Treasure [h.s]

| 53 - Treasure Chest |

***
When my time comes around
Lay me gently in the cold, dark earth
No grave can hold my body down
I'll crawl home to her

Hozier - Work Song
***

I had never been a good sleeper. For most of my life, I've needed to cling to something. A pillow or a stuffed animal. A person, if I was lucky. Really, really lucky. And even then, a full night's rest was more of a dream than my actual nocturnal emissions.

I don't think I ever felt the true depth of good sleep until I met Harry.

The right person will do that to you, though. To feel safe in the arms of another is something so rare, so beautiful, that when it's gone, you're left with a mountain of repressed fear. But, in the arms of your person, everything is better. I never liked to feel unsafe, and even with the nature of his lifestyle, I knew I had nothing to fear.

Harry made everything better. He made everything clearer. There isn't a second that I would take back. He gave me the ability to see myself for who I truly was, even if he took that woman with him. There's a version of me that I greeted with hesitation and let go of with no choice. How I wish I had a choice.

The morning rays washed over my skin with the kind of endearing warmth that a newborn kitten craves. The specks of dust, so tender and unhurried, danced in the beams pouring over us. Silky sheets snaked over my bare legs and the raw flesh against the soft bedding reminded me of something.

We made love last night.

"Harry?"

For the first and last time, we made love.

"Harry!"

It was gentle just like you needed. Just like we both needed, I think. I never felt more connected to someone than I did to you that night. Our souls intertwined for the last time. There would be no more soft touches. No more gentle kisses. I left you with my love, and you took it. You took it with you for good.

"Fuck, baby, wake up! Please!"

Your skin was the palest I had ever seen. The color didn't look right on you. I couldn't believe what I was seeing; your once lively, beautiful face was stuck in a state of unconsciousness. Relaxed doesn't describe it. You weren't relaxed, for the soul that kept you human was already transitioning to something much more permanent.

"911, what's your emergency?"

I couldn't leave you alone. I was afraid that if I left you in the bed, you'd slip through my fingers more than you already had. How could I risk losing more than I already had? I suppose that I knew my efforts would lead nowhere, but I couldn't not try for you.

"My husband! He's not breathing, I need an ambulance!"

The blue and red lights flashing outside of the hotel are a sight I won't ever forget. They carried your lifeless body out through a crowd of nosey bystanders. They watched you like any other Las Vegas attraction. They thought of you as entertainment. None of them understood the amount of pain I felt in my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack.