Achilles Come Down

The leaves crunched under my feet as I ran. The trees became blurs as I moved faster and faster. My world became a swirl of orange and yellow as the the autumn leaves decorated the trees and fell around me.
I knew exactly where I was going, I had been there many times before. Rounding a corner in the path, a familiar pond flew into my vision, and memories of bright summer days and late spring nights, fishing and swimming with Addy as we ignored the world around us and could only think of each other. Although the thought of her tore my heart to shreds now, I couldn't stop running. I had to move on.
The trees grew more bare and dry as I made my way down the path past the pond, as they always had. This part of the woods never did work the same as the rest. This isn't why I loved it so much, though. Just like the pond, it was the memories of Addy that drew me back so often. I remembered her being scared of this part of the woods, and I remembered comforting her so we could reach the end of the path together.
I rounded one last turn and slowed to a stop. There it was, an insignificant part of the woods to any other person, which it now pains me to see. A simple rock in the ground, flat and grey, wine and grease stains around the edges from the countless days and nights we spent sitting there, eating pizza and drinking wine like the adults we were. Talking. Bonding. Connecting with each other for hours on end. I reached under the rock, and began to dig out the dirt beneath it. I scraped out pebbles from underneath it in an attempt to unearth the rock, and it broke free from the earth. I finally had it.
The rock now sits on my mantle, with an engraving that will haunt me forever;
"In Loving Memory, Addison Jones."