When the Leaves Begin to Turn

     My love and I first met when the leaves began to turn. The cool autumn breeze led us to each other. Scents of post-harvest lingered on his shirt; in my hair. Cool chills caused us to draw to one another for warmth; made us an inseperable unit. The oranges, reds, yellows and browns complemented his olive skin. The world turned slowly as if to give us more time together, but there were still not enough hours in the day.

    The days turned to weeks, the weeks to months, and the months to love stronger than ever before. By the season of Spring the next year, we were engaged to be married and our wedding was arranged. We wed under a maple tree when the leaves began to turn. The colors of the ceremony were copper, bronze, and gold. The shiny metals glinted in the pink-orange glow of the sunset. A sweet, syprupy smell drifted through the air, calming our guests. I looked into my love's eyes. They seemed to be the only green thing left in the world of Autumn. I had never been so happy.

     Exactly one year later, on the day of our anniversary, my love and I were on our way to nowhere special, but everywhere important. We planned to visit where the winds led and do what our hearts said. We left our home when the leaves began to turn.

      As we set out on our journey of spontanuity, the Ron Pope and Landon Pigg music took us back to the dancefloor of our wedding. Swept in the same trance I was, my love looked into my eyes, grabbed my hand, and said "I love you".

     He only took his eyes off of the road for a moment; a couple seconds. But apparently a lot can happen in a split second, because the next thing I knew, the car was moving at an unreal speed -- In the wrong direction. My neck and chest was pushing hard against a nylon seatbelt, the fabric cutting my skin. Shards of glass flew through the air, cutting my face and arms. The sound of crumpling metal tore at my ear drums, and blurring colors assulted my eyes. Then the sound quickly faded and the pain sibsided as the colors dimmed to black. The last thing I remember was feeling my love's hand go limp and cold.

      I woke to bright florescent light, sterile scents, a not-so-steady beeping noise, and the feel of coarse sheets around me.

     Then it began to hurt. Not my body, for that pain had been dulled by heavy medication. No, what began to hurt was the remembering of what had happened to my love and the realization that I was not with him. What hurt was knowing I had survived, but my reason for living was forever gone.

     I buried my love beneath an oak tree when the leaves began to fall.

 

 

     Now, as I live day by day, I inhale. I exhale. I smile. I hug. I kiss. But no longer do I breathe. No longer do I laugh. No more have I loved.

     I think of my love not just often, but every day; every second of my time on Earth is spent with him in mind. And in the season of Fall, it gets harder... Or maybe easier...

     When the leaves begin to turn, I see his face again, I hear him whisper through the wind. When the leaves begin to turn, I feel his body warm against mine, and I dance with him as the sun sets. When the leaves begin to turn, my love is once more mine.

Reviews

[Glen Yumang Manese]

Let's break this down... the story begins with a fairy tale like state and the world around you is spinning... tragedy and the remission of love never fades to blur... and the remembrance give the ending a reality that life moves on and the departing are truly never gone... but in spirit live within the heart of those that cannot let go... I did see this and caught my eye:

the pain sibsided as the colors dimmed to black. The last thing I remember was feeling my love's hand go
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the pain subsided as the colors dimmed to black. The last thing I remember was feeling my lover's hand go
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Well done and the reader is easily transformed into this story... I usually read the first paragraph and if I'm not drawn... that's it... I cannot go any farther... Good to read you...

[Sloane Holt]

Thank you very much. I guess I need to do a better job proofing my work, because I didn't even realize the grammatical and spelling errors! I appreciate your feedback.

[Glen Yumang Manese]

We often do not notice ourselves...that is normal and typical...that's why this is a writing site to help improve each others work...I'm not saying put up a story, verse and etc...and not edit it and let one do it for you...but be aware of it...that give more time to enjoy the beauty of your work...u r welcome...