Derek Corvine
I inhaled the country air, and exhaled. Jimmy played care freely in the pasture, playing out his summer break with the high energy of a six year old. My son was truly beautiful, a bleached white complexion, and big hazel eyes. Aries, my wife stood, in a coral colored dress that flowed when she chased Jimmy. She seemed to glide across the meadow. After my parents had died, in house fire, when I was thirteen, I was alone. I was in an institution for a while, and when I got out I started to date Aries who actually my nurse. I proposed on our fifteenth date, and she said yes. We had been married for ten years and in our fourth when she had jimmy, there was never a happier day in my life. Since then my love has blossomed into a new experience every day, keeping me young and happy. Aries and jimmy were the only family I had.
“Watch the kid; I’m going to get my book,” I shouted to Aires.
Aries nodded, and continued to chase Jimmy. I entered our small cabin, wiping my feet off on the woven mat. The dark wood kitchen was to the left of me and the upstairs was at the right of me. I crossed over to the kitchen sink and opened the white lace blinds. I walked over to the bright orange refrigerator in the corner; I grabbed a soda, and looked back out the window. I remembered why I came in here and went to go upstairs. I grabbed Intensity and returned to the kitchen window. Jimmy was running circles around Aries while she spinning. I could tell by the big smiles on their faces that they were laughing, and having fun.
“I never thought I be this happy, once upon a time.”I thought.I thought so many suicidal thoughts every day for the five years I was in there. They thought I was going to suffer for Post-traumatic stress disorder. I never saw many days full of sunshine. In my last year, they brought in a new nursing intern, my sunshine. She was eighteen year-old intern and I was nineteen year old recovering from PTSD. I got out six months later, she quit her job and we found each other again at a Starbucks. I kindled our love and soon enough we were married. I couldn’t help to smile at the memories.
I continued survey the scene outside the glass window, covered in jimmy’s small fingerprints. Aires was smiling as she stood there trying to catch her breath. Jimmy was running from behind her, and jumped on her back. She pretended to be a horse as he swung his pretend lasso around and she galloped through the field with him on her back. She was running fast, and I could hear his faint screams and laughter through the window. Aires stopped and fell to the ground with jimmy on her back, probably trying to get her breath back. I looked around and saw the clouds had grown to be large and gray; a storm was coming. The wind seemed to pick up as if on cue, when I thought about it. I glanced back to the spot where Aires was, and waited for them to get back up, but they never did.
“What the heck is going on?”
Something was wrong, but I wasn’t sure what it was. I began to become afraid, too afraid to go out there and check on them. The quaking aspens swayed in the strong winds, shaking with fear as well. I just stood there paralyzed with fear, and stared out the window. The lights in the cabin started to flicker, and they went out. In complete darkness I still never moved. The wind blew hard this time, shaking the screen of the window. The rushing air slowed to a stop. I could hear the honking of geese over the cabin. A strong gale blew over the house, shaking it like a snow globe. Pots and jars began to fall on the ground. In complete darkness, fear, and chaos I never moved.
All of a sudden, birds started to drop to the ground. Thud, Thud, Thud was all I could hear as they fell on the rooftop. They seemed to leaving a trail of smoke, or something because they were faint lines in the air. The sky had become black, and the winds seemed to creep across the plains. I thought about my wife and child out there and gathered my courage again. I ran out into the dark field, stepping on the carcasses of the dead birds. I approached the spot where I had last seen them standing. I slowed to a walk as panic set in again.
“Do I really want to see this?” I mumbled to myself. At my feet, lifeless bodies laid in peace. I cried in fear and pain as I fell to my knees. The dry rough grass scraped my knees. The wind started blowing it kisses of death across the field.
Fear surged through my body making me twitch. I accidently hit jimmy’s face and Jimmy’s corpse, crumbled under my touch. The head first, then the torso, and the rest of the body followed, leaving me with a handful of dust. I wailed in anguish, knowing I never hit Jimmy before.
Tears of pain and anger fell as I cursed Gods’ name for the heartache he brought upon my shoulders. Every tear seemed to become a waterfall and wash away their ashes. I heard the wind whispering far away, marking me like a bird of prey. Kissing Aires head before it fell away to dust I ran inside trying not to think of my dead wife out there. I ran into the cabin, and went to find a jar I could the ashes in. I found a nice jar for a makeshift urn, and turned to look out the window.
I watched helplessly as the wind carried their remaining ashes away like a small dust storm. I ran out trying to catch the rushing ashes, but I couldn’t. I stood over the spot where they once laid, I tore my off my garments making peace with god and cried a bloody prayer, wishing death upon my own head. The wind brushed over me leaving deathly cold fingerprints on my skin. I stroked the grass the way I touched Aries and Jimmy’s head, shock set in and I passed out open to the elements.
