Sonata of Flames

This story took a lot longer than it should've due to writer's block. Hope my good friend Bhavya doesn't mind that I used one of great works in here. Enjoy! :)

Sonata of Flames

                I stared down at the ashy hospital bed as my grandma lay there. She was slowly dying. I came earlier before she was sedated. She had been afflicted with both cancer and Alzheimer’s.

            Two hours later she had woken up from the moderate sedative. Her eyes slowly opened up to the bright lights above and was brutally reminded where she was by the constant sound of the EKG.

             “The box…” she mumbled. I rummaged around my bag for the wooden box I had brought along with me. It was a gift I received from her a year ago when she was admitted into the hospital. The box was given to her from her husband before they were married. A wooden box along with his own camera was all he could afford to give her at the time. Along with the camera was a stack of pictures taken some time ago.  When my Grandpa died she had cherished the box and taken out the camera but left the pictures and was later going to pass it down to me before she had died. It was a wooden package of memories.

            I gave her the small container and a smile stretched across her face. Her happiness was one the things that I wanted most in this world. She ran her weak fingers across the engraving and closed her eyes reminiscing on the past. I pulled up a chair right beside her bed as she dozed off pondering over the past. Finally she awoke.

            “In the drawer…” her voice trailed off. I looked over at the nightstand beside the bed and opened it. Inside I found a lonely key. “Take it home and unlock the piano. It also unlocks my guitar case. Put those items in the box,” she said as she handed me back the wooden container.

            The nurse came in with a cart with meds atop of it and interrupted the conversation.

            “Sorry I need to cut it short but it’s getting late and we can’t allow visitors after nine,” she said as she tidied up the room.

            “Yeah… sure,” I said quietly. I gathered my belongings and kissed my grandmother on the forehead. I walked out of the room examining the key. The box along with everything else was about eighty years old. The items were weakened by time and were antiques.

            As I walked out of the hospital I called Ashley; the love of my life.

            “Hey I’ll be at your house in a few…” I needed to update her on my grandma’s condition.

            “Ok…” she quietly agreed. She was already devastated by the situation and was having family problems on top of that. I hung up and looked down at the grey puddles the downpour had left.

            I had loved that it always rained in Seattle. It was beautiful to see it every day, to wake up and hear its alluring sounds. Although it didn’t smell quite as good as it did in Hawaii I loved it though. I walked home as the cars lit up the night and people flooded the sidewalks. It was gloomy today just like it was every other day. I hardly saw bright colors when things were grim it was weird. Everyone dressed as if they were attending a funereal; black.

            I walked up the stairs to her house and saw her deep in thought through the window. I tapped on the transparent surface and saw her look up at me with striking hazel eyes; that were filled with a worlds worth of sadness. It was painful to look at something so beautiful endure something so horrible.

            I walked in a felt the warmth of the many candles that filled her home. The smell of artificial scents engulfed the house along with the calm sound of lonely raindrops falling would have made a beautiful atmosphere but was ruined by sinful thoughts of death. I sat down next to her as she cried on my shoulder.

            We had been childhood friends and my grandma was the closest thing to a guardian she had. Her own biological mother was corrupted by drugs and alcohol, while her father was also a man of vice with crime entwined into his lifestyle. Most her nights were filled with abuse and disgust; soon she ran away every night to leave her sorry parents to their sorrow. She ran away with me sitting atop of my house, overlooking the city. Those nights exploring the city’s rooftops eventually led to the love that we now share with one another.

            It almost tore me apart to see the two most important people in my life to be in anguish. My chest burned along with my heart the more I gave it thought. My vision sharpened as hot tears formed. My grief had stopped right when my Mother shot my Father and then proceeded to commit suicide. The sound of the gunshot still haunted me from that day on and was burned into my memory as a nightmare. I couldn’t blame her. My mom was occasionally abused because my dad was an alcoholic. She didn’t want to leave because she loved him.  I guess after she killed him she couldn’t bear living with the thought that she had killed the one person she had loved the most. She ultimately wanted me to have a better life, a life without them.

            I stroked Ashley’s dark brown hair as silent tears fell on me.

            “How is she?” she looked at me. Every time I looked deep into her eyes I was speechless. The beauty was almost overwhelming.

            “She’s fine…”

            “Did they say how long?”

            “They said that they didn’t know for sure. It could be tonight or next month. She’ll be fine though.”

            “Okay.” She let out a sigh of relief after she was greatly comforted by words of confirmation. After a few moments of silence passed she looked up at me again and gave me a tender kiss on my lips. I responded with a deeper more passionate kiss and we lay on the couch looking at the flames dancing around us.

            I reeked of rain while her sweet and enthralling scent seemed to skip around my head. Her scent had always seemed to cloud my mind, my judgment, and ensured my love for her.

            “Ash I need to get home and pick up something real quick. I’ll be…”

            “I’ll be on your roof; waiting,” she flirted before I could finish.

            We both were more than capable of navigating the roofs. It was one of the adrenaline pumping excitements we shared. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop. The feeling of desolateness was amazing. You felt as if you were unstoppable when you were jumping. The first rush of wind and the special feeling of gravel top.

            Instead I took the streets and departed with a third kiss. I wanted to smell the rain today. I walked down the street and finally came to my house. I looked above to see her curvy legs dangling, I smiled. My guardian angel. I quietly unlocked the door and walked upstairs. I entered her room and saw her guitar case lying against the wall. My eyes have never once looked inside at the contents and I looked over at the piano. The fading black was a beautiful touch; only to be touched by the lovers and time. I sighed as I smelled the timeless memories that filled the room; decaying memories. I slowly approached the case and laid it down. I brushed my hand over the cover and my hand had been enveloped in dust. I pushed the key in slowly and could feel the rust that time had left on the case. I opened the case to see an acoustic guitar. I also saw a compartment which contained a camera. I examined the camera and was surprised that it still had chemicals within it. The camera was one of only a handful of its kind and took everlasting pictures. The beauty lay in the way that the picture looked after the memory was captured. It had enough chemicals required for two more pictures. I took the camera and placed it into the wooden box where it would remain for a lifetime. I continued on toward the piano. I sat down on the bench and blew. The piano had remained in the same room for decades. I looked down and unlocked the wooden cover to the keys and stuck the key inside.

            The piano keys aged along with the rest of the piano. I pushed down on one of the keys as it emitted one of the most harmonious sounds I had ever heard in my entire life. It didn’t sound like an ordinary piano but something much more; beyond words. The strings were matured to perfection, it was almost like wine. I looked in front of me to find a small cupboard where the music was supposed to stand and unlocked it. I found a musical composition inside. It was a piano piece that had been written by my grandfather who died of old age about ten years ago when I was eleven. The paper had been crinkly and the song was titled “Sonata of Flames”.

