Let Her Go
He knew that the world he lived in wasn't fair. He knew that. But could one blame him for thinking that such a cruel world would at least take mercy on her? Of course not. She was his everything, all of his wishes and dreams were about her. Sometimes he really hated that diamond.
The dog stood off to the side of the door. His ears down and his tail still. The house hadn't been the same ever since she left. His master had come out onto the balcony to stare off into the sky for hours on end. The dog had done everything he could think of to help. He had tried to play fetch, he had licked Master's hand. But nothing had worked. Eventually the diamond had directed the dog away, leaving the dog's master alone on the balcony yet again.
"Of course." The man whispered, his eyes on the horizon. Alice had been gone for little more than a day, and already Devon was sure that his heart would never recover, that he would never get past the emotional pain that her death had brought with it. But he knew that sooner, rather than later the diamond would come along and make sure that everything was to its liking. Just like always. Alice had never once made mention of the that thing, whether that had meant that she hadn't noticed or not had never bothered him, but now. Now that she was gone, it had plagued his thoughts, tainting every thought with ideas that tore at his very soul. Had she ever loved him? Or had that just been another illusion that the diamond had made simply for its own amusement. Not that his love had ever been in question, Devon knew what he had felt was true. The chair beside him creaked as some one set themselves down into it.
"You know that we're all worried about you right?" Shana said, her voice airy and light just as it always was. She tilted her head, her dark brown hair moving to cover her eye, the green disappearing behind the veil. Shana was Alice's sister, younger than her by several years, Devon and Alice had been married before Shana was out of elementary school. It had been interesting for Devon to watch the two grow closer and closer despite the age difference, their interests coinciding, it had always been enough to bring a smile to his face. Shana was just beginning her career in journalism, fortunately for her Devon just so happened to be her boss, and it had been his immense pleasure in guiding a young, enthusiastic, talented girl such as her through the early stages of such an unforgiving profession.
"You think that I don't know that? Geez, I'm just working things out on my own you know? I just need a little time is all, no biggie." The deep bass of Devon's voice resonated, it sounded good, reassuring. But it rang false in Shana's ears, she knew him better than that, there was something more than just Alice's death bothering him, it never was a single thing that would bug the man, he was stubborn like that. He turned towards her for a moment, his chair creaking as his weight shifted to one side, his hand rising up to scratch the hair on his chin, his eyes looked at the floor then up to meet Shana's gaze. In it he saw only concern, nothing more. She knew. Those two had a knack for reading him like a book, not his fault, but pretty girls were simply his one true weakness. "So you've figured it out then, haven't you?" Shana smiled, her pearly whites glimmering in the light of the overhead sun.
"Sure have."
A sigh. "Let me explain..."
"No need."
"But you see-"
"I said that there was no need. You don't have to say a word if you don't want to."
"But I want to."
"Oh? Then please sir, continue." A smirk.
"This world we live in... there's something else, something beyond, that I can feel, that I can see. Have you... Have you seen the diamond?"
"Diamond?"
"Nevermind, just a thought, just a crazy thought, no business being brought up in such a serious conversation anyways. But anyways, doesn't it feel like sometimes the actions we take aren't ours? That we had no part in deciding what it is that we do?"
"Maybe... now that you've mentioned it... but Devon, what about Alice? I think that you should just focus on getting over that first before you go around making crazy conspiracy theories."
Devon looked over his shoulder, he had felt something, he was sure of it. He swung his gaze back to look at Shana, and lo and behold there it was. The diamond, that green monstrosity hanging just above her head. It hovered there for a moment longer before flying off at speeds that Devon couldn't hope to follow. But as he watched, Shana stood up, swinging her legs over the side of the lounger before rising to her full height.
"Well, goodbye Devon, see you at work!" She was smiling, her hair thrown over her shoulder and in her eyes Devon would've sworn that he could see the diamond reflected just above his own head.
"Of course. Goodbye Shana." He waved as she walked off the door opening and closing... He turned back to the horizon. His stomach cramping with hunger and his eyes heavy with sleep. But he wouldn't move, not for that damn diamond. But there was something in the air. A sound. A song. He had left the stereo on, hadn't he? Listening intently he could just barely make out the last notes, the words echoing in his mind.
"Let her go..."
Devon looked out at the horizon. If the diamond existed, if there was a god. Then maybe, just maybe, he could get Alice back. Let her go? Never. Devon smiled for the first time that day. He got off the lounger, and as he stood up, the diamond overhead twinkled in delight. Sometimes it was better to let them help themselves after all.