Short Stories

Lonely but not alone

Staring up Zara looked to the night sky. The galaxies above danced in their millions all with their respective dance partners swaying to a song they but no one else could all hear. 

Beautiful, she had once described it as, but now her eyes slightly only felt misty as she felt the cool wind sweep past her. The breeze brought with it the sound of her friends laughing, celebrating. The joyful sounds normally felt like a lamp in the dark, a beacon to find her way back, a lighthouse in a dark storm. But right now, she just wanted to feel the darkness.

She stared down at her drink unable to look back up, the bubbles like sour confetti.

"Zara where are you! Come enjoy, you know that's what She would have wanted!" One of Zara's friends called. A feint smile brushed her lips as memories of her came crashing back.

'Give me a moment!' Zara called back. The music behind her changed no longer upbeat but cool, like a breeze on a hot summer's day, Her favourite song. Zara raised her hand to her cheeks feeling the damp tracks that marked them, washing away her frown.

Standing up Zara began to sway, her hips finding their usual pattern, the glass in her hand precariously holding its contents. The light of a hundred stars rained down like a thousand spotlights during a final dance. Or, she whispered silently to the stars, a first dance where memories of your life are shared, remembered and cherished.

The damp tracks down her face had turned to rivers, great flowing channels of water, and yet Zara smiled. She smiled for the memory of her, her dance partner, her lending hand, her best friend. The laughter from inside seemed to ring hollow without the sparklingly laughter she always brought with her. The light from the stars seemed to shine dimmer without her to shine on. Even the breeze seemed colder without her defiant happiness to keep it warm.

Conflicted, Zara sighed to the stars as she danced. The wish for her friend to be in a better place juxtaposed with her desire for her to be here and never leave. Never leave her side always be with her though thick and thin, because it was definitely thick without her. Staring down at the grave to her side, the fresh earth dug to the side of it, the newly planted tree promising life Zara decided. No. She would not waste away in her memory, she would cherish it.

The song drew to a close, the notes became fewer and the sound quieter, Zara moved to the final position for the last time. Her hips remained cold with no dance partner to bump, but a smile grasped her lips. She raised her cold champagne to her warm lips.

'To you, mon Cherie.' With the silent promise of her always to be her favourite dance partner, Zara took a sip, watched by a million of tiny pin pricks of light.

Retreating to the party, which was celebrating her memory, Zara felt the how the laughs of her friends echoed hollow in her chest. The distance between their celebration and her remembrance creating a feint barrier in her heart. The world seemed so big now. And somehow even with the chatter of her friends, she felt alone.