Prologue

                 The world was bright and warm; I could feel the sun warming my skin as I lay there. I choked on the air in my lungs as my hand pawed uselessly at my shirt, trying to undo the buttons at my neck. I let out a struggled gasp and opened my eyes as a hand wrapped firmly around my fumbling one. Soft white light filled my peripheral vision; I could only see the blurred image of a woman. I knew who it was, I knew the moment she had taken my hand.

                Even though her face was blurred I could tell that desperate, heavy tears flowed freely down her face. Her mouth moved, but the words she spoke fell silent upon my ears. I opened my mouth to try and console her, but nothing came out but another labored wheeze. I could do nothing but desperately open and close my mouth while nothing but gasps came out as I tried to form words. After a little while, I gave up on trying to speak and tightened my grasp on her hand.

                My eyes scanned her face slowly, trying to commit the small details to memory. The way that her cheek dimpled when she smiled, and how her eyes were so blue that they could put the sky to shame. The way her blond haired framed her delicate features and how it had a habit of getting in her eyes. With the hand that wasn’t clasped in hers, I reached up and brushed a strand of that blond hair away from her cheeks. A streak of red trailed after my hand. I covered the smear with my hand and met her gaze. I tried to smile, she only cried more.

                Warm blood blossomed out from the wound in my chest; I could feel it plastering my shirt to my skin. My hand dropped away from her face as my breath caught in my throat another time. It came back a moment later in the form of a wet, guttural cough. I felt a trickle of blood spill out from the corner of my lips; I could taste the copper on my tongue as the blood filled my mouth. I was dying. I knew it all along. I wasn’t scared though, it didn’t hurt anymore. The world was beautiful and bright and I was warm. Nothing could hurt me anymore. I wanted to tell her this so that she wouldn’t worry, but I knew I couldn't.

                Tears now gathered in the corners of my own eyes. I would never see her again. This would be her last memory of me. There was no helping it, so I squeezed her hand one last time. Then I let go of this life, and I died.

                Again.

Reviews

[Megan A B]

In a word: wow! I love the contrast with the first sentence - completely lulled me into a sense of false security then horrified me. I also love the contrast with the physical side - the coughing up blood next to the calmness and concern for the woman is amazing. Great work!

[Silent_S C R I P T]

Aww, thanks!