            Ashley had slipped through the bedroom window.

            “Sorry, it started to rain.”

            “I wanted you to come in,” I replied with a flirtatious smile. She came over and kissed me with her soft lips.

            “What’s this?” she asked. She looked over the music sheets. She had an anxious look on her face and I could already tell what she had been thinking. “Play it for me.”

            “I don’t think I can…” I said unsurely. She grabbed my hand and gently set it atop of the keys.

            “For me…” I couldn’t refuse that gorgeous look, charming voice, and lovely touch. She sat down next to me and waited for my fingers to produce the lovely music hidden behind the notes and paper.

            I studied the music hard and finally was able to produce the music. The sonata was unlike any other musical piece I’ve ever heard, combined with the incredible piano made it magical. As I played it; the music was almost too sweet for the human ear. The first few notes of the piece were happy and upbeat and then gradually it changed from cheerful to melancholy in a matter of seconds. The sound hypnotized Ash and she fell in love with it. As my fingers touched the keys I began to reminisce about everything. She softly sighed at the raw beauty of the moment as the music continued to touch her heart. The touching sonata ended with a soft and final chord. Her eyes remained closed as she savored the lasting feeling of the masterpiece.

            My hands slid from the piano to around her waist and pulled her closer to me as her eyes stay closed. I removed the old camera from the wooden box and placed it into her hands.

            “What’s this?” she asked. She examined the camera carefully as she could tell that it was an antique of some sort.

            “Guess.”

            “It’s an audio recorder…” the sophisticated camera was too old and far much more alien than today’s cameras. That it became unrecognizable. I laughed softly.

            “No, it’s a camera.” A smile had stretched across her face as she once again examined the object.

            “Wow!” She was almost speechless and could hardly believe me. “Is this your grandma’s?”

            “Yeah it was; decades ago.” She was eager to examine it with more depth. Technology always was a passion for her. She would sit at her desk and take apart countless objects and would find out how they worked. She pulled open the chemical tab and saw it was extremely in short supply. She sat there for a moment and wondered about the many things in her life that troubled her and she was paralyzed by thought. Finally I began to play the piece again and she slowly got pulled back into reality.

            “Let’s take a picture!” she said excitedly. I stopped playing and was unsure.

            “That thing couldn’t possibly work…”

            “Well it’s worth a try!” I then agreed and she pulled me to her. She held the camera up and pointed it towards us. I smiled, lost in the moment. The camera weakly flashed and the memory was captured. The photo instantly developed and it slowly came out. The photo had a very depressing feeling to it due to the sepia color and the material it was developed on. I looked down at the wooden box to see that all the other photos were sepia and had the same old paper. All those moments were captured with the camera. Ashley placed the photo along with the others and smiled.

            “Couldn’t believe it still works after all these years. We should save the last photo for something really special,” she said quietly as she placed the camera in the box and closed it.

            “Come on we should get back to the hospital.” I said as I grabbed the box and headed toward the window.

            “No, I think I’ll stay here a little bit longer but I’ll be there shortly.” I departed with a kiss and was back on my roof.

            It was raining hard. The water hit me like bullets as I looked at the clouds above. The rain stank when it had hit the asphalt; but was still beautiful. I took my usual route to the hospital and saw construction all over the city. It was changing, slowly but surely. The noise the machines produced drowned out the calming sounds of the passing cars.

            Was change for the better or the worse overall? A question that constantly lingers on my mind. If you asked someone most would answer with for the better, some would say it depends on the situation; it could be bad or good. The few that remained would say they wouldn’t know. In my opinion those would be the correct ones. Change was a choice made by humans. It was God’s way of telling you which way to go. If you followed his voice long enough through many hardships than you would be welcome into his home. I’d like to think we’d make it all to heaven but I knew that some people wouldn’t change. I sighed at the bitter reality.

            I finally reached the hospital. The automatic doors slid open and a warm gust of air made its way out. I could hear the familiar voice of the woman over the intercom calmly requesting doctors to certain parts of the hospital. I walked through the familiar sequence of corridors and came to the darkest part of the hospital.

            The people who were doomed to their inevitable fate. Like my grandma, I watched as their bodies tried to conjure up the strength to continue, to fight the cancer. Soon the cancer would win and their souls would leave the broken carcass behind. I grinned at the passing elderly woman using the rails on the walls to support her. She smiled back weakly but joyfully. I could feel the hairs on my back stand up as another group of people passed following a gloomy nurse. I sighed and looked down at the white tiled floor as the balding group passed. The chemotherapy was helping them but at the same time was slowly diminishing the power that was keeping them alive. The sight was almost too depressing to watch. As they passed me I could almost feel all the sadness that was bottled up and kept within them.

            I could see the 141 in sight and was almost relieved to see those particular numbers. For some strange reason I would always separate the numbers in my head and saw it as fourteen and one. I would remember that number for the rest of my life; the room number that my grandma stayed in, the room that she would die in. The doctor had walked out of the room. He had become a good friend over the few months that I had known him. John was a quiet man but penitent. He smiled as he passed me. I stepped into the room to see that two nurses were fiddling around with the medical equipment that surrounded her. I came in with a bright smile and was proud to carry the warm box in my arms.

            “Put a colon in between…”

            “What?” She was disoriented and gave me a weird alien look and squinted down at the wooden case. I cautiously stepped forward wondering what she was thinking. Finally I came within arm’s length and her eyes widened as soon as I held the box out. She immediately sat up removing connected tubes from her pale skin and attempted to strangle me. I instantly backed away as the nurses restrained her. I set aside the box and felt the marks that were left on my neck. I traced the lines and could feel the anger that was set into them.

            “I will kill you!” she screamed at me as she fought the nurses. They screamed for help and two residents came rushing in.

            “I suggest you get out of here until further notice,” one of the residents said calmly. I quickly grabbed my bag and sat at the chair across from the room too shocked to comprehend what was going on. I could hear her muffled screams in the room before me as she continued to resist the doctors.

            One of the residents rushed out of the door to fetch something.

            “Who the hell is he?! I swear to God I’m going to kill him!” she screamed angrily at them. The resident had come back with a few more nurses and a transfer bed. The muffled screams quickly faded. They came out of the room with her on the bed. She was weak the EKG monitors were beeping slower than usual. Her arms went limp as they dangled on the side of the bed as they rolled her out. Her face ghost white and her eyes wide. John approached me as he prevented me from following her down the hall.

