Falling

Life is too short; the end comes too soon. Faded memories was all he had left, and a question, ‘Why does it need to end?'

There was only the two of them now, their companions all gone. They were the last and he knew she was no longer aware. They grew up together, brought into this world at the same time, and since then they were never apart. That was a lifetime ago. They did what was required of them, what was expected, it wasn’t always easy, but then again was life supposed to be easy?

It is not to say that life wasn’t good, because it was. There was the occasional surprise, that is what kept it interesting, gave it a purpose. But it all flew by so quickly, when did that happen, how could you be that unaware to not notice time pass by, until it was to late?

When he found out his end was near, that his time in this world was finite, he ignored it. After all, he still felt strong, and vibrant. His time could not possibly be over, could it? There was so much more to accomplish in this life, his work not yet complete. He would prove them wrong by surviving, he wanted to live. He loved life to much too give up.

Yet sure enough, as time passed, life no longer came easy. He found that he could no longer perform the basic functions. It was not for a lack of effort. It was because every action he did now, hurt. There was a constant numbing pain, a dullness that slowly settled into an ache that was forever there.

The urge he had to accomplish one last thing was what kept him going. He knew that eventually time would win. All he could do was wait.

The Sun settled low in the autumn sky, preparing the land below for the coming of night. His one wish, before the end was to feel the embracing warmth of the Sun upon him once more, a simple request. He would cherish the moment; it would be enough. He simply had to hang on a little longer. He craved to experience light of day one more time, before fading away forever into the unknown. To bathe in the Suns final burst of light before darkness enveloped the land, and his life.

Not sure if he was ready to face the end, and yet realizing it wasn't a choice, it was coming whether he accepted it or not. Nothing can stop time, it was a force you could not control.

But he was so tired, so empty, so hollow. It would be so easy to just slip away to except what comes next, he might even welcome it. But he would not, he would hang on. Damn, he felt so weak.

Dust from the freshly harvested fields rose gently in the sky. Slanting rays of sunlight pierced through the dusky haze, bursting with a deep orange and yellow glow. A warmth of vivid colors blending as one large cloud infused with a reddish hue.

He could see none of this, but he knew it was there. The progressing stages of twilight were his favorite. He didn’t need to see it, to experience life and death of a day. Tomorrow the sun would return and begin all over again, but not for him, not this time. As much as he wished for it, he knew deep down that this would be his final day.

It wasn’t fair, not after all he had done. He did his duty, he never complained. And yet, it counted for nothing. What was the point? Was it all worthless? In the end, did he make a difference ? Was his life useless, nothing but a lie.

How arrogant was it of him to think that what he did mattered?

A drop of water startled him back to reality, it woke him from his lament, bring him back to the now. The sky began to darken, a coolness floated on the air. It was about to rain. He loved the rain, but not tonight, he didn’t want the clouds to dim his final evening. He needed to feel, what he could only describe as, 'the touch of life itself.' As if his words were heard, the sun’s rays punched a hole through the darkness, brightening the sky and filling him with hope. He could do this; he would hang on; it won’t be much longer.

He felt her stir next to him, most likely brought on by the breeze. Their once supple skin was no more, it was beginning to dry and crack. The cold passed through them now. The dampness reminded him of a storm from long ago that threatened to destroy everything in its path. Oh, how they hung on that day and fought for their very lives all through the night, through the darkness. Entire trees crashed down as they were uprooted, ripped from the ground. When it was over, the sun came out and he knew they survived, they would live. That is the power of the sun, the giver of life.

Again, she stirred, more of a shudder this time. He would miss her the most, her existence gave meaning to him being alive, they relied on each other. It was comforting to know that you were not alone. He always thought it would stay that way, why did it need to change, why do we need to grow old? Why did he insist upon hanging on, what was the point?

He should just give in, yet he would not. 'Please', he begged to no-one, for who would hear him. 'Please give me the strength to hold on for a moment longer.' Soon the light will fade and then he will gladly give in to the peace. ‘If there is a power to grant me this wish, I promise to…..'

To what? He started to chuckle, what could he offer, what did he have that anyone would want. Honestly, it didn’t matter, he would do this for himself, on his own. He just needed more time, was that really asking too much?

A bird cried out as it took to flight, startling him. A powerful brush of wind sent shivers through him as it flew past. The shriek caused a stir of emotions, a memory flashed briefly. It was faint and fading away, but he reached out to grab it, something about that cry made him want to remember.

He struggled to grasp it, suddenly the thought returned to him, he wished to share his memory, after all that is what they did. As he reached out for her, he sensed it. It was not dramatic; it was as subtle as a summer breeze. But it was definite. He knew she was gone. His friend was no more. He paused, choosing to continue feeling the light and warmth upon him rather than confirm the truth. He was now truly alone.

The memory faded away.......no longer important.

Emptiness washed over him, smothering him in a weight so heavy that he no longer felt alive. Why, what was the point, who was he hanging on for. It was pointless, no one cared. He fooled himself everyday, telling himself that what he did was meaningful. How wrong can one be, before reality reaches out and shakes the truth out of you?

The truth.

The truth was he did live, he was here and what he did mattered, at least to him. Death would not cheat him of what he knew was true. His life had a purpose, and he did his best to fulfill it. With this invigorating thought of understanding, he finally felt enlightened, empowered, renewed. Realizing he did have control, as much as he could, the terms on which he left this world would be his. There was nothing further to prove.

With a sigh of relief, he released his worries. A calmness washed over him, one that he had not experienced in a long time. Acceptance was beautiful.

I do this for me.

He relaxed as the sunset radiated a final shower of light, reaching out to the heavens themselves. Waves of life-giving beams stretched out misty tendrils, wrapping themselves around him, covering him in a blanket of peace. The Sun momentarily held suspended in time above the horizons edge. A light of hope, heralding a promise of its return. He absorbed the warmth and a feeling of contentment filled him. With a final release he let himself go, peacefully floating, away.

Free at last.

The last rays of daylight faded, blinking farewell, welcoming twilight onto the land.

The young boy, surrounded by piles of dead leaves, leaned upon his rake. He paused, wiping away the perspiration upon his brow. Dusk had finally arrived. From the corner of his eye, he caught a movement. Glancing towards the large barren tree, he watched the last leaf separate itself from the branch. Gently drifting away, falling…..falling.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my story. I wrote this when I was but a wee lad. I cleaned it up, but left it mostly in the original format, with some minor alterations. A promise I made to myself back then that I would someday release it to the public. Thank you for indulging me.

Jason,