Soooo….I wrote this forever and a year ago and I finally cleaned it up and put it up for all y'alls enjoyment. Let me warn you again (in case you didn't read the rating and category): There is mentioned character death, and suicide in this!

I took a class where we dissected this poem and all that jazz, so the writing runs pretty close to the poem, but not quite… I leave it there for now.

Bold is the poem. Normal font is the story. Italics are thoughts and memories. Hope this doesn't confuse anyone.

Read on, comrades.

Annabel Lee

It was many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

My fingers softly ran through soft gold locks. I love him, he loved me…It was all I ever wanted. My lips pressed gently against his forehead, then the tip of his nose, then the cool lips; as his had done to me so many times previously.

I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea;

But we loved with a love that was more than love-

I and my Annabel Lee;

With a love that the winged Seraphs of heaven

Coveted her and me.

"Arthur, I will be yours forever. Will you always be mine, mon petite lapin?" I flung myself into his arms- completely ignoring his annoying pet name.

"Yes! Always." I put a kiss on his forehead. "Forever." Another on his nose. "Yours…" Fancis captures my lips, and as he dominated the action, my knees started threatening to give out on me.

We were both completely and totally wrong and perfect for each other in the same instant. I snappish, serious, cold and a strict law abider; He a playful, flirty, confident and mischievous. Opposites do attract I suppose. Many women had been jealous of me after, their man was actually mine, and their love for him unreciprocated...

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea;

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsman came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulcher

In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,

Went on envying her and me

Yes!- that is the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

He had been absent for weeks, not responding to my texts and my calls going straight to voicemail. So, with a sense of foreboding, I payed a visit to his house; the grey sky did nothing to lighten the heavy feeling.

I tapped on the crimson door and stepped back, my eyebrows soon nit in confusion and worry. Where could he be? He never takes this long to answer….Maybe he isn't home… I turned to leave, but the door flew open behind me.

"Franci-! Francine….G-good morning….Where is Francis? Is the family here?"

"W-well…"

"Oh! I do apologize then, for intruding! I'll just leave now…" I turned again, but my boyfriend's twin grabbed he and pulled me close to her- So much like Francis…- she was quiet a minute and she shook slightly.

"I'm so sorry…You must come to his funeral, Arthur. We know how much he meant to you…"

I tensed. "Who…Wh-who's funeral?" The woman said nothing, but a felt hot droplets falling on my shoulder, a terrifying thought entered my mind. I stepped away from her my eyes wide. "N-no…No! Y-you're joking! It c-can't be! H…He…He didn't….c-c-couldn't!"

Francine bowed her head mutely; tears started cascading down my cheeks. A small part of my brain told me to stop causing a scene, but I pushed it away. I wanted to scream at her, waiting for Francis to jump from behind the door and say it was all a joke. He cant' really be d…dead! My knees buckled and I fell to the concrete, my face burying itself in my palms.

She knelt down stroking my hair, "Tomorrow, Arthur….Four…Please come…For him."

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we-

Of many far wiser than we-

And neither the angels in heaven above,

Nor the demons down under the sea,

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

I lay in a trance the whole next day, staring at a photograph of Francis and I that had been taken only last month…I remembered the wonderful times we had had together; Now they were all gone…forever.

The day after the funeral I got up, my heart like sharp pieces of glass in my chest, ad dressed. I walked to the cemetery and to the caretaker's little house. "Where was yesterday's funeral? I need to pay respects…" My voice was lifeless, and the man led me to the back.

"Seemed young…Just older than you. You knew him?"

I nodded and said softly, "Yes…very well…"

"Ah…Well…There he is…" He pointed to a plot of freshly turned earth near the forest edge. "I'm sorry for your loss…" With this he left.

I knelt down in front of the grave and shut my eyes, pulling a picture of Francis to the front of my mind. "Hey Francis…I miss you….What will I do without you? Y-you…understood m-me…And somehow m-managed to love me through the flaws…I really did love that nick name…E-even though…I said I d-didn't… And I knew what you said in French…I learned the bloody language for y-you…I…just didn't know h-how…to t-t-tell you…" I paused, wiping away tears. "I h-hope we meet again, in heaven, hell or another life…I hope you still love me then…Cause…I'll….I'll always l-love you…" I stood, sniffing. "A-al-w-ways y-you-r-rs….Francis….Forever…"

A gust of wind blew through the nearby trees, J'e tame, mon petite lapin…

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise but I fell the bright eyes

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,

In the sepulcher there by the sea,

In her tomb by the sounding sea.

I rubbed my eyes, smiling. It had been six months ago that he had died, and I visited the grave daily, but I was broken…Tonight I would fix that.

I climbed the fence, silently and found my way over to the grave; I fingered the pistol in my pocket. Yes, I would be with him again.

Reaching the grave, I knelt before it, pulling the gun and a picture from my pocket. Looking at the worn photograph I smiled, "Hey Francis…I can't do this anymore….Without you…So. This is the end? Or rather the beginning? I hope we meet soon. I love you, Francis…" I placed the barrel at my temple and pulled the trigger.

Always….Forever…Yours…Francis.

It's over! I can't actually believe I…No…I'm sure I wrote that…Hopefully that will keep my lust for a depressing, no-real-plot story at bay…

For the record, technically Arthur should be the one who died…and I had Francis killed by a knife wound and not an illness…Sooo…yeah….Yay, creative licensing?

So enter a comment in that little box below…I wanna know your thoughts… Flames will be read through and laughed at, though if they have a good base they will be put in mah brain bucket…(ie: If someone is angry cause I killed Francis. I will laugh and respond "Tough, now fuck off…" but if it's like…I dunno. The story's a little shallow? I will keep it in mind for when I next write.)

O. Liz