The Last momentA Story by Gemma23A short story about the last moment on earth of a man and how he was reunited with the soul he loved dearly. He
breathed heavily under the stars. It was very cold that his breath turns to fog
the second they left his nostril. He couldn't feel anything. Not the chill, not
the pain, nothing. Above his head, the moon is filling up the sky. “Hunter’s
moon” he whispers. So soft that you may think that it was the wind howling. The
moon light up the wood that he’s not in the darkness at all, except for the
darkness creeping inside his heart. Despair and anger start to crawl their way
to poison that little child hiding in the corner of his heart. He started to lose
his senses. But
like what people says about moment of despair when the Grim Reaper stand close
to you, waiting for grains of sand to fall down, everything will eventually
come back to you. Even the darkness retreated for a moment. Under the clear moonlight,
he could see that face, as lucid as it can be. There was the personification of
summer herself, just like the moment he first saw her. Stand
between him and the moon, was a woman he used to love so dearly. With her ocean
blue dress, corn yellow hair, and a wide hat she wore when she was enjoying
herself by the lake over quarter of century ago. He looked at the summer in the
middle of winter and smiled. Not sure whether in the end, the universe was
doing him a favor by once again fulfill his last wish or his bleeding had
become so bad that he was hallucinating. Either way, he was filled with joy. She
walked through the snow toward his direction. “Dear, are you alright?” she
asked. Her
voice was music for his ear, more beautiful than a choir of angel singing on
St. Peter’s gate, welcoming the souls. How her beautiful eyes reminds him of
the stars where they first kissed and now, the goddess of summer himself,
standing by him. What else could he wish for? “Is
it the time yet? I’m feeling cold” he said weakly. She approached him and
hugged him with such gentleness that he felt warm in the middle of the snowfield. He
raised his head and looked at her and said “I had a terrible nightmare. I’m
scared”. She
just smiled and hugged him tighter. She whispered to his ear, “Tell me what
happen. I’m here, nothing can hurt you”. He
nodded weakly and closed his eyes as if he was exhausted. “I had a dream that
we got married but everything changes. You didn't love me anymore. You left me
for another man because you think that I was selfish. But it was not. I was
working on something that I hoped can bring fortune to us. I’m sorry that I’m
not good enough as a man that I couldn't make enough for our daughter. It was a
very long dream. In the end, you left me and live with that man. But not long
after that, you died of cancer. I came to your funeral to see your beautiful
face for the last time and to pick up our daughter from your new husband. But
he was infuriated by my presence. He sends some men to take me away. And when I
woke up, I saw the hunter’s moon and it reminds me of you. I hope I can just
hug you and shoo away the bad dream”. He
coughed terribly but she tried to comfort him. Hugging him even closer and
tried to make him more comfortable. The snows around them were already red by
the blood. The bullet cut through a vein and caused a terrible bleeding. He
lost his consciousness rapidly. “Hush
hush, the bad dream will go. There’s nothing to worry about. Now I am here with
you, and it is all that matter. Now let me sing you our song”. She hummed a
melody. It was very soft like a nightingale on the branch. Song so beautiful
that can only be produced with love. “Ah
you remember. I made that song for you to remind you of the first time we met.
You were sitting on the grass, with that wide hat under the willow by the lake.
You were very beautiful that I quickly approached you, putting aside my fear of
rejection. I knew that men had stand in love for your hand. But you rejected
them all. I knew that my chance was slim, but your beauty conquered and I took
the risk” he said nostalgically. She
chuckled and continued “yes, I remembered that moment dearly. I was anxious
whether you would approach me or not. I've been noticing you since you drop your
books near the cinema. But you never saw me. I hoped you would approach
earlier. And about the men I left you for, I thought that you were not in love
with me anymore. I was just trying to make you jealous. I’m sorry I bought a
trouble to both of us. Turns out I involved myself with someone very dangerous
that I couldn't even run away. I’m sorry for that as well”. He
nodded and smiled. Nothing else matter since both of them were on each other
arms for once again. He said “Thank you for coming here for me, dearest love.
Now is the comet here? I hope it is here. It was very impressive. It always
reminds me of how we vow to each other, under that comet on Aegean Sea”. Suddenly
a comet passed by above them, above the moon which just set. “I love you” he
whispered. As the comet leaves the sky, so was his last breath. And as the
death is just a beginning, a pair of stars is twinkling in the furthest corner
of the sky, where the lover reunites again on the sky.
© 2014 Gemma23Author's Note
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Added on March 5, 2014 Last Updated on March 5, 2014 Tags: romance, short-story, experimental |