Two Worlds Apart

Spirit

Spirit

Drifting ever so slowly down the river of time; memories began to flow backwards. The sky twisted and turned; mixing with the world below. It became a nasty distortion of what was reality and what was fiction until it altogether disappeared; and Spirit was left between the stars and planets. He reached his hands out to catch a falling ball of light; only realizing that the color was somehow off at the last moment. It was a ball of blue gas that gently stopped inches away from his skin. The ball floated in spastic movements in the space above his cupped hands. It was odd in the way that Spirit imagined was caused by the color. He often drew stars in brilliant golds and yellows; as if anyone really knew the color of the stars.

He took a deep breath as he realized that unlike his prior presumptions; this star was chilled and cast no warmth on his skin. It was several moments before he decided that this star was not a star, but something else altogether. He looked at the planets around him; watching as they turned into visions of himself and people he thought he ought to know. Unfortunately, he couldn't place the names with the faces. There was one image in particular that plucked at the chords of his heart; as if it were the bow used to create sorrowful ballads. A large tree stood at the edge of what seemed to be a steep cliff. Brilliant green leaves hung over the tree's branches as if they were the tears of weeping eyes.

He took a deeper look; which revealed the image of a young boy sitting under the tree. The boy's eyes were shrouded in darkness, but shining silver hair glimmered in the bright sunlit rays the breached the coverage of the branches. A small smiled graced his lips, and he held his hand out towards someone left unseen. All too soon the image disappeared, being replaced with darkness. In a moment Spirit had already forgotten what he had just seen. It was as if the memory of seeing the image was ripped from his mind.

His heart ached terribly, as if a static shock was sent through the blood pumping inside his veins. A solemn tear fell swiftly down the curve of his cheek, exploding as it hit the ground. Individual droplets of water splattered in slow motion. As the light flowed through the clear drops, a spectrum of color came into view. In a distance another panel of light flickered out, sending another burst of electricity through Spirit's heart. One by one every single panel flickered out until he came upon the last one.

He reached towards it, letting his hand lightly touch the surface. His tears streamed freely down his face. His breath stalled in his throat and he bit his lip to stop a broken sob from escaping. A boy lay upon a hospital bed, his silver hair laying sloppily atop his sweat covered forehead.

"Frankie," a young girl spoke, laying slender hands upon the sleeping boy's chest. She gazed upon the boy's face with an intense look Spirit could only describe as love. Her teary eyes spilled over as she lowered her face close to his, droplets of tears meeting the boy's face. She stopped just shy of his lips. She touched them lightly with her fingertips.

"I'm sorry..." the girl whispered, before gently placing her lips upon his. "I'm so sorry..." she said again before burying her head in between his shoulder and neck. Her shoulders trembled as she cried atop him.

Spirit felt his feet carry him away from the image as the planet shook and then fell, shattering as it hit the ground. His heart stopped and his mind spun. Spirit's legs gave out as his body tumbled into the endless space below him. He was swallowed by his own memories. Everything that he used to be was enveloped in darkness.