Memories of Former Loves and Former Lives
Rose was wiping the counter of the drink shop when it had all started. All day she had noticed people were acting strange, but she couldn't figure out why. People would be talking in hushed whispers. Children were kept inside. Women were peeking out of nearly closed windows. Rose hadn't known then, but this was the start of her undoing.
The sky was a mixture of reds and oranges as the sun was setting beneth the horizon. It was time for the town to sleep peacefully along with the sun, but they would never get to that point. As stated before, Rose was wiping down the counter to clear it from water rings and food crumbs when the first shout ripped through the air.
"CORNELLO!"
In this world you tried
Not leaving me alone behind
There's no other way
I'll pray to the gods: let him stay
Rose's head snapped upwards, eyes widened. The acrid smell of smoke, oil, and burning oil overpowered the air as the lynch mob for the piest came into sight. They were all holding torches, hammers, saws, anything they could get their hands on. These people were out for blood.
"W-what's going on!" she asked the proprietor of the shop quietly. Rose had never seen the people of Liore so relentless...so hateful. They were nice folk and would never try to bring harm to anyone.
"It's okay, Rose. They're only going to go talk to the Prophet Cornello." he laid his hand on her shoulder.
Rose whipped around. "Look at them! They have weapons! They don't want answers...they want revenge. We can't just sit around here and let them do this!" Rose didn't understand why he hadn't tried to talk to them.
"There's nothing we can do. They have their mind set on seeing the blood in Cornello's veins, and nothing will convince them otherwise."
"Even if you won't come with me, I have to try. They can't do this!" Rose said as she turned to chase after the mob, but was stopped by the proprietor's hand around her wrist.
"Wait."
She turned her head to look at him, then yanked her arm out of his grip. "Let go of me..."
The memories ease the pain inside
Now I know why
Rose ran out of the shop and turned the corner. She had to hurry before the mob forced their way into the church.
"How could this happen?" she thought as her feet padded against the stone streets. She could still smell the stench of smoke as far away from the church as she was. There was a dull throb in her stomach...fear...but it was not overwhelming. The desire to prevent the death of someone, no matter how horrible they were, overrode everything. The mob of people standing infront of the church came into sight.
"Nowhere to be found." a man said as he walked out of the entrance to the church. This had earned an outburst of anger from the leader of the lynch mob.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S NOT HERE!" the leader's fist cracked into the side of the other man's head. He got to his feet and swung at the larger man, but he missed and hit someone else. Thus breaking the peoples' boiling points and starting the riots in Liore
All of my memories
Keep you near
In silent moments
Imagine you'd be here
All of my memories
Keep you near
The silent whispers, silent tears
Rose held her hands against her mouth as she watched the members of the mob fight amongst themselves. Away...she had to get away from them. People were beginning to run out of homes and buildings to join in the fight as Rose fled the scene. How had things gotten this bad?
"Make it stop...make it stop..." she muttered to herself, faintly aware of tears falling down her face. Liore was supposed to be a place of peace and happiness. It was a sanctuary. But now...now it was grasped in the ice cold hand of strife.
"...Rose..." The whisper was barely audible, but it made her stop dead in her tracks. She had heard that whisper before...that same, feeble whisper.
Eyes wide, Rose turned in all directions looking for the cource of the whisper.
"Rose..."
The tears began to fall faster. She heard his voice but she couldn't find his face. Oh all she wanted was to feel his touch once again. Rose began to run in the direction of the voice. She didn't care where it lead her...she didn't care if it was into the heart of the fighting. All she wanted was to find it...to find him.
Made me promise I'd try
To find my way back in this life
I hope there is away
To give me a sign you're okay
Reminds me again
It's worth it all
So I can go home
'Be safe...Whatever you do, hold your head up and be safe. I don't want to see you until you're old and whitehaired.' Those were the last words he had said to her before he died. When Rose thought about it she could still feel his grip on her hand loosen and her heart shatter into infinite pieces. Now, she ignored his final request and careened into the fighting head on.
