| 10:24p |
short story time!
Aftershocks of the full moon. (again, not the title, just the writing promt I used to inspire the story)
We looked out over the ocean, the stars lit brilliantly white against the dark night sky. The full moon was just rising and loomed huge over the water, like some extraterrestrial spacecraft. The sky was so much darker out here over the water, without the city lights to dull and lighten it.
Silently, Thomas handed me the plain, brown paper bag that he was holding at his side. I opened it and pulled a plastic baggy from inside. Inside this baggy were ashes, the remains of our oldest friend, Michael. It had been his wish, when he was dying of leukemia, that his ashes be spread into the ocean, the place he’d always dreamed of going to some day to surf. His dreams had always been sidetracked, first by school, then by his illness; still, he had clung to them until the end of his life.
When I learned this grave duty I was to perform, I had mixed feelings. I felt honored that Michael wanted me to do this important thing for him. At the same time, I was also angry and upset that I had to bear this weight of saying goodbye to my best friend in this way. It helped that Thomas was with me and I was pretty sure that he was feeling similarly. We had hardly said anything during the whole trip out West.
Now, standing on the edge of the pier with the remnants of my friend in my hand, my eyes welled up with hot tears. I held in my pain during Michael’s funeral. I stayed strong for his parents, his siblings, and our friends. I didn’t let one teardrop fall during the whole ordeal, even though everyone kept telling me it was okay to cry and to just let it out. I couldn’t do it then, when I knew I still had to face this moment.
My hand shook as I carefully opened the bag. Thomas noticed and covered mine with his own. I looked up at him and saw that he was crying, too. He was the only one in the world that understood my pain. Together, we held the bag out over the edge of the pier and then tipped it over. The ashes drifted along like snowflakes as they were caught in the breeze. Soon, too soon it seemed, they were all gone, reaching the waves and disappearing. I shoved the bags down into the trashcan next to me. Then, I just let out a gasp as all the tears flowed. Thomas put his arms around me and pulled me to him. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his chest, sobbing. He was audibly crying now, too. We clung to each other, feeling the same pain.
Current Mood: satisfied
Current Music: Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, 'Cold Roses' |