the true story

hello everyone i'd like to read something to u all "Come, lay with me."

A lump appeared in his throat, his lips pursing as he held back emotion.

She was small, an emaciated figure with only minutes left to live---so how did she look so... alive? So graceful, and lovely; an incomparable paradigm of life.

The smile that stretched her lips was painful, weak, but as bright as the stars they had met under. Her eyes were as warm as the breeze of that night, and she stared at him as unwaveringly, the man who had brought this upon her, who had ruined the little life she had left.

"Come on. Didn't you always like to cuddle?"

Now his chin was trembling, eyes fluttering and his face contorting with pain as he slowly listened to her bidding. The five steps felt like five marathons, and at the end of them he sank onto the edge of her hospital bed, the silent tears that had gathered within his eyes beginning to fall.

Weakly, she raised her hands, holding his face before pulling him into her, and helplessly, like a child who finally found the light at the end of the dark woods, he sank into her soft embrace. Slowly, she stroked at his mop of wild and tangled hair that was always as unruly as he was, and she chuckled, remembering the fond memories of meadows and track races.

"I love you. Did you know that? I really, really love you darling."

Through his clogged throat, small, muffled noises came from him, and he soon found his arms wrapped around her desperately; as if begging her to remain here, in the moment; as if he could keep her soul within her slowly desiccating body inside by holding her to him.

"You were my first love. It's a shame you'll also be my last, as there was a new you to love each day, but I'll settle with this one today. I do hope I won't be your last one, not with the life you have remaining..."

She rested her tired head on his shoulder, a smile on her face as she murmured, "You'll find another one, right?"

He stilled, breaking from her slightly to look her in the eyes before confessing to her, "I... I don't think that... Why? Why must you go? You... Your life... it was just beginning, wasn't it? Our life..."

She chuckled quietly at that.

"Silly boy---we've had our life! These small years were all the lifetime I needed when every day was an adventure for the two of us fools."

Her thin hand rose to hold his face as she whispered, "This love lasted so many of those adventures, and it was all I needed to live. Just..."

As her breathing became labored, he scrambled to lay her down, but she refused to let go of him. Reluctantly, he laid down with her, holding her in his arms, cradling her as she caught her breath.

He prayed it would not be her last.

With effort, she turned to face him, her face staring up as him before she smiled again.

"You'll find other adventures to live without me, won't you? Other companions; other friends; other loves; other hopes, and dreams. You'll discover them, won't you."

Shallower and shallower her breathing became, but her smile remained on her lips, and her words still came to him, breathy, and hard won, but monumental in their impact.

"Discover more,... live more,... and love more than... I did... I love you, so... even when you have... sad times, and dark times... at the end... can you... promise, to be... happy...?"

The heart monitor that was connected to her slowed, before still, the terrible flatline that came from its end muffled as the world became silent, save for her last words:

"Promise me... promise..."

With his tears dropping down on her still body, he tenderly kissed the crown of her head, his arms squeezing her one last time before he whispered his reply:

"I will, darling. I promise. You can rest with the angels now, love; they're lucky to receive you."

Shaking, but functional, he gently released her empty shell, laying her down and brushing away the hair from her serene face, rose from the bed, and grabbed the call phone to the front desk.

'This is the front desk. Do you need anything?'

He was silent for several moments, composing himself as they became slowly more concerned at the silence on the other end.

'Sir? Sir, are you there--'

"I'm here."

He turned his head to look at her one last time; even in death, she remained the visage of beauty, timeless and peaceful. It was so like her to be content---only she could look so calm in the face of death.

Perhaps that was why his tears reemerged, tracking down his face before he answered, scarcely louder than a whisper:

"She's gone now."
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mila Relationships May 08, 2023 at 3:59 pm 0 1