Midnight Words

I choose you

It was 3 AM and Christopher still couldn't sleep.It had been the same for over a year now. All day, he would busy himself with work but at night, he had no choice but to slip into his thoughts again. And all thoughts wandered to her. Annabel. Her laugh, her smile, Her eyes the brightest of all blues. her jet black her, her eyes empty, the fire burnt out, the blood from her stomach red, so red upon the white snow she lay on, her head in his lap.

She wasn't supposed to die. The bullet was meant for him. For him, not for Annabel. Annabel, dead because of him. He could fell tears burning at the back of his eyes, he turned over and put his face in the pillow and let out a muffled sob. The day came back to him, the day he had tried so hard to repress.

There was a lot of snow on the 4th of December 2016. He loved the snow and so he wanted to leave the house with her for a bit but Annabel was paranoid that the drug dealers He hadn't repaid yet would be out looking for them. He was drunk and bought some cocaine off them and hadn't repaid the whole amount yet. He should've listened to her.

After a lot of begging, he finally managed to convince Annabel to go out with him. Thy left the house with Annabel's hair flying behind her, a light blush dusting her features and him following.

At one point he had told a joke that she apparently found so funny, she started laugh hysterically. Her laugh was the most beautiful sound to him. He eventually gave in too and started laughing along with her. He thanked every known Deity for the Angel he had the pleasure of meeting.

They walked on and on, talking about everything and nothing . He kept grinning like an idiot the entire time to the point when Annabel had asked why. He replied with a shrug and said, "I dunno. Probably because of you." she had blushed and looked down and said," you're an idiot you know? But you're my idiot." and kissed his cheek.

Needless to say, his grin widened even more.

It was about evening when they finally decided to go back. About halfway there, she had recognized two faces in a car. The color had drained from her face. She had grabbed his hand and whispered one word,"run." 

But they had seen them. They chased them until finally cornering them into an alley. the bigger out of the two seized Annabel while the other pointed his gun at Chris and asked for the money. Obviously, Chris had given all that he had on him, yet it wasn't nearly enough. The guy smirked and put his finger on the trigger. He had time only to squeeze his eyes shut before an almighty yell and the sound of a bullet firing rand through the neighborhood. 

Yet no bullet had touched him.

As he opened his eyes, he saw a sight so horrific, that it couldn't be put into words. The burly man lay on the ground unconscious while the other lay with a knife in his chest and the gun still in hand. At his feet lay Annabel, her her on her stomach covering the gunshot wound, her chest rising and falling quickly. The worst was the blood, seeping from the wound and staining the snow crimson. He had dropped to his knees and pulled her head on his lap.

People were crowding around them, the wailing of sirens grew louder as he ambulances got nearer, yet nothing mattered to him except her. He stroked her hair he so loved and whispered 'you'll be okay' over and over until the words lost their meaning.

She had whispered something he didn't quite catch before taking in one last breath. With tears streaming down his face and fingers trembling, he closed her eyes and Kissed her still warm lips for one last time. 

And after that, all you could hear were his screams.

Everyone had offered their condolences, shooting sympathetic looks, trying to help but nothing worked. He was dead inside. He locked himself in the apartment lying lifeless on the bed not eating or drinking until eventually his friend Micheal, Had to move in to care for him.

His consciousness had captured Annabel's words. A few days later he realized they were 'Viva la vida'. It was their favorite song and describing Chris' situation perfectly. Yet he immediately knew she meant it as in 'Live life'. It brought fresh tears to his eyes as he whispered, "How could I, without you? "

After that, he slowly started piecing his life back together, Busied himself with work, Drowned in tears at night.

As he lay in bed reliving all of this, he prayed for it to end. All of it.

As he slept that night, he dreamt of her. She wore a white dress, hair down as always, eyes as bright as they were when she had lived. She smiled and embraced his crying form softly whispering, "Oh love....."

She drew back and said, you've been offered a choice, you can live your life, love again,be happy or you can come with me." HE knew what his choice would be. She drew her in and kissed her before laying his forehead against hers. "I choose you."

"Are you certain, Chris? this is irreversible," she asked. 

"I'm sure."

She smiled and took his hand leading him away, into the next great adventure.

So there lay the body of Chris Frederick on the bed. Hands folded across his chest and a serene smile on his face as he drew in one last breath and let go.

"Because I chose you, Now and forever.

In life or death."