WFPDH Shorts

Bright as the Moon

{Part II to Her Beauty}

{Yet another short story by my friend Phoenix takes place in the years following both Her Beauty & Saw a Ghost and lead up to the current place in the novel by -_Shinsou-Hito_- }

Moonlight pooled onto the meadow that seemed to stretch out for miles, gracing the earth with vibrant flowers and soft swaying grass. She sat next to me, silver hair falling into her face as she worked on another one of her flower crowns, intertwining the stems together into an intricate braid.

I smiled and leaned against the old oak tree that loomed behind us, allowing myself to finally rest and feel at peace. Normally I wouldn't even relax around another person; trust was not something I gave out easily. But with her, I could close my eyes and loose myself in sleep without any worry itching at the back of my head.

I trust her.

I love her.

"Rocky" her voice was like honey; sweet and drizzling, slowly flooding my senses.

"Hm?" I was too tired to ask what it was she wanted. Sleep was calling to me, much too tempting to resist. I could already feel it slowly bringing me into its depths, my consciousness ebbing away.

"Rocky" her voice repeated again, though more urgent this time. I wasn't worried though. Why would I be worried? We were in the peaceful town of Bornholm. No harm could happen here. This was my safe haven, after all.

"Rocky!"

My eyes snapped open, and I looked around, alarmed.

The peaceful meadow was now gone, and in its place was the charred remains of Bornholm. Smoke was thick in the air, and ash littered the ground like a blanket of gray snow. The homes, which used to be vibrant and full of chattering people, were now nothing but rubble, destroyed and burnt down. The colors were gone and in their place was gray and black; the colors that came after fire and destruction.

"Rocky" her voice sounded out again, the honey now dried and cracked, ready to shatter. I slowly turned over to her, already knowing what I was about to face before I saw it.

Red covered her from head to toe. It matted her hair, which once was a pale golden, but now resembled a limp yellow color. Her fair skin was scratched and cut up, and her frail body was twisted in a horrific way. The tree which I was leaning on just moments before pinned her down, one of the branches piercing her arm and pinning it to the dead, charred up grass.

I fell to my knees.

"Analia" I whispered, feeling as if I was being burned alive. The fire, which used to be warm and full of light, now felt smothering and hot, eating me up from the inside out.

She looked up at me, her teal eyes, which were vibrant and full of color, now resembled a pale blue, as if all the color was being leached out of them.

"Rocky" she whispered again, as if it was the only word she knew. "Why didn't you save me?"

I gasped, trying to find air, but was only greeted with smoke and char. "I-I'm sorry" I choked, reaching a hand out to her, trying to grab her. To hold her. To feel her again. But the more I stretched, the further away she seemed to get. "I didn't know!"

"You never know, do you?" her gaze brought more pain than the fire did. "You promised me!" her voice was high pitched and piercing. "You promised to show me the sea! To always be with me! You promised!"