Eutopia (First version)

In the Beginning

You and me

Have seen everything to see,

From Bangkok to Calgary,

And the soles of your shoes are all worn down,

The time for sleep is now.

It’s nothing to cry about

‘Cause we’ll hold each other soon

In the blackest of rooms.

-          I will follow you into the Dark

Death Cab for Cutie

In The Beginning

He could see it wasn’t the blazing red of the sunset that enforced the pallor of the angelic figure as she lay motionless on the dusty ground. His eyes were drawn to where her small hands clutched her stomach as though trying to catch the trickle of blood that flowed from the knife that still pierced her flesh. The pale blue silk of her tunic was flowered with red blossoms that bled their colour onto his hands as he fell to his knees beside her and desperately tried to staunch the flow.

‘Help her!’ the beautiful man cried brokenly as he wildly glanced around at the crowd that had gathered to gawk at the prone figure now cradled gently in his lap. ‘Please! Someone, help her!’ his hands shook as he tore a strip from his woollen tunic and pressed it to the wound in a vain attempt to stop the blood from streaming as nobody came forward to help.

‘Jinn?’ whispered a musical voice as soft and as fragile as a breeze playing through a child’s hair. ‘Hold me, please.’

‘I’m here, I’m right here.’ A sudden warm calmness emanated from the hulking figure, enveloping them both because Jinn could see that she needed his strength more than ever, as he gently held the girl’s head in his lap. His night-dark eyes smiled into hers before her lids fluttered closed and curled thick dark lashes upon her white cheeks. When her eyes opened again a moment later they shone with unfocused fervour.

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ the gentle voice demanded, the question laced with a pain that went far deeper than the mortal wound.

‘Because I am a fool,’ he whispered in return, a tender thumb stroking away the tears that had gathered at the corners of the girl’s eyes and had begun to trail slowly down her pale cheeks. The crowd began to draw back and mumblings began to rumble amongst them of ‘fetch the prefect,’ and ‘Libitinarii, we need an undertaker, she’s not long for this world,’ But Jinn heard none of it as his attention was entirely focused on the dry lips that began to tremble with the effort of speaking.

‘You knew, all this time, you knew and you never told me.’

‘Yes,’ he bowed his dark head, black hair dishevelled as it fell into his eyes that were beginning to shed their own tears. ‘I wanted to protect you. I thought if you never knew then this could never happen. I’m so sorry, please forgive me?’

‘There’s nothing to forgive,’ came her answer, fainter than before. They both knew she had only moments, Jinn could feel the warm stickiness of her blood soaking through the bunched up fabric he pressed tighter still to her wounded stomach, carefully trying to avoid pushing the knife in even further though almost hoping he could force the blood back in through sheer will. The girl’s fingers twitched and he lowered his head, sheltering her fading gaze from the prying eyes of the few that remained to bear witness. His closer proximity allowed her to brush her cold fingers over his cheek, smearing her blood upon his smooth flesh.

‘Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,’ he murmured softly, a lovers caress for her ears only as he could feel the slowing of her heart, beat by beat. He pressed his face to hers, cheek against cheek in an attempt to warm her skin with his own. His lips brushed hers, catching her ragged and shallow breath.

‘I’m not afraid,’ she whispered, the determined tone affected by her seeping strength.

‘I will wait for you, I swear. I’ll meet you again in a good place,’ he said and caught her smile with his lips, his black eyes open as he kissed her for the last time so that he caught the exact moment when her life-spark fluttered out and his heart shattered in a way he never knew it could.