            “Well apparently she’s still suffering from the Alzheimer’s disease and something triggered her anger back in the room. Her heart isn’t doing well especially since it just went up to one twenty. We’re transferring her to ER and we’ll be back shortly.” The doctor left quietly and I sighed. I looked to my left to find Ash just as shocked as I was. She was standing there. It was a series of disastrous events and for someone to only hear about the one they loved being inflicted upon this was pure agony. She sat down beside me and rested on my shoulder. She was almost speechless. Her tears slowly glided down her cheek and landed on my jacket. The dark mark that was left was temporary but painful. We sat there for hours waiting for the doctor’s word. The empty feeling in my chest seemed to slowly expand as the endless minutes passed by.

            Finally he came around the corner and had a calm look on his face. I was almost sure that she was alive and well. He slowly approached us as we sat up and looked with anxious eyes.

            “I’m… sorry. She didn’t make it. It was too much for her heart to take,” he said as he walked away. The warm glass that had formed around my heart was instantly shattered by those words. Ash quietly burst into tears and her knees collapsed where they stood, along with mine. People quietly passed as we shed our tears. They understood our pain and hoped the best for us. We slowly stood up and made our way out of the hospital. We walked through the dark streets as it sprinkled down on us. We made our way to Ash’s house.

            The lights were off and the house was empty. Her parents had been away drinking. I gave her a kiss goodnight and she replied with a long hug. As I began to walk away she ran down the stairs and screamed my name. She gave me a long passionate kiss as her fingers became entwined in my hair.

            “I will always love you Jack,” she said quietly. She gave me one last hug before she left.

            “I love you too Ash.” She gracefully ran up the stairs and closed the door behind her.

…

            “Well apparently she’s still suffering from the Alzheimer’s disease and something triggered her anger back in the room. Her heart isn’t doing well especially since it just went up to one twenty. We’re transferring her to ER and we’ll be back shortly,” the doctor said as he walked down the hall. At that instant my heart shattered. I wished she would have lived longer for someone to be with Jack so he wouldn’t be alone when I left. I was so deeply in love with him that I couldn’t bear to watch from the outside. I would plead to God that he wouldn’t be in pain but I knew that that wasn’t possible.

            I didn’t want to leave him but I didn’t have much time left in me. I could care less for my parents but now instead of going to Heaven I would probably be in pain while there. I would see Jack’s grandma there. The only other person that I saw as family. I couldn’t even begin to grasp the situation as I cried on his shoulder. I was too weak and speechless to ask why I saw bleeding scratches on his neck. I knew that she would probably be okay but it scared the living hell out of me. We must’ve waited hours before the doctor came. Hours that I would soon cherish when I would be at my true home. Finally he came around the corner and had a concerned look on his face. I could tell in his eyes that she was alive but was in a severe condition.

            “I’m… sorry. She didn’t make it. It was too much for her heart to take.” He walked away. That was the last thing that I was expecting to hear. I was almost sure that she would be okay. My knees collapsed and Jack fell along with me as I had a breakdown in the middle of the hall. The people that passed were considerate and were too kind to ridicule us. At this point I didn’t care. I was disoriented and Jack took me out of the hospital because I could feel cold raindrops fall on me. Reign on me God. I thought to myself. It couldn’t possibly get any worse. I tried to enjoy the many things I had left in this life before I would be welcome into his kingdom. Jack’s embrace, his love, the way the rain fell in Seattle, I would miss everything in this life and would be the first to welcome him in the new one.

            Finally we came upon an all too familiar staircase. He stopped to give me a quick kiss goodnight and a hug before leaving. I started my way up the steps and realized what he had given me wasn’t enough. I screamed for his name and jumped down the stairs.

            I pushed my lips against his as my fingers became entwined in his hair and I softly moaned. His and love and kisses were worth more to me than anything else. The world wouldn’t be enough for his love.

            I didn’t know what I wanted as I kissed him more aggressively. I thought for a moment and still didn’t know.

            I knew that God had other plans for him and mine had been cut short. Finally our lips parted and I tried to say goodbye the sweetest way I could.

            “I will always love you Jack,” I said quietly. I gave him one last hug before departing.

            “I love you too Ash,” he whispered as I turned away. I clumsily walked up the drenched steps and closed the door behind me. I looked through the transparent part of the door and he was gone. I stood there wet, cold, and was left with an empty feeling. I licked my lips and savored the taste. So this is what death tastes like; I’m happily inviting it in. I thought to myself as my eyes began to form tears. I sat against the door and watched the melted candle burn. My tears sharpened my vision temporarily and made the flame extraordinarily beautiful. It was vibrant as it pulsed with life and I could only envy its glow.

            The flame ate away at the wax and it revealed more wick; more potential. The candle glowed brightly as my own candle had flickered and struggled to stay lit.

            I shared the same fate as Jack’s grandma; in reality we all did, death was inevitable. I had been hiding this from him the whole time because I wanted him to live his life without worrying about me and my parents could care less.

            The tears had started to cease as I began to wonder if the rest of my path was paved to hell, for saving someone the benefit of the doubt for having to worry about me. I was entitled to death as the tumor ate away at my mind.

            It almost destroyed me when I had found out about this two months ago. I had begun to have massive migraines and I soon had to have a CAT scan. When I found out I had no idea how to break it to Jack and I finally settled that I wouldn’t tell him at all. I was on borrowed time as the tumor had become so severe that it’s irreversible. It was a miracle I was still functioning and the nerve endings hadn’t been severed. I saw this as a sign, God had been trying to tell me I still had something to do something, but I had no idea what. I sighed in frustration and began to pace. I had the “easy” way out compared to what was going to happen to Jack after I left. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how painful it would be for him. I could feel the tears coming back up, as I gave it more thought.

            I knew that I would leave he would technically die. I could already picture what was going to happen; he would join a branch of the military, most likely the marines and he would be on that reserve list. Saving others and becoming completely selfless… I would do the same if it were the other way around. I sighed and walked up to my room to put on another hoodie.

           I slipped through the window; I wanted to be alone the whole night without the constant screams of parents, without the constant fear of my tumor, without worry; I just want to run the whole night; though I wished there was somebody alongside to run with me. I didn’t want to bother him. I knew that he would flood me with questions about the way I was acting. I didn’t want him to worry about me, it seemed as if I was merely an obstacle in his life and just gave him more to worry about.

            I remember when we both shared the same fear when we just started to be fond of one another. We were both scared of the other person leaving. We both had been in love before that but the endings didn’t turn out the way we wanted and we were afraid to fall in love again. We were left heartbroken at the time and certainly didn’t want to experience the horrors of depression once more. He was the first to try and he approached me and told me that I was different from the rest, that I was special. He was special too but I was still afraid. I didn’t have the faith in him to start something and I felt horrible for that.

