Can You Feel My Heart?

Hear

How will this story end?

•••
Five Days Before
Jake didn't go to school the next day, building up his title as a coward without knowing it. He grabbed a blanket, a pillow, and a one thousand paged book of the many works of Edgar Allen Poe.

With all of his things, he opened up his window, which overlooked the garage roof, and climbed out. He flattened out his blanket, placed the pillow on it, and laid down.
He began to read Allen's works. Mostly his poems. Only three stuck with him. 'Deep In Earth', 'Imitation', and 'The Happiest Day-The Happiest Hour'.

He started with 'Deep In Earth'.

Deep in Earth my love is lying,

And I must weep alone.

Then he read 'The Happiest Day-
The Happiest Hour'.

The happiest day-the happiest hour

My sear'd and blighted heart hath known,
The highest hope of pride, and power,
I feel hath flown.

Of power! said I? yes! such I ween
But they have vanish' long alas!
The visions of my youth have been-
But let them pass.

And, pride, what have I now with thee?
Another brow may ev'n inherit
The venom thou hast poured on me-
Be still my spirit.

The happiest day-the happiest hour
Mine eyes shall see--have ever seen
The brightest glance of pride and power
I feel-have been:
But were that hope of pride and power
Now offer'd, with the pain
Ev'n then I felt-that the brightest hour
I would not live again.

For on its wing was dark alloy
And as it flutter'd-fell
An essence-powerful to destroy
A soul that knew it well.

And, finally, 'Imitation'.

A dark unfathom'd tide
Of interminable pride-
A mystery, and a dream,
Should my early life seem;
I say that dream was fraught
With a wild, and waking thought
Of beings that have been,
Which my spirit hath not seen,
Had I let them pass me by,
With a dreaming eye!

Let none of earth inherit
That vision on my spirit;
Those thoughts I would control
As a spell upon his soul:
For that bright hope at last
And that light time have past,
And my worldly rest hath gone
With a sigh as it pass'd on:
I care not tho' it perish
With a thought I then did cherish.

•••

Later that day, he awoke to the sound of children laughing. He rolled over and stared through the trees, squinting to see around the leaves. The sun was setting, and when he looked down, he saw groups of elementary students walking home with their parents.

"Mommy, mommy! Look! There's a boy on the roof!" The high soprano belonged to a little girl, who was jumping and pointing at Jake.

Quickly, he got up and gathered his blanket, pillow, and book, and climbed through his window. Just as he shut it, he heard a woman say,

"Katy, don't be silly. Nobody's up there."

•••

Six o'clock.

•••

Tell us, Jake, what was the thought you then did cherish?
Yours Truly,
Quiet Observer.