Short Stories

Love in Blood

Running.

Shooting.

Shouting.

Running.

Breathing.

Surviving.

Dying.

Falling to the ground, bleeding without sign of stopping.

Coughing like a hag, Jack's eyes refuse to open. He could hear though, hear everything. The rifles shooting over and over, the demented choirs of wailing shells. Friends and foes, falling all around. People all around dying. Screaming.

Everything.

His breathing started to get harder, rasping and he coughed, coughed up his own blood which stained his uniform. But it was not the only blood that stained his uniform. Blood of his own and others.

'Stay alive for me, Jack. For me and... Emma.'

Sarah. His one and only. His other half. His true love. His everything. His only reason to stay alive.

He can't let go, he will stay above death, clawing into the blackness that threatened to engulf him. Staying away from the light that was becoming stronger and stronger, refusing to leave his sight no matter what he thought, no matter what he wished. Jack squashed his eyes closed tight and prayed, prayed to god and all other gods that might be there, that he could survive to hold his love again.

He would stay above death so he could go home, get married. To hold his daughter, even if it's just one more time. He could do that. He would do that. Just to see Emma. Just to hold her, even if it was the last thing he ever did. His own flesh and blood.

Sarah's face filled his aching eyes as slowly, one by one, each of his senses gave in, his eyesight was gone. Although he could not open his eyes he could still see Sarah's face, as though she was standing right in front of him. On a field of the dying, screaming men.

Jack would stay for her. He would stay for her through everything, like she did for him.

'I don't want you to go.'

'I have to.'

'Come back.'

'I will. For you. I always will.'

Images, memories, conversations. Faster and faster, flashing, becoming blurred. Everything running into everything else.

'Oh... Jack... I will...'

'It's a girl...'

'She's called Emma. And we will love her forever.'

Faster and faster.

Jacks heart faltered and his hearing went which he thanked God for. No more of the screams, the shouting. Peace at last. Peace which he wanted, but hated. Peace which meant death was near.

Faster and faster.

'Will you marry me...'

'I'm a dad...'

'Forever. You and me. Through everything...'

'I love you...'

His heart faltered, becoming faster, like the memories. Slower. Slower.

Blackness engulfed him, he tried to fight. To fight against the peace, the happiness and the beauty the blackness offered. He fought harder again the dark, he wanted to scream. He wanted to feel the pain of his injury, the one that was killing him. He couldn't give up but it was so hard, nothing had ever been as painful yet peaceful as this. As death.

Stopping. Heart faltering, one last time. He could hear it, loud as if it had been a bass drum. And it was over. The uneven rhythm had stopped.

Jack sucked in his last breath and whisper; "I love you Sarah. Always will."

Nothing.

Death.

Peace.