The Great Awakening

Chapter 18

            The grass beneath her feet had turned to brown. An autumnal breeze swept through the lands, snatching some loose decaying leaves, as well as some chirping birds. The air was cold, sending a shiver through her body. Her head hunched over as tears fell in front of a headstone was planted into the soft terrain. She clutched a rose tightly and the thorns bored into her palm, forcing droplets of blood to surface. The color almost matched the pedals and were thicker than the tears filling her eyes. The mixture of the sweet fragrance with blood almost made her gag, but her sobs kept it at bay.

            Memories flowed through her mind of what they were. Now the name Jayden Aran will not be a bringer of happiness, but a constant reminder of what could have been. If she had known what little time they had, she would have done more with him. So much more. She fell to her knees, begging for whatever higher power to bring him back. She chanted his name, hoping he would hear her call. As if reciting a mantra, she repeated the words ‘I love you’ until the sobs became so powerful, her words turned into gibberish.

            It had been a few months since she was shot. When her eyes first opened, she was greeted with the news of Jayden’s mission, and how it took an unfortunate turn. The last part had been sugarcoated, but Melissa’s face said it all. Her watering eyes, her wrinkled brows, her compressed lips. Jayden wouldn’t be coming back. Ever.

            Now, there was nothing to wake up to. No one to converse with. No one to train with. Nothing to look forward to. Her memories of being together with him will fade into nothingness, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. The only thing that she did was wait.

            She pried herself to turn away before she wasted hours there. The day before, she had gone to the grave when the sun was high and the blue sky had sent a chilling howling wind. She left when the sky was dark and silent, where the only light was the full moon. What kept her so drawn to the grave in the first place? Was it despair, love or something else? She walked away with wet hot cheeks. There were never any bodies to be buried. The bodies, once lost, had to remain where they were. Deadweight.

            But in all of this darkness, a glimmer of hope shined through. No one was there to witness his death, so how could he really be dead? Where was the proof? No phone call or report? That constitutes nothing! For all they knew, he might still be alive.

            The whole thing was suspicious. Why him? She was a better insurgent. She was faster and stronger. There were others who would have fit the position better. Yet they chose him.

            Don’t trust Troy.

 

            These words echoed within her, in Jayden’s voice. Almost as if he was trying to tell her something. What did Troy do to make Jayden say such things?

            Melissa was approaching at a slow speed as the wind pushed her brunette hair. Her arms placed above her now round abdomen. Seven months… it’s been seven months. Upon reaching her, she began to sob heavily, covering her eyes with her forearm. These seven months haven’t been easy on her either.

            With a warm embrace, Melissa cried onto her shoulder. Her tears dampened Joanna’s cold shoulder with warm liquid. They stood there for a moment, as if the other would disappear if they let go.

            The crying finally ceased, and Joanna finally had the courage to speak. With Melissa in such a fragile state, she had to choose her words carefully. “Hey…” Joanna kept her arms wrapped around her. “It’s alright.” It wasn’t.