Mors, Amor, et Fatum

Chapter 5

Dmitri did not come out of his room, save for school, which did not appeal to him anymore. Everything reminded him of her and he wanted to forget because it was too painful to remember. Sometimes he would skip class and play his violin in one of the many music practice rooms. But even that started to become less comforting. He felt lost. Sometimes he would be angry at the world and other times he would just be sad. Every day, he would constantly go over that night wondering what could have been different...so both of them could have been here.

Tonight, it would be exactly three months since the accident. Dmitri could not silence the thoughts inside his head so he decided to take a walk. The one thing New York was good for was losing one's self. It worked until he stumbled upon a little cemetery. It had trees and a path that cut through them and went all throughout the cemetery. He decided to step inside and wander the path. It was dark, so he could not make out any of the headstones, in the dark, they all looked the same. But one gravesite was different, not much had grown around it yet and the headstone still had decorations on it. Someone must be missed, he thought as he turned his phone light on to get a better look at it. He could not believe it, especially since he never even wanted to know the location of it. The headstone was Sally's. The decorations were various photos and things that she liked.

He sat by the site. He wanted to say something but... he didn't know what he could say to her. Do dead people actually hear the living? But he figured he would give it a try.

"Hey, Sally. How is it up there? Is it fair to say that's where you are? Down here it's the same, except you are not here. Most people moved on, so don't worry. I'm doing ok, even though it does not look like it. Actually, maybe not so much. I miss you every day. You should be here, not me. Why?... Why?! I wish there was some way you can answer me. I am lost. Wow, haven't told anyone that, or anything for that matter. I never know how to express it, but with you, it is always different, even in death..." he trailed off as his words became tears. "I did not want to say goodbye...Why do you have to be so selfless?! You would've never let me die first!"

"You were never meant to die first. Besides I would have never forgiven myself if you did," a voice said.

"Who's that?" he said turning around. There he saw a girl with long, white robes and hair with soft moonlit highlights against her otherwise dark hair. There was an unearthly glow about her and calm that he had never seen before.

"Sally?" he finally asked.

"In the flesh," she said with a smile.

"How?"

"Well, long story short, I was not meant to die that day after all. I was just meant to 'drop out' of the universe in order to watch over it."

"Watch over it?"

"Yes, help those that can come back and those that can't cross over. And make sure, or try to make sure, that everyone dies at their time." She paused for a bit. You were not supposed to die that night, I was."

"I did die that night."

"No, something is still in there." 

"Yeah, but I am not the same. Who can be when they have lost the person they care most about in the world?"

He walked over to her and hugged her close, never wanting her to leave again. She settled into his embrace and they stood there in silence, reveling in things unsaid. He then broke the embrace and took her hand.

"Where to?" he asked with a grin.

"I don't know, Central Park?"

"Sounds good, but it's a bit of a walk."

She gave a wink. "Not really," she said as she teleported them to Central Park.

"New trick?" he asked

"One of many."

"Like what?"

"I could see what's coming, not the future per se just parts. I can go between planes of existence, but only a limited number of times."

"Like now?"

"Yeah," She paused. "I thought you might need some help."

There was a pause.

"I do. How do I get over this? I feel hollow, sad, and angry. I want the pain to go away."

"By letting go of your guilt. You could not have stopped it, even if you tried. It was inevitable."

"I hate the inevitable. Because it leaves no room for the 'what ifs'." He said as he lightly kissed her hand.

"Me too," she said as she kissed his cheek. "Can you promise me something?"

"Yeah, anything."

"Be happy and continue to live your life. I hate seeing you so miserable."

"I'll try. I won't be for a while."

"As long as it happens."

"I am happy now."

"I know me too. I want you to stay happy, even when I am gone. Life is too short."

They continued their walk until the nighttime sky turned to the pale blue of the early morning.

"Morning already?" he asked

"Yeah, it's a pretty morning," she said.

"It is," She then turned to face him.

"You cannot stay," he said, speaking for her.

"No, I must go. I could only stay the night."

"I do not want to say goodbye again."

"Then don't," she said as she put her hand over his eyes. "You cannot say goodbye if you do not know when I leave."

"But-", before he could utter another word, she was gone.

He walked back home, but this time with a smile on his face.