A Shade of Crimson

        The tears of many have been shed for the loss of a beautiful spirit. The death of a well-loved author who was known by the name of Marissa Davi-Bennet to her loved ones and Marissa D. Bennet to her many fans and readers worldwide. Forty-seven years of her graceful presence was not enough for the world, but she is waiting for her family to join her in peace. The best selling author of the trilogy, The Half-Way Trilogy, which also became a top box seller movie series was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. While shopping for groceries with her husband for their three kids, a robbery took place that took a dangerous turn. When her husband tried to do his duty as a Marine veteran to stop them, a gun was pulled out. He immediately dove towards his wife, attempting to shield her from harm. In the process her husband, Joshua Bennet, was shot multiple times in the back and one lucky bullet shot through his body and hit his wife straight in the heart. Clinging to their lives, the two shared one last moment together in one another’s arms. Joshua gave his only love one last kiss and ‘I love you’ before the bright glow in her eyes faded away and blood poured from her mouth in a blood diamond red.

 

           July 18, 1965 was a glorious day for the parents of the beautiful and healthy newborn given the name we will never forget, Marissa Amanda Davi. Ever since she was able to grab a hold of anything she always had a book in her hand, majority were picture books, but books non-the-less. In the first grade she was able to pronounce words and write them out. By the second grade she was able to memorize short stories and poems along with reading books two grades above her level. Just for the heck of it, her and her older sister, Gianina, performed a skit of ‘The Three Little Kittens’. At the age of five this performance took place and Marissa had every word memorized and every emotion of a word she easily understood. She was energetic throughout childhood, skipping around her house room to room, dancing and singing songs she knew. All through grade school she excelled in English and any vocabulary test given to her in whatever subject. By the near end of grade school she became enamored with scientific terms and intermediate vocabulary. A sure sign of a glorious writer in the making.

 

          After many college level books, outstanding vocabulary, amazing use of scientific terms, she slid through childhood with ease. When high school came along she had ups and downs in career choices. She desired to be chef and study culinary arts but there was never a chance that she would let go of her writing. Her freshman year was when she had an epiphany of a storyline that was just too good to resist. The years flew by her while the ideas came flooding through and the storyline became a book. By senior year of high school, she altered her first book ending as a cliffhanger she could add onto with another adventure to where she began to write a second book. Once she graduated from high school she gained a full scholarship to a culinary school in Europe where she worked on her second book when her assignments were completed early and every spare time she had.

 

During her stay in Europe she came across a man in the farmer’s market she always got her ingredients from. He was a man of uniform, a Marine, and his posture made you feel strong from how tall he stood. There was something good about this man among the others that caught her eye. This man seemed to have his emerald green eyes glued to hers and a lopsided bright smile spread across his face when a blush flushed her cheeks. She was an easily bashful woman and didn’t think anything more than a harmless flirt from him and left it at that, continuing on with her grocery shopping. She came across her favorite stand where the sweet and crisp fruits were sold to her and the man sped to her side. She was smiling widely but tried to focus on the fruit before her, not allowing herself to fall for a man she would probably never see again. He asked for an apple, taking a bite of its sweet flesh, while he prepared to make his move on her until his elbow slid on the plums and they fell to the ground. His face went red and he dove to the ground to pick up the fallen fruit, hiding his face and uttering apologetic words. She felt guilty while she laughed at his predicament and helped him with the fruit. When she had finished gathering most of the plums the man introduced himself as Joshua and she introduced herself as well. When she spoke her name he lifted her chin to meet his eyes and softly kissed her on the lips. After that day they were inseparable for the rest of his stationing in Europe. She wrote him every day when he got stationed in Romania and her fear of losing him grew more and more with each delay of his letter.  When she missed him she remembered the times they spent together and wrote him into her book, but it was never as good as the real thing. When his service was done, he flew to her hometown in California to see her since school was out for the summer. They shared a moment together and he dropped to one knee, bearing a beautiful white gold ring with a blood diamond in the center. She dropped to her knees and kissed him while tears spilled from her eyes from pure joy. She was married at the age of twenty-four and had her first child, her oldest and only son, August. At the age of twenty-eight she had her second child, oldest daughter, Blake, and at thirty-three had her third child, youngest daughter, Kyla. When all her children were finally old enough to go to school, she had found a job as a cook at a nearby restaurant.

 

After taking a big break from her writing, she finally got back into the swing of things and finished her second book. With all the time wasted and so many ideas that needed to be written, she decided to write a third book. During her writing she almost gave up, but her husband and kids inspired her every day and kept her going. At the age of thirty-seven, she finished her third book and got published. Within the first week, thousands of copies were sold in the U.S and when she began to feel giddy with excitement, they began to ship copies worldwide in different languages. Seven years after her millions of copies had been sold, they chose her trilogy to become a movie series that became just as big a best seller as her books still were. Regularly, Marissa and her husband Joshua would go grocery shopping together because they remember that day at the market when they first met. No one knew this day at the store would be any different than the others. 9-1-1 was called as soon as shots were heard and both Joshua and Marissa were taken to the nearest hospital in the same ambulance. Joshua had the faintest heartbeat, barely clinging to his life. Next to his side was Marissa, eyes wide and glazed over as the defibulator pounded against her chest, desperately trying to bring her back to the world. With all the energy he had left, he turned his head in the hopes he’ll see the life flood back into her eyes, but the monitor’s flat line teased him. After all the death’s he had been surrounded by in the Marines, none of them fazed him but the death of the only woman he had ever loved. She was gone, and not even the strongest of shocks could bring her back to him. Joshua gazed upon her one last time and he passed out before he couldn’t take the pain of losing her forever. He was later brought to the hospital and pronounced dead when nothing had seemed to revive him.

 

Marissa Amanda Davi-Bennet had meant everything to her family and fans. No words could describe the depression that fell upon thousands of people. To be taken away from everyone was not fair to anyone who had loved her. August, Blake, and Kyla would be left to live with the knowledge that Mom won’t be home anymore, that both her and Joshua can never hug them again. Kyla wouldn’t have her parents to cheer her on in swim meets or see her graduate high school. Blake wouldn’t have flowers from her mother after she earned her degree from a university. August’s children wouldn’t have grandparents to play with. Without a doubt, Marissa’s life wouldn’t be forgotten because she will always live on through her books and short stories. People may physically leave the world, but genuine and kind people would never be forgotten after years and years to come. In conclusion, the spirit of Marissa Davi-Bennet will rest in peace, where her soul goes through ‘the Midst’ and into Paradise where the ‘Monarch Angels’ wait to guide her, for the readers who have read her trilogy. And also to her readers, I leave you with this quote from her most recent interview that you shall never forget.

 

“I think writer’s are the best examples

of the person I have always aimed to be.

They’re the only adults I have ever known

 to keep in touch with their imaginations.

 That’s what I’ve always wanted to be.

Someone who can share the world that is still intact

 after years of being told to let it fade away.”

 

                                                                                  ~Marissa D. Bennet