"Thank me?" Peace says, shaking her head. "I only did what I have done for thousands of years. You do not need to thank me."
Life releases her from the hug, only smiling down at her. Then, he frowns. Death. That is the missing piece. Death. Where is Death? How could he forget Death?
"Where is he?" Life asks. His heart sinks when her eyes fall to the ground.
"He's...not well. He is staying with the human in the woods."
Life does not know of this human, nor does he care at the moment. The amount of concern in Peace's voice is worrying him to no end.
"What do you mean?"
"War did something to him. In your absence, he...broke. That is the only way I know how to describe it. I found him in the forest not too long ago. He'd driven a knife into his own heart, and there was so much blood..." Peace shudders at the memory. "He wouldn't let me help him. He flew away."
"I have to find him," Life says, a blanket of fear and panic settling over him.
"I don't think he wants to be found," Peace tells Life in a quiet voice.
Life clenches his fist in frustration. "He's been alone too long. He thinks he can't turn to or rely on anyone, Peace. When I confronted him for the first time in...oh, who knows how long, he was afraid of me. He thought I hated him. I can't let him think that. I refuse to. He's so innocent, Peace, and I..."
Peace places a delicate hand on his shoulder. Her other hand comes up to wipe away the tears on Life's face. He hadn't noticed them.
"I'm going to find him."
Peace sighs. "I see there is no stopping you, but... You must promise me that if he wants you to leave, you will."
Life doesn't want to agree to this, but he does. "I will."
"Then go. Go and find him, Life."
Peace stands there and watches the dove rise high into the open skies above. She is overjoyed that Life has returned, but worries immensely for Death. His mind and body have suffered much. She doesn't know if Life can pull him back. To show Death that it isn't his fault. It isn't like any of them have a choice. Their powers and purposes were given to them long before time began. Who they were...who they still are... It's part of an equation much bigger than anything they can comprehend. And this equation needs Death. He's a part of everything. All live, all die, and the cycle continues on and on.
Peace turns, looking out over the meadow. She sincerely hopes that Life can heal even Death.
YOU ARE READING
Little Blue Strings
General Fiction**COMPLETED** This is the story of Life, Death, a lonely human, and all those other names and faces that linger or are forgotten by time. It is a story of the violent and chaotic world, and the places in which, every now and then, everything is stil...