            Then I finally came around after he had continually visited me without fail; putting me before a lot of other things in his life. Both his family and I were always the first priorities before anyone else. He would show us the special gentleness he never cared to reveal to anyone else. Now the remainder of his family was gone and all he had left was the possessions they had left behind for him and me. It brought me great pain to know that I would soon be leaving this world and I would be leaving him alone. The thought of him never seemed to leave my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about him; no matter how fast I ran or how big of the gap or the height between the obstacles, I was forcing myself to forget the unforgettable. I was tempted to see him just one more night not for the pleasure but to spend time with the one I truly loved. Though I wanted to; I knew I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Even though I even started to head in his general direction I forced myself to a stop and immediately changed direction.

…

            I was forced to relive the first memories that I’d had with him. It was fate. We were destined to meet each other because after we did the events that followed seemed to coincidental. I wasn’t the loquacious type and neither was he but when we both had met on a public bus that’s when everything had changed. It was a night run and the every other seat had been taken so I sat down next to him. I stared at him as he gazed out the window imagining the darkness. He was so beautiful; so handsome that something urged me to talk to him; and so I did. We talked for what seemed like only seconds as I got lost in his wonderful personality. Then finally my stop came and I left. He knew that we were still strangers and it was a just a friendly conversation as I walked out. He smiled at me as I did and I thought that I would never see him again.

            I took the bus again the next day and he wasn’t there. I felt sick for some reason, like I had been missing something. My chest hurt and I was too proud for tears. Why had I been crying over a stranger? I took the bus the following day and he still wasn’t there. My heart felt like it was stuck in my throat. I couldn’t talk nor did I want to.

            I rode the bus the next week because I had to run some errands for my parents and it was the same night run as last week and I saw him once more. My eyes lit up and I tried not to smile big as I took a seat next to him. He greeted me once more and my feelings had been reassured. Why did I feel so attracted to him? Would I be stuck with another doomed relationship?

            It almost sickened me that most the men in the world only wanted sex and they let it get the best of them but somehow I thought… I knew that he was different.

            After the second time he met me he asked me for my address. We were both very poor so we couldn’t afford any “modern” technology so he said that he would send letters to me. I saw him once more the following week but by that time my parents had invested in a car so I wouldn’t take the bus anymore after that time.

            I walked onto the bus and could feel the cold stares of the elders that rode. I was sort of a punk at the time so I would always get burned by their eyes.

            As I inched closer to the back of the bus the lights turned off and the bus began moving again. This would be the last time that I would see him close to me again, close enough to touch. I saw a dark silhouette next to him. My heart jumped and I was afraid that I had already lost my chance; I had been too slow. Finally I recognized the shape and the lump that was forming in my throat had faded away.

            “You never told me you played guitar,” I said as I took a seat next to him. He returned a smile that I saw as flawless.

            “To tell the truth I’m kind of ashamed to be carrying this around.”

            “So you don’t play guitar?” He laughed lightheartedly.

            “No. I do, I’m just rubbish at it.”

            “Well maybe one day you’ll play a rubbish song for me?” I joked. I wanted to spend more time with him but I wasn’t sure he’d let me.

            “Yeah, maybe today?” he was actually serious. Screw my parents they could pick me up for all I cared, they would probably be out drinking tonight anyway so I nodded. “It won’t be on guitar though it’ll be on something else far more beautiful.”

            “But you won’t tell me what it is will you?”

            “Nope,” he smiled and looked out the window.

            Today was a dreary day like any other. The bleak clouds covered the sky with a blanket that filled every spot of blue. The raindrops came down tilted as the wind lightly blew freezing air against the bus. I glanced over at Jack to see that he had dozed off. I gazed at his face and wondered what his dreams were like. I’d never seen him angry or any other emotion besides happy or he would have this solemn look on his face. His eyes would always judge me as I looked into them; it was intimidating to stare at him for more than a few seconds. I wanted to impress him but I knew that I wasn’t even close to it. Though he was terrible at expressing himself I could see the sadness behind his eyes. In his sleep it was entirely different; he expressed every emotion that I didn’t see while awake. I wanted to help him but I sat there useless. He went from angry to in pain it was heart wrenching to watch. Finally I neared my stop and a few people got off, Jack awoke.

            “We’re getting off at the next stop,” he said groggily. The next stop we would near the dock. The very first thing that came to my mind was the question: “Did he live on a boat?!”

            “Do you…”

            “No I don’t live by there, I live closer to your stop,” he interrupted. My heart had probably skipped a beat as I heard those words. “I had just moved there recently.” I tried to keep a straight face.

            “Really? When did you move there?”

            “About last week. We moved because we had more money at the time and my Grandma wanted to be more comfortable.”

            “Who do you live with?”

            “Only my Grandma.” There was a moment of silence as thoughts danced around our heads. The silence wasn’t awkward but natural we weren’t sure if we wanted to get close to each other yet. The bus came to a stop and we got off the bus to be greeted by the sounds of distant seagulls and boat horns.

            “Come on, follow me.” He said as he started to walk down the inclining road.

            “Can you at least give me a hint as to where you’re taking me?” I smiled as he took my hand and went down the hill in a brisk jog. The rain had always smelled “fresher” near the docks, probably because there was a lot less asphalt on this side of town as we neared a familiar place that screamed romantic. Pier 55.

            “There,” he pointed to an old wooden warehouse.

            As darkness with intensifying rain accompanied him fewer people populated the pier. We made our way deeper into the Pier and into the warehouse. The place had reeked of old wood and sea water; a very calming mixture of smells. It was too dark to make out any of the shapes but I could see rectangular shapes that surrounded us.

            “Where are we?”

            “My little piece of heaven,” he said in his velvety smooth voice. We ran to the back of the warehouse. “Don’t worry about getting caught; my Uncle used to own this warehouse but now it’s mine.” We came to a stop and looked at the oval shaped figure as it reflected the moon’s shine from the overhead windows. We sat down and I realized that it was a baby grand piano! This was the second time I had seen a piano close enough to touch and it was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. He blew the top and I could see dust dancing around us. Jack slowly opened the cover and I could hear the smile in his voice, “This piano belonged to my Grandpa.” He played a C and it was probably the most harmonious sound I’d ever heard.

            “Now let me play you a rubbish song,” he joked. I heard a symphony of sounds as my ears became overwhelmed by the pure beauty of it. I recognized the song it was Chopin Waltz opus sixty-four number two, one of my personal favorites.