Rose ran into the depths of the fighting mob that was in the center of town. Men were fighting. Women were fighting. Even the children that didn't even know what was going on were fighting. There was so much blood on the ground that it was splashing onto her dress as if she was running through puddles of rainwater.
"Rose..." this time the voice was to her right...right next to the fountain.
"Where are you!" she yelled, but between the screams of the crowd and her own shaky voice the question was lost to the fighting. Rose gasped as she stepped over a body on the ground. They were surely dead, but she didn't have the time to worry about that right now. If she didn't move fast, she was going to get him.
The area around the fountain was rather clear, to Rose's vast disappointment. She sat on the edge of the fountain and buried her face in her hands.
All of my memories
Keep you near
In silent moments
Imagine you'd be here
All of my memories
Keep you near
The silent whispers, silent tears
If she could just see him again all of this would be better. All of her fear would wash away and she would be completely comfortable with letting the riots run their course. Of course it was greedy of her to feel that way, but the only thing she wanted in the world was to feel his touch one more time.
"Don't cry..."
She whipped her head around again only to see nothing.
"Why can't you just show yourself!" Rose yelled to the emptiness. Getting angry and snapping was the last thing she wanted to do, but she just couldn't hold it back any longer.
"All I've wanted was to see you again and now you won't even show yourself to me when you're here. Do you know how much this is torturing me?" she sobbed. She couldn't take this much longer.
"I'm sorry..." Rose opened her mouth to say something in anger again, but stopped. This time...this time she felt something...a hand. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she turned slowly to look, afraid it could be one of the townspeople dragging her into the chaos.
Together in all these memories
I see your smile
All the memories I hold dear
Darling you know I love you till the end of time
The eyes she looked into upon turning were not the eyes of the townspeople like she had expected. They were an icey blue...the color enhanced due to the spectral image of her long lost love. A few strands of long, dark brown hair fell over an eye. His expression was soft and his smile was genuine.
Rose had her mouth open to say something, but no words would form. Only the tears that she had been so good at producing. She didn't know what to think. Whether to be mad or happy at the Gods for showing her the image of the thing she wanted so badly but could never have again.
"You've done so good...don't stop now." he whispered as he pushed a lock of hair behind Rose's ear. "Stay strong...be brave and stay strong. Do it for the two of us."
Rose nodded and pulled the semi-ethereal Cain into a hug. "I will...I will get through this. For the two of us." her body was filled with warmth. She had seen Cain again, and now that she knew he was at peace, her heart could beat in peace.
Cain pulled back from the hug. "I love you. I always have, and I always will. But, I want you to move on." he cupped her face with his hands. "You are too young to deprive yourself of living life in love and with a family. Of course I would love nothing more than to share it all with you..." he wiped a tear away with his thumb. "But my chance is gone. God has taken me home, not you. You have to move on...for me."
Rose nodded her head and wrapped her hands around his wrists. "I will. Just...just give me this last moment. Let me have this last moment with you. I'm not ready to let you go again." she moved her face closer to him. "Will you indulge me in one last kiss?"
Cain moved his hands down to her hips and pulled her close to him, gently pressing his lips to hers. It seemed like a blissful eternity to the young lovers as they sat there in eachother's embrace, yet it had to come to an end.
"I'll wait for you. Goodbye for now, Rose." he whispered in her ear as he hugged her one last time.
"'ll see you later then." Rose replied. Her sobbing began again when she felt him begin to fade from within her embrace.
All of my memories
Keep you near
In silent moments
Imagine you'd be here
All of my memories
Keep you near
The silent whispers, silent tears
"I'll be with you forever in your memories...as long as you'll have me." Was the last thing he whispered. Rose watched him fade into the darkness with her hand placed over her heart.
"Of course I'll keep you...I'll keep you in my memories until the day I die..." she whispered as she slid off the fountain and onto the ground. The reality of the situation began to creep back up to her as she cradled her head between her knees.