Stay With Me

40

Dead took in a deep breath as his eyes wandered the landscape before him. All around were hundreds of headstones either broken apart or fallen completely on the ground. It was an all too familiar setting; one he had seen dozens of times when he was dead to the world. Countless times he wandered these grounds, occasionally catching a glimpse of her as she stayed just out of his reach before disappearing into the deepest part of the forest where he couldn't venture.

Head pointed down, Dead brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes as he made his way down the familiar stone pathway. The night sky glowed brightly from the light of the moon, as it always did, lighting his way. There was no noise this time, no wind, just complete silence. This time, Dead felt the loneliness weigh heavily on him. What had once been a comfortable bliss was now replaced with dread. He was too far gone to wake himself up, he knew that much, but unwilling to really try. The world was doomed, people only caring about themselves, never caring who they hurt just to be able to succeed in life...

Not her...

Shutting his eyes tight, Dead picked up his pace to a fast walk.

"Pelle."

His mind burned with the images of the two of them. Smiling up at him as they walked through the forest together just to get away from the house for an hour or two. The way her hand fit perfectly into his...how her body seemed to mold itself to fit against his own as he clung to her.

His hands curled into fists, pulling at his hair as the tears began once again. It surprised him that he could cry at all anymore after doing it for so long. The ache started in the pit of his stomach, a dull ache at first, then almost instantly turned into a burning sensation. All at once he wanted to scream, cry, break something, and crumple to the ground. The burning left him feeling unable to control his own body as he began to twitch and pull even harder at his hair not knowing what to do.

The images of her smile vanished to the sound of her cries as she begged him to listen to her that day. Her eyes were red and very much swollen from crying and from what he could only assume was lack of sleep. He gasped for air and stumbled on his feet, the world seemed to spin around him as he hit the stone. His mind raced, half panicked, half determined to stop the burning sensation in the pit of his stomach. Slowly, but noticeably, the pain began to subside and Dead was able to breathe again.

"Pelle," a soft voice called.

Lifting his head, Dead looked into the eyes of the woman before him. He had never seen her before, in his dreams or anywhere in the real world, yet here she was. Her skin was light, but with a small hint of color to it making her ice blue eyes stand out even more so. The white dress she wore came to her knees but looked torn and stained.

"Who..." he tried to ask.

The woman simply gestured for him to follow her. "Come."

"Where?"

This time, she said nothing. Instead, she walked slowly along the stone pathway. Had it not been for her dress only going to her knees, Dead would have sworn she was gliding with no legs at all. Picking himself up he followed her down the pathway, taking note of her as they walked.

She seemed almost ghostlike. Her long dark hair almost floating weightlessly behind her while her eyes remained fixed ahead, showing no signs of emotion.

"Who are you?" he managed.

The woman remained silent, only keeping her eyes focused on the path ahead of them. The silence around them seemed to intensify as they walked. There were no footsteps to be heard, not even the sound of rocks beneath her bare feet.