            His fingers moved across the keys gracefully, each finger; a different instrument that he controlled. I glanced over at him and what I saw was breathtaking, he was becoming lost in his own world as the song intensified and his hands flew across the keyboard. Everything still, except his pale, long fingers. He didn’t need scores because the music he dedicated his life to came from his heart. Dust flying from the ivory keys as he struck them and finally the song slowed down and came to an end with a final soft chord. Jack sat in silence and took in the moment as sighs of relief and pride echoed. He turned to me and smiled.

            “Chopin is one of the few composers that I admire.”

            “How long have you been playing?”

            “I’ve started the piano at about the age of four. The first song that I’ve ever learned and where all my inspiration has rooted from is Fur Elise. I heard the song as I wandered around this warehouse one day,” he paused. “Someone broke in that day just to play piano; I admired his devotion to the art as I would have done the same thing. I learned the song from memory and fell in love.” I smiled at his simple bliss and mixed emotion as he put random chords together and experimented on the piano.

            “Do you know how to play?” he asked.

            “I only know one song. It’s not much; not even the full song just half of it,”

            “I’d be happy if you hypnotized me,” he said with a smile. How could I resist. I was powerless under his control and I loved the way that felt. Jack moved to the edge of the bench and gave me room to play.

            I took a deep breath and began to play my favorite piece; Claire de Lune. I started with the first chords that seemed to ring in my heart as I struck them powerfully but softly. My heart burned as the song began to pick up in tempo because the first thing I thought about was my cousin. As I neared the ascending scales of the song tears began to form. I was relieved that it was dark as hot tears ran down my face. I thought about what she said before she left. “I know I’m going to leave soon Ashley but listen don’t you dare fall in love. We know sure as hell know that you have the same thing as me but you don’t want to be in more pain than you already are because you’ll just end up like me. I love you Ash but you have to get out before my Aunt sees you.” Her words echoed in my head. She showed me a week before she told me this; also the very first time I saw a piano. My Mom and Aunt both hated each other with a passion. They were twins so I most likely had the doomed fate that my cousin shared. My aunty was a lot better off than my mother as she had become a stock broker and was co-owner of multiple companies but was a widow because her husband was in the Marines.

            I had to keep that promise I couldn’t let myself fall to that. I allowed myself to finish the rest of the song that I knew and then I stopped as I cried a river.

            “What’s wrong?” he was worried now. He must’ve seen the glittering tears as they dropped onto the keys. The song “Moonlight Sonata” by Beethoven would fit the scene perfectly.

            “Jack… I can’t do this. I can’t do … us.”

            “Wait, what? Why?” That means he wanted to love me too, it made it a lot harder.

            “Look I gotta go.” I stumbled through the dark and finally made my way out of the warehouse and was relieved to see that he didn’t follow me. I looked up to see the skies were covered in a flawless gray blanket. I walked home that night, without my hand entwined in another’s, without someone keeping me warm, alone.

            I spent the next day reminiscing about the past; thinking about him. That night was a dream to me, he was my knight in shining armor and he had come to take me away but I refused. A few days after that I started to receive letters from him. My chest burned and I had my heart stuck in my throat as I stared at his perfect calligraphy. I slowly walked towards the fireplace and threw the letter in.

            I could feel ice work through my veins as the letter blackened and curled inside the fire; just like my heart. Every day I would get letters from him now and a little part of me would break every time I threw them into the flames. Finally through all my pain I decided to open one.

 

I still spend my entire evenings waiting for you,

While sitting by the warehouse dock for hours.

With my eyes staring at the distant line of horizon,

I remember about you and nothing else.

 

 

 

 

The passage of each and every day,

Makes your absence more and more certain,

But it won’t stop me waiting for you,

Even though it gives me inevitable pain.

 

There are also chances of you not coming back,

That all I once had is all I’m going to have,

But with my heart stopped and my veins choked,

I will always keep on waiting for you.

 

Pieces of his mind that I had been burning for the past week. I wanted to be with him but fate didn’t allow me. I slowly stood up and threw the letter into the flames and fell asleep on the couch as I could smell the love that I had been burning all this time. I needed to see him. I longed for it. I got up and found a crumpled piece of paper along with an envelope amongst the mess of my parents. The only place that was kept tidy was the living room but that was because it was my “bedroom”.

 

Meet me near the park where our bus stop is, at 8 o’clock October 17.

 

            Three days from now. I would probably go crazy the time in between but at least I would have some type of reassurance.

            The following day seemed endless. I lay on the couch growing weary as the candles around me all seemed to pulse in synchronization. I slept most the awaiting the next. I finally awoke early next morning. I was supposed to be getting results for my CT scan I’d gotten about two weeks ago. I slipped on a hoodie and ran through the heavy morning haze on my way to the nearby medical center.

            The streetlights seemed to glow with a certain aurora as I slowly passed by them. The only sounds that were present were the calming sounds of passing cars and the sound of my breathing. I smelt the morning dew and the salt of the nearby sea. As I increased my speed my heart pounded upon my chest in response. I had always loved the feeling of “runner’s high” it was my only safe haven where my mind was cleansed of every thought and the only thing that I thought about was running. The way the wind coursed through my hair to leave it in a blazing flame following me. The way that I focused so that the only two things I could hear were the sound of my breathing and the sound of my heart in synchronization with my running. I took one long stride each beat and pushed forward. It always felt as if I was running away from a part of myself, for some reason.

            I stopped at a nearby rail and sat atop of it taking a breath. The city was abnormally quiet as I took in a deep lungful of air. The sirens were silenced by their musicians and this; this was the true music.

            It was the silence that came after those notes, the raw emotion that was brought right after it. The feelings that it conveyed with its overwhelming sense of beauty was the music; but playing music felt so different. It was like getting lost in a seemingly beautiful world almost like a tropical island except the feeling was much more intense. I really loved the feeling of playing piano, even though I wasn’t the best at it but it felt almost surreal. The way the key felt as it vibrated beneath your finger, the smoothness of the keys as you slid your hands from key to key; it was the other thing I loved equally as much as running.

            I hopped off the rail and continued my way toward the medical center. I finally reached the familiar ashy white building; where my cousin died…

            I made my way to the X-ray section and passed room 141 on my way there. I slowly closed my eyes and took a deep breath as ghosts seemed to come haunt me. My instincts went crazy telling me to get the hell out and run but I didn’t allow myself to give in. I just wanted to run; run away from all of it and not care about anything. I scribbled on the sign in sheet and sat down in the chair farthest from everybody else. People gave me looks as I tried my best to look pissed off so nobody would try and make small talk with me. Finally after what seemed like hours they called my name. I walked into his office and sat down.

