Short Stories

Fallen

It feels like years that I've been walking through this sacred place. Fragments of memories flashed through my mind, memories I desperately wish I could forget. I felt a warm crystal clear tear trickle down my cheek to my chin as those memories entered my mind. As I walked along the cemetery, I saw a familiar sight.

I fell on my knees.

Tears continued streaming endlessly. I remember...

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"Good luck, soldier." General Hawk said to me. General Lucas Hawk was the leader of my group for our mission. He had trained me since I first joined the army, guided me as I went through the tough times. He was the very person to pull me back up when I have fallen.

...Perhaps even the love of my life.

As I sat in my seat with great anxiety, I prayed for the safety of my family and everyone else I hold dear. I could not wait to return home. To be in the arms of my mother and father. The thought of it alone makes me jubilant.

As soon as the plane landed, I prepared for my attack. Clutching the rifle close to my chest, I dashed out of the plane and went straight through the forest following General Hawk. We kept running while shooting as many enemies as we can. Soon, we reached an empty and silent area. It was just the two of us now.

By then, I was already panting and breathing heavily as though it was a marathon. Unfortunately for  us, we were instantly ambushed by our enemies' assassins. I should never had let my guard down. We needed to fight back and survive this war. I needed to. I wanted to come home.

As we fought hard, we were separated. I lost sight of the man I had fantasised of spending the rest of my life with. As I thought the future I dreamt of, I pointed my rifle to the last man standing in front of me, the one assassin left.

Bang!

The bullet went through his heart leaving a hold in it. Carmine droplets burst out of him as he fell to the ground.

Dead.

Just as I was about to release a sigh of relief, I hear footsteps behind me. My eyes widened in panic. I slowly turned my head to the owner of the footsteps. An assassin who had followed General Hawk return to my location instead with a shotgun pointed towards me. I was frozen stiff. I had made the same mistake twice, and now I'm paying the price for it. I slowly lost my hearing and my ability to move or even blink. All I could hear was my heartbeat beating at a speed I never thought I could contain. This was it. My last breath.

...or so I thought.

Just as the assassin pulled the trigger, I shut my eyes. I hear the sound of the gun shot, but, I felt no pain. Was I... already dead?

Thud! 

I hear the sound of something falling to the ground. The sound of a human body falling. I prayed and hoped that General Hawk had saved me. When I opened my eyes, I saw a dreadful sight. I thought my heart would stop just by looking at it.

General Lucas Hawk was shot.

Wrath and despair came over me. From where I stood, I immediately took my rifle and killed the assassin that had murdered my love. I capture General Hawk in my arms, my face already wet with tears.

"Lucas! Lucas, please! Don't do this. Don't leave me!" I begged and cried while he was still breathing his last few breaths. He slowly placed his warm hand on my cheek and pulled me into a final kiss.

He loved me? He knew how I felt about him?

It does not matter anymore. He mouthed his final words to me and right after he does so, he dropped his hands and his eyes slowly covered his sight. My hands did not let go of him. I could not accept this fate of ours. I didn't know how long I sat there because the other soldiers found us after completing their own assignments. Despite their words of comfort and efforts in trying to pull me away from him, I stood still in my position. His final words repeating in my head over and over again. I was broken.

"I love you, Melinda..." 

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I wrapped my arms around the tombstone. White rose petals already scattered around his grave. It has been 3 years since he left me. And I am alone and broken. I was able to come home to the peaceful side of the world where we lived, but I wanted to come home with him.

Gone.

I want to be with you Lucas. Come back. Please. Come back.