Moonlight

Written in 2008.

The moon hung low in the night sky, a full sphere of pure white light. Stars filled the darkness, making the cool night nearly perfect. Marc stared into the sky, lost in deep thought. A cool breeze flowed lightly across the field, calming his every nerve. He almost seemed mindless.

 

"They are beautiful, aren't they?" a female voice emerged from beside him.

 

Blinking once, Marc sat up turned his head to his right to see her face. Laying beside him was a girl nearly his age. Her long brown hair acted as pillow as she stared upwards. In the moonlight, Marc could clearly make out the deep blue of her eyes. She was simply stunning, though he had never had the courage to tell her. Marc looked into her eyes.

 

"That they are," he responded. He noticed a smile appear across her face. Beautiful, he thought. He then looked back up into the sky. "That they are…"

 

She giggled. "Did you really need to repeat yourself, Marc?"

 

He smirked. "No, Beth. I suppose I did not." Slowly, he fell back onto the ground., keeping his eyes on the stars.

 

"Have you ever wondered what's up there?" asked Beth.

 

"You mean in space?" he responded.

 

She laughed. "No. I know what's in space!" She pointed her finger into the sky. "No, what's beyond space?"

 

He pondered this for a moment. "Heaven, perhaps. If you believe in that type of thing," Marc replied.

 

Beth sat up and directed her gaze to his green eyes. "Yes, perhaps Heaven! Are you trying to say you don't believe in Heaven, Marc?" She smiled menacingly at him.

 

He looked into her eyes, almost caught in their glare. " I don't know Beth. It seems a bit far fetched. I mean, I'd like there to be a heaven of sorts. It's make life a lot more enjoyable, but I don't really know."

 

Beth shook her head. "Sometimes, Marc, you are just too difficult, even for me!" She fell back, redirecting her eyes to the sky. "Can I tell you something?"

 

Marc nodded. "You can tell me anything."

 

Beth briefly smiled. "When I was younger, my mother used to tell me that the stars were angels, and that they were watching the earth, to keep us all protected. To keep my protected."

 

Marc could tell she began to get choked up. Her mother had died before she entered high school, and though it was three years before, she still had difficulty accepting the fact.

 

"I used to believe that. And since she's been dead, I have felt as if she is up there, protecting me and keeping me safe." Her eyes began to tear. "Then we got into that accident last year. And since then my faith has grown even stronger. Not so much that the stars are angels, but the fact that she's protecting me still."

 

Marc wiped tears from his eyes as well. He continued to stare upwards, just listening to her.

 

"But I worry about you Marc. I am afraid that you won't accept this, and that you won't be with me someday." She began to weep silently.

 

Marc noticed and reached out with his right hand. He grabbed hers and held tightly. "Please. Stop crying," he said faintly.

 

Beth shook her head. "Not until you promise to be with me."

 

Marc bit his lower lip. He wanted to tell her how much he cared for her, but he still couldn't. "I promise," was all he could say. He looked over to her, only to find a smile appear across her face.

 

"Thank you, Marc," she replied.

 

Marc turned his head to his left and closed his eyes. He fought to hide his own tears, but he could not. Minutes passed until he was finally able to control himself. After regaining his composure, he turned back towards Beth.

 

But she had vanished. Marc smiled faintly, his eyes still somewhat teary. He took a deep breath as he returned his eyes to the sky. He had never been able to her how much he loved and cared for her. And now he didn't have the chance.

 

Marc looked to the moon. He imagined it being his guardian angel, the one who had protected him all along. He closed his eyes, nearly falling into sleep. "I love you…"