            “Doc,”

            “Ash. It’s good to see you again,” he exclaimed as he flipped through a clipboard. He took off his glasses and let out a deep sigh. “Give me a minute it’s been a long day and I need something to drink.”

            “Doc! I thought we talked about this!”

            “Don’t worry it’s Pepsi,” he said smiling as he opened his mini-fridge. “Like taking candy from a baby.” He looked tired as he took small sips and scribbled onto the clipboard. “Ok! Finally done! So what are we in for today Ash?”

            “I was getting the results for the CT scan about two weeks ago.”’

            “Ah! Yes let me go fetch them from the front,” he glided out of the room and left me in the spacious leather brown chair. I got up and looked around at the many paintings he had around his office. One stood out that caught my eye. It was a splatter painting beautifully created by Pollock. He walked back into the room looking more solemn than usual. I was already expecting the worst since the tumor was a dominant gene that ran through my family. My mom wasted her life away with drugs and alcohol as she was given a chance by God.

            “I got some bad news and some good news Ash.” I swallowed my heart and prepared for what I was ready to hear. “Well you have a pretty severe brain tumor; but the good news is that you will have quite awhile before it actually kills or majorly impacts your life.” I slowly let out the breaths that I had been holding in.

            I had been expecting the worst because this wasn’t something you were supposed to be optimistic about. “Alright, thanks doc that’s all I needed.” I walked out of his office while I left him speechless in my blazing rush to get out. I opened the door and noticed that he was still holding the clipboard and looked at me with his mouth slightly open.

            I stuffed my hands in my pocket and walked as gray clouds came settling in. I retraced my path back towards my house but I wasn’t going there. I tapped my back pocket to see if I still had my wallet and walked into the ice cream shop. God I looked like some kind of soap opera; a depressed girl going to die, drowning her sorrows in ice cream. Seemed kind of childish to replace the cure for everything with alcohol but I wouldn’t stoop down to my parent’s level. I spent the rest of my day eating endless vanilla ice cream cones and browsing the internet on a laptop of friend I had that worked there. I stumbled home after my friend closed up the shop. I turned on the TV and passed out on the couch.

            I woke up the next morning to a romantic black and white rerun.

            “James; I just… I just can’t let go of you again. Stay with me,” the blonde forties woman said. It took the words out of my mouth. I took a long hot shower and blew out the candles and quietly read a book enjoying the absence of my parents. I paced around the house trying to entertain myself until I had to meet him. I was so anxious to talk to him that it seemed like time was slowing down only to toy with me. I went to the kitchen and made the strongest brew of espresso that we had. I went back to the living room and did my average work out trying to keep my mind busy but it kept wandering off and I kept thinking about Jack. I sipped the wonderful brew of espresso and skimmed through one of the many photography books that I kept in my personal library along with a wide variety of albums. After I decided to do something productive for the next few hours and get tired so I could wait it out by sleeping. I grabbed one my dusty albums and slipped it into the stereo. I turned the volume up and started to clean.

            Even through all the cleaning and music I still thought about him but he didn’t linger around in my mind as much as I kept myself occupied.

            Finally I set my alarms and fell asleep on the couch. I woke up to the blaring alarms and shut them off. I quickly slipped on clothes and walked outside to breathe in the life that was left in me. I started my way toward the park and looked around at the nightlife of my neighborhood. There was a lot less crime in my area than others; and I was grateful for that but it always struck me as odd since our neighborhood was also one of the poorest. Faces began to blend as I walked past them and eventually I saw my parents in them. I was disgusted by the sight of them and stared at the ground. I finally reached the park and grinned at the beautiful lit jogging path with a few dark silhouettes moving gracefully on the paths.

            I started my way on the path heading through the park to get to the bus stop. I found that the homeless were already leaning against the trees struggling to get a good night’s sleep. They were the men and the women who couldn’t be moved. They were waiting for something; whether it be their death or just someone to pass along money to them. Why didn’t they do something? Why would they just sit there and not try and dig out of the hole they have fallen into?

            I saw a lone figure sitting on a bench close by our bus stop. I would recognize those broad shoulders from anywhere. I slowly approached and sat down next to him.

            “You’re here early,” I whispered.

            “Seems like you are too.” I couldn’t see it but I heard a smile in his voice. There was a moment of necessary silence giving us time to think about the time since we’ve last seen each other.

            “Listen, I’m sorry I didn’t reply to your letters sooner I just…”

            “Was scared?”

            “In a sense, more like running away from something?”

            “You had a bad experience with love before?”

            “Yeah you could say that…”

            “So what did you want to tell me?”

            “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for running away that day. I’m sorry for ignoring you. I’m sorry if I hurt you. I also wanted to ask if you… I…” I was choking on my words and the blood was rushing to my cheeks. What was I going to say to him? To hell with it.

            “I wanted to ask you if you wanted to stay with me?” I could hear the sound of my heartbeat, along with the sound of my breathing. Why was I so anxious to hear his answer it’s not like I knew him that long. Did I…?

            “Yes. I will,” he responded. I smiled as he placed his hand atop of mine. I could feel the stars smiling down upon us. I did love him.

…

            I relived the memory as if it were yesterday and the only thing that I could think of through all of that was the love that I shared with Jack and that vanilla ice cream. I needed to stop and think somewhere. I needed to sort out through all of it. I already had the perfect place in mind; and they ice cream there.

            I was on my way back home taking a detour trying to kill time because I still had a lot of time before the sun rose and that’s when I least liked the place. I jumped across the familiar set of buildings and ran until I recognized the grandiose smell of fresh baked dough. Twilight  was settling in as the clock struck seven. I made my way down to street level without trying to attract to much attention to me.

            I opened the familiar set of double doors and took in the distinctive smell of the vanilla brewing. I looked across the counter to see a fairly small line and faces that I didn’t recognize. More faces blended together and I looked at the ground. I sighed as I glanced around me; the ignorant, loud life that was polluting the tranquil place. One group of girls were huddled up together whispering to each other exchanging looks and smiles with a group of boys on the opposite side of the room. Another group of teenagers were laughing and conversing loudly. It almost seemed as if they were screaming. I tried to drown out the sound of their cursing. I looked across the counter again to see if I could recognize an old friend that worked there but reality came and hit me when I saw another face that I didn’t recognize.

            I ordered a milkshake instead because I wanted to save the best for last. I rolled my eyes as I passed the same group of boys eyeing the girls trying to catch my eye with their smiles. They were all after the same thing; sex. You hardly found someone who wasn’t driven by temptations, that was another thing that I loved about Jack.

