Echoes of Her Smile

Alone, he stood, feeling the delicate trace of her touch, as if woven from silk, beside the gravestones of the living dead. Their names etched into cold stone, he sat down, trembling, his tears falling as he turned to glimpse a distant happiness—one that could never be his.

How did it feel, he wondered, to smile through the night, waiting for the sun to rise? His heart quickened, and he rushed to the door. As it creaked open, he found a hallway stretched before him, empty and bathed in light. The air felt crisp, alive with a strange stillness.

Birds took flight outside, their wings brushing the sky, and everything around him began to crumble. He turned back toward the old oak tree, only to see it shift, twist—and then, she was there. Her form took shape from the bark, a familiar silhouette. She moved her hand to the side of her neck, gently tugging at her dress, revealing their names carved into her skin.

But she would never come, he realized, not truly. The wind kissed his face, cool and sharp, as he watched the birds disappear into the horizon. Why was everything so quiet? So painfully still?

It wasn't me, he thought. Something older than life itself had been watching us grow all along. He ran into her arms, desperate for her warmth. His tears soaked into her shoulder as she hovered, just inches above the ground, weightless. He blinked—and she was gone. He stood there, empty, next to her just a moment ago, and now nothing but trees surrounded him.

Panic set in. He ran, faster, harder, until her voice reached him. It had to be her, that shaky whisper, just like when they used to fight. But she was so far away, and no matter how fast he sprinted, the distance only grew wider, the space between them an endless chasm.

Why was the world upside down? He looked down—but saw the sky. I FELT. I felt her touch, one last time. I FELT. Yes, I felt her in that final moment. Her face beside me, smiling, whispering, "It's such a beautiful day."

I CRIED. I cried when I heard her voice one last time, though she was nowhere near. I CRIED. Yes, I cried because, in the end, it wasn't her who left. It was me.