She took a long drive in a beat up station wagon . The rattle of tarnish blue automobile was her chariot. She hit the gas peddle hearing the shaking from the front of the car , but Monica heard more than just the ping ping of a useless piece of machinery. She heard her upset stomach and the ringing of ears as her heart dropped in her chest.
"He's a bastard ... He's a bastard ," Monica said as she pulled over and shut the car off.
She ran to the nearest wooded area looking into a dirty canal and ripping a necklace Luke had given her off her neck. She ripped it into little pieces and sprinkled it like salt into the dirty bug infested waters.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she thought about Luke. She saw him walking into his house when he said he had work. He had cars in driveway in the middle of the night , and there was the night they were suppose to look out into the night sky at the park. He was nowhere to be found until she saw his car at the bar.
" He looked into the eyes of the waitress ... with the same spark he looked at me," Monica said pulling her hair back trying to fight back tears.
She felt a hand on her shoulder ...
" Life is a runaway train you can't wait to jump on ... you were already gone," a man walking around saying to himself.
She looked up and the guy was moving around ... standing there with his hands on his hips.
Looking at her and his eyes bulging out of head he said once more , " Life is a runaway train you can't wait to jump on."
The man picked up his tan hat with a black stripe accrossed it. He turned around and nodded to Monica as he walked in the opposite direction to the road.
She kept her arms crossed as she looked at the man walk slower and slower. He picked his head up and then looked up , and then he looked down at the gound with his hands in his pockets . The man then continued on with his walk.
Monica just watched the man walk and began to look at her engagement ring Luke had given her. She began to cry and shook as she could barely breathe.
"Excuse me can I see that ring ?"
Monica looked up and saw the man standing in front of her . She looked up and asked , " What did you say?"
The man asked once more ,"The ring ... may I see it ?"
She ripped the ring from her finger and handed it to the man.
With one look he shook his head in disbelief and threw it to the ground. He had his hands on his hips and paced like lawyer awaiting to make his final case to the jury. He paced and he paced , and then he picked up the ring and handed it to her.
He handed it back to her and looked quickly into her eyes. He gave her half a smile as clenched his lips together .
"What ?" Monica asked .
He looked her dead in the eye .
" Don't lose your heart yet ," He said looking at her wrecked and worn out.
She looked up at him and asked , " Don't you think I did ?" She could barely get up so he helped her , and they walked on .
" How is that his smile yearned me to want to enter this danger. And the fire in his eyes sparked my feelings like flames to a paper? Why did I fall for him?' Monica asked in a state of deep concern.
The man looked at her and stood blankly at her . He remained still as Monica moved her eyes back and forth waiting for an answer.
He walked faster this time and ran down the hill entering the the light of the speeding cars and trucks in the road.
Monica walked back to the tarnish blue station wagon. She thought about what the man meant by life being like a runaway train ... how could life be a train she couldn't wait to jump on? How was she already gone.
He rubbed his the end of his nose and said , "You were already gone."
As she drove down the road she thought of Luke and how she hung out with him . They went to the bar in all hours of the night , and she couldn't believe her mother had let her do that. Then she thought back to what her mother told her before going out with Luke which was :
" Monica you have to go because you have to figure out hands to shake and what hands to hold."
She was done driving all over , as Monica turned in the other direction towards Luke's house. Monica had finally figured it all out.
Luke stood there waiting for her. The two sat on the porch hugging and crying tears as they cast blame on one another. Monica held on to him tight into the night as she fell asleep in Luke's arms.
" Hold my hand ," Luke said as he attempted to lead her into the house.
Monica thought about it for a moment and then stopped dead in her tracks.
She slipped off the ring and then put it in her hand. She pulled Luke's hand back as they stood face to face . Monica looked at him and shook Luke's hand.
" It was fun Luke ," Monica said as she put the engagement in Luke's hand and crushed his hand closed until Luke held up a tight fist.
She then walked to her car and came back with a box . She dumped it in front of him. Clothes , Dishes , Pictures , and socks in one box.
" What the hell Monica!" said Luke in a tone of disbelief .
" That's our life Luke down to one box," Monica said .
Luke had nothing to say . He watched Monica open the car door and look at him in content because there was closure. She beeped the horn and waved to him. Monica pulled out to the end of the driveway and rolled the window down .
She got Luke's attention as he looked out at her.
" Luke . Life is like a runaway train and I couldn't wait to jump on ,"
He was puzzled as Luke just looked like a kid in math class sweating because he didn't know the answer.
" What's that mean ?" Luke asked in a tone of uncertainity.
Monica just stared at him and said , " I was already gone."
She drove down to the bar and pulled into the parking lot . Monica placed the keys on the top of the car . The station wagon had been a getaway car since she met Luke , and Monica was tired of running . She bought a train ticket and headed to the nearest town.
As she proceeded to the train's exit , Monica noticed a man sitting close by. He sat there alone with a white shirt , black dress pants with a crease , and black shoes polished like a new car fresh off the lot.
"Would you care to join me for dinner?" Monica said as she was embarrassed she randomly blurted that out.
" Sure !" The man said letting out his hand.
He introduced himself , " Ty Cooper .
Monica placed her hand in Ty's as they walked to the nearest resturant.
As they were walking Ty accidently blurted out , " Life is like a runaway a runaway train,"
before he could catch himself Monica looked at him and said , " I can't wait to jump on!"