            A loud rap song that came on shortly after the end of another interrupted my thinking. I glanced around the room to see if anyone was really listening to it but it was just background music to everyone. I got up trying not to exchange a dirty look as I passed the ignorant group of males again and slipped two coins into the jukebox. I scanned through the songs trying to find a song that would fit my mood. I entered the numbers one-four-one into the selection and was relieved to hear Paul Anka’s reminiscing voice.

            A little more than half the parlor gave me looks as I made my way back to my table. I sat at my table enjoying the view from the window trying to grasp the natural beauty of the October night. As I looked at the everlasting darkness I realized that there was much more to live for. I needed to get out. I needed to live while I still had time. I needed to get out of Seattle but poisonous thoughts licked the darkest depths of my brain.

            He deserved an explanation, I couldn’t just leave him when he needed me the most. He had nobody left now. He hardly talked to anybody after his Grandma had been admitted into the hospital.

            I noticed my transparent reflection on the window and noticed that I had turned very pale from all my thinking. I sighed and still let my mind wander as I finished my milkshake.

            Finally I came out of my long web of thinking and realized that most the other people had left and it was an hour away from closing time. One for the road I guess. I thought to myself.

            I wandered outside savoring the taste of my ice cream. I strayed off into an alleyway looking for the ladder that I used earlier. I climbed up to the roof and overlooked the city lights below my feet enjoying my ice cream and in the second the most amazing thing happened to me. I felt as if it could be the end of the world at the very moment and I would be fine with it. I felt the presence of God. He was sitting beside me. I felt his ultimate warmth at my side and I felt… happy; but I think I’d spoke too soon. I saw smoke rising off in the distance. I heard sirens rushing towards the smoke and I felt a “call” of some sort to the smoke. I started running.

            My adrenaline kicked in and I felt something running beside me. Something was driving me to go; driving me to run. I looked down upon the building and noticed that it was an apartment building. The gap was easy to jump but there was no way back up. I crouched down waiting; deciding what to do. I heard a woman screaming and firemen were holding a blanket for someone to jump but there was something wrong. I couldn’t hesitate longer I had to act. I took a few steps back preparing myself to jump into the heart of the storm. I ran up to the ledge and stopped. Fear filled my heart; I couldn’t do it. Lightning struck my fingertips as adrenaline rushed through my veins. I stepped back again and took in a deep breath as I closed my eyes. I sprinted and jumped into the unknown.

            The soles of my feet touched the top of the roof for a split second, I half bent getting ready to roll but the floor beneath me collapsed. I hit the scorching hot floor as I felt something stab me. It was as if a hatchet was  cutting away at my chest. I slowly got up to find that I’d broken one of my ribs. I ignored the pain and followed the source of the screaming. The building was falling around me. The fire fueled my courage as I began sweating bullets. I finally found the room where the screaming was coming from. I kicked the door open to find a woman holding her two children together. One was an infant and the other was a little girl.

            “Are you okay?” I screamed over the rubble collapsing. She nodded with tears running down her cheeks. “We’re going to get out of here okay?” She nodded again. I scanned the room for an exit and looked at the window. I tore down the burning curtains only to find that the wooden window pane was caught aflame. I slipped off my jacket and broke the window pane.

            “I can slip your little girl through here to jump down but we need to take you and your baby down ourselves,” she nodded again and whispered something to her daughter. She hesitated a little then let her hand go. I carried her to the window and threw my jacket out. The firemen below got the idea and moved the blanket. I slipped her out and ran back to the mother.

            “Alright we need to hurry.” My skin blistering from the heat. I looked down the stairs and followed the mother down the stairs. A pile of rubble was blocking us from advancing downward.

            “There’s another stairs at the other end of this hall,” she yelled. I followed her down and as soon as she reached the stairs details seemed to come alive as I heard wood splintering above me and in that quarter second it fell atop of my leg. The mother looked back in horror.

            “Go! Get the hell out of here!” She looked back twice and continued her way down the stairs. I screamed as it burned through layers of skin. I tugged at my leg and finally got it through. I sprinted towards the stairway only to find that the stairwell was blocked by more debris. I felt my heart jump as I ran back up trying to find another means of escape. I was in the back of the building so the windows weren’t an option. I kicked open another room and rushed to the bathroom. There I waited in the dark. I could hear the wood splintered above me as well but I didn’t care. I sat and thought about my life. I smiled at the memories and tears of joy streamed down my face.

            I grabbed the doorknob and burnt my hand in the process. There was more rubble just outside the door and I was trapped in the bathroom. I sighed and leaned against the sink wiping away the sweat on my forehead. My lips were as dry as sand and I swallowed hard. Sweat dripped down from my bangs as I looked at the ground. I cherished every moment that I had with him and felt sadness strike as I regretted not leaving him a letter of some sort. Migraine pain struck me and reminded me that I was going to die soon anyway. I wouldn’t have jumped if I knew I was going to die simply because I don’t think the person running beside wouldn’t have been running at all.

            I didn’t get to see the world but I saw everything else that it had to offer. I saw love that only few experienced. I loved him and he was the only other person that I had in this world. I heard the wood splintering more loudly. I looked up, closed my eyes, and smiled…

…

            I woke up on the floor near my Grandma’s piano, struggling to remember what happened after I returned Ash home. My memory was blurred and the last thing that I could remember was kissing her goodnight. I loved the way that she returned my passion. She mimicked my own actions as I poured every ounce of love that I had in my soul and poured it into the kiss. Ash always put her heart in soul in everything she loved doing. Whether it was running or simply just remaining oblivious to life around her as she observed the natural beauty around her.

            I sat on the piano bench and sighed. I felt lonely. I realized that I could count my good friends on one hand. I hardly talked to anyone since winter last year. My house was darker now that nobody was living with me. I also had a lot more spare room to do anything that I pleased. It seemed as if my life plunges deeper into darkness as I progress in age. I grew apart from most my friends because I put my family and my love for Ashley before anything else. The only other person I talked to was John. He was quiet as well but a good friend. I was confused about what was going to happen next. What was I going to do? Where was I going to go? Questions flowed through my mind seamlessly as I tried to find answers among them but I knew one thing was certain. I loved her.

            I removed the cover to the piano and ran my fingers along the keys, barely touching the ivory. I struck a few chords and softly played an old fifties song that I heard over the radio with my Grandma. I couldn’t help but hum the words to myself as I played the song, Put your head on my shoulder. I thought as I hummed. I stopped mid song and went to get ready for the upcoming day.

