Bella's Short Stories

The Last One

As my back relaxes into the chair, I knew what I had to do. But for a moment I let the old fabric make steady contact with the bare of my flesh, and I let the metal coils take the weight of my body as I thought of how this may or may not affect my life, how I was always told to be brave, follow my instincts. While at the same time being told to think wisely, to not be stupid; dumb. But if I'm being completely honest with myself, Isn't that what bravery is, Stupidity. Going out and risking your life, or letting your ignorance control you. I get up and look around me, slowly letting my knees straighten and lock, letting that feeling of the old hard coils in the ruff chair leave behind a absence of security, and life. Letting myself breathe in the musty air of loss and unforgiveness. I look around the pile of rubble that was once my bedroom, I look out farther to smoke and ash that use to be my house. And finally as I feel my lungs aching to swallow themselves into oblivion I look out to the empty, desolate stretch of land everywhere I look. This which use to be my world. All that's left is me, me and this old hard ruff chair. I take a deep breath of air, ash and sut, I let it engulf me as I can feel a freedom come with my pain. I look up into the sky, the dark night sky full of stars and think about how insugniagant we are, we were. I am. And I feel like for a moment that I never mattered. And even now as I stand here, the last living thing on earth I mean nothing. The universe is bigger than me, it's bigger than earth. It's bigger than anyone ever seemed to believe they were, or how big they thought they could dream. And it swallows me. I just wish I could have left with everyone else. Why me. Why am I still here when everything I knew. Everything I loved, is gone forever. I find myself again and I close my eyes. I picture my mother, my father and my new baby brother and the last good night we spent together.

"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Oscar, Happy birthday to you!" I looked over to my mother holding a video camera and my dad giving her a soft gentle kiss on her cheek. Then I look over to my little brother, a huge smile is planted on his chubby face as he tries to blow out his candle.

Everything was so perfect, the way we had it. It seemed like almost fantasy. And my little brother, little Oscar with his radiant smile and eyes full of life, he didn't even get to live. I always thought my life was going to be perfect and long and beautiful. But it ended so tragic I don't want to think about at all. I pause for a minute, and bring myself back to what is now my tragic reality. And I let myself know that this time there is no safe route. This time I don't have anyone to rely on, no one to trust. I don't have anyone or anything at all. No one will ever know how it ended, no one will ever know who I am. No one will ever know. And soon enough I won't know either. I'll just be the dust and ash in what is left of planet earth, but no one will even miss me. How could they, their all dead. I look back up to the sky trying to find just a little more confront, just a little hope to hold on to. But as I look up into the vast abyss of the universe I just want to be there, away from everything I know, everything I knew. I wish I could forget everything, the hate, the love. What could have been. What can't be. I look and before everything leaved me for a blissful moment I wonder why I was left. Who or what saved me. What wanted me to live. I wish I could look farther, and farther because I can my mind on the bridge, just the edge of being able to understand. The edge of not being alone and being able to understand the universe and how big and expensive it really is. And then I fall to the ground, my head pounding and cold hollow tears flying down my face. I feel the ash of the ground against my skin, corroding it, making me more aware that this is really truly the end. I close my eyes and I see her.

"Hi" she says linking her hand in mine. I reply as I hold her hand tight instinctive rubbing my thumb over the back of her small soft hands.

This was the last time I ever saw her.

We walk over to our tree in the back of our high school to just sit and talk as we usually do after school was over. As we walk I think about what our lives will be like in the future. We got into the same school so we didn't need to have a long distance relationship.

Everything was perfect.

We make it to the tree and sit, shoulder to shoulder. Our backs against the ruff bark, still hand in hand. She leans her head on my shoulder.

The last time we were together, and now I'll never see her again. At this reality starts to crash down on me and I can feel my body convulsing with every wave of heavy longing tears pouring down my face. My lungs wanting air but just getting dust and ash and loss. I start coughing as I imagine the last time I kissed her. I remember how her hand felt against my face, and how her lips felt pressed against mine. I feel down to my hand, my ring finger. I feel the promise ring she gave me last summer when she went away to Canada for two months. I take it off and hold it tight in my hands, closing my eyes and pressing it to my heart. I feel heat on my hand, warm wet blood dripping down as the ring cuts into my hand. I can feel my lungs being coated with a thick layer of dirt and ash. I open my shaking hand and look at the ring remembering when she gave it to me, and how happy but how sad I was and how much I knew I was going to miss her, which is not even compared to how much I miss her now.

"Hey you" I hear from behind me, smiling as I recognize the voice in an instant .

"Hey" I say turning around, her hands are behind her back, I look into her beautiful brown eyes seeing the smile behind them.

"Close your eyes" She says in a small timid voice while smiling big at me. I close my eyes and felt her small warm hand clasp around mine, holding them up so that they were at the level of my chest. A coolness spreads through my hand as a small cold object is placed into my hand. "Okay you can open your eyes now" I hear being softly whispered in my ear. I look down at our hands, she released and I open my hands. In them lay a ring, I look up into her eyes, "It's a promise ring" She says looking down at her feet, smiling. Her short hair falls in front of her face, "Just I wanted you to have something for when I go to Canada if you get lonely, you can remember me and know that I love you" I lean forward and kiss you, a tear slowly falling down my cheek, Her hand came to rest on my face as she pulled back and wiped the tear that slowly fell down my face, her thumb wipes it away and then linger there for a moment. I look down and see the ring, I put it onto my ring finger and hugged her.

The memory leaves as soon as it comes as I'm overwhelmed by shock, terror but in the same time freedom. And it feels as though I am being lifted up into the air by a calm warm hand. I close my eyes feeling scared but also wanting more than anything to give myself over to the warm hand, the force gripping at me, pulling me up. And then I...

- Sorry for the abrupt fast ending, you get to decide what happened, did she die? Was she abducted by aliens... I don't know -

- I hope you like it and I hope to be posting another short story soon! -