            I splashed my face with lukewarm water and looked at the man in the mirror. He looked sleep deprived and as if he was searching for something. Something greater to do in this life. What was there to do?

            I watched as my hair let down small droplets of water that sent ripples throughout the puddle In the sink. I shut the water off and lay on floor staring at the ceiling wondering what my next step was. I didn’t have enough energy to think. I had no school that I had to attend to, I had no job that I had to keep to support myself, I had no more family to spend time with, I had no more friends to talk to. I had lost almost everything and the only thing that remained was the love of my life and mass amount of money that I inherited from both my grandparents and parents.  They all had previously owned parts of companies and now I was the heir to that part. I had enough to live two luxurious lifetimes but I had no desire to live in a big house or with many things that I needed to show off my wealth. I was happy living in my current apartment.

            I collected myself as well as my thoughts and decided that I needed to complete some unfinished business. It was a way to keep myself busy, to keep myself from going crazy. I grabbed the engraved box from the top of the piano and walked out the door. I needed to get rid of it, bury it along with my Grandma but I couldn’t hold onto it that long. I needed someone else to hold it until she was cremated. I needed someone with me while I handed it off.

            I looked up to see the usual gray clouds. It fit my current mood and I was relieved to see that it was covering up the blinding brightness of the sun. I took in a deep breath and inhaled the marvelous scent of October rain but was rudely interrupted by a call. I reached into my jacket pocket and answered it.

            “Hello?”

            “Excuse me sir, I’m calling from the Southwest Medical Center  are you by any chance Jack?”

            “Yes, this is him speaking.”

            “Well I bring you the unfortunate news of a loved one…”

            “Yes I am aware of this.”

            “Oh, I’m sorry but I am calling you to inform you that after hours of examination her body was identified last night and the family that she had saved from the burning apartment thanks her. They give their regards to you.”

            “Wait. I’m sorry I think you have the wrong Jack.”

            “The one that died last night goes by the name of Ash.” My heart jumped and skipped a beat. It was stuck in my throat and my body had turned cold. My mind was blank and I didn’t know what to think. I was in shock and horrified by the sudden impact the news had left me with. I could hear the woman on the other end trying to reach me, seeing if I was still on the line but I wasn’t. I died three seconds ago.

            The doctor had already hung up on the other end due to my silence. I wanted to ask her all the questions that ran through my mind. Why her? I knew that nobody had the answers to my questions. I opened my mouth to talk into the receiver but I wasn’t talking to the absence on the other side; I was talking to God. No words came out. I was speechless. The last memory of her haunted my mind. How could I have left like that? I should’ve known that there was a fire. I should’ve known that, that was the last time I would see her.

            It had started to drizzle as both the phone and the box slipped out of my hands as my body lost its own control. I could hear the glass containers in the camera crack as it hit the ground but I was frozen with a blank stare that covered my face. The chemicals in the camera mixed and fire was born.

            It slowly burnt through the photographs. The flames sizzled as the raindrops fell upon the curves of the blazes. The wood fueled the fire as it slowly grew. I watched as it slowly burnt the Sonata. The yellow aged paper curled and blackened as I stood there; helpless.

            I looked up, praying. The rain had cried for me as sorrow burned through to my heart and soul. I saw the fire eat away at the most recent picture; slowly disintegrating Ash’s face. I could hear Ash humming. Her sweet voice; more beautiful than the piano, hummed the Sonata…

 

Epilogue:

            It began to rain harder as everything that I cherished was gone. Every memory that was contained in the box was gone. The fire extinguished and I was left to watch. I slowly walked back to my apartment. My tears were covered by the rain as I passed countless people.

            I kicked open my apartment door and hurried to my room. I threw my bed aside and started tearing away at the floorboards. Fire burned passionately inside of my chest as I continued prying off the pranks. Finally I grabbed the key that was hidden beneath and opened a small chest that I kept on my desk. I grabbed the necklace with the ring and cried. Tears ran down my face as I stared blankly at the ground. Blood dripped down the necklace as I pulled out splinters. The tears didn’t stop and I couldn’t get over the fact that I had lost everything that I cared for in my life.

            Hours later I get a call from John telling me to go the Pier 11 near the old warehouse at nine. I agreed and continued to sit there, thinking about the memories I shared with both Ashley and my Grandma. I looked out the window to see that the sun had set and stars covered the sky. I gathered the strength to get up and I wrapped my hands with bandages as I headed out the door.

            I met John at the Pier and we leaned against the railing overlooking the sea. We talked about our next steps in life and knew that he was there to comfort me. He wasn’t there to talk nor did I need him for that and I was thankful for his kindness.

            “Listen. I’m sorry about Ash.” I stayed silent thinking the last kiss that we had shared. “You need to take care of  yourself though.” He glanced over at me hoping for a response of some sort. A few minutes of awkward silence passed. “What are you planning on doing next?”

            “I don’t know yet but I need to go to Hawaii for awhile to get away from all this.”

            “Why Hawaii?” he asked as I sighed.

            “I was going to ask her to marry me there.” I admitted as I held the necklace in my hands. I turned over the silver ring that was on it and tore it off the chain. The diamond shined as the moonlight shone on it. I looked inside the ring to remember that I had engraved the first day we met on the inside; 9/9/09, “but I guess some people are just meant to be lonely.”

            “When are you leaving?”

            “In a week. I’ll come back two months later,” I said as he nodded his head. I turned over the ring one more time and let it slip out of my hands and into the ocean.

…

            I sat on the beach looked out onto the ocean as the sunset produced sparkles that looked like diamonds all over the surface. I let my feet sink as the warm water pushed its way in. I wanted to let my feet sink with Ash by my side as I stared out onto the golden orange sunset. I could feel her next to me holding my hand smiling as her eyes sparkled. I sighed and looked down at my hands only to find out there was nobody holding them. I looked to my side to see something sparkling in the sand. It was sticking out and was washed ashore by the currents. I picked up a silver ring with a diamond on it with the engravings 9/9/09 on the inside…

Reviews

[Octob3r Star]

thats really cool, that you could express that to us :)

[Fabian G. Franklin]

"inflicted with both cancer and Alzheimers" I think you mean "afflicted" here. The write was pretty vivid and expressed some of the traits of Alzheimers well; the dementia seperated by periods of lucidity, etc. The ending was sad as were other parts of the story but overall, I think it was well written and descriptive. You have a strong talent for expressing emotions through subtle mental impressions which is a great talent to have. I did find the French Script Text in the middle a bit distracting...perhaps it would be better suited in the text of the rest of the write. I enjoyed the read though and I don't see why this hasn't recieved any other reviews. It's better than some of the "top writing" I've read on this site.