Last Letter
This was based off the song "If You're Reading This" by Tim McGraw. Usually, I would never write a tragedy, but, this one nagged at me for a long time. I hope to hear from you how it turned out.
Bold is thoughts
Italics is flashbacks
Bold Italics is song lyrics
The bright sun illuminated the clouds to complete a perfect picture of happiness. The day itself was the epitome of summer, filled with blue sky and the peals of laughter accompanied by shouts of delight.
To her, as she watched from the window of their house, all she felt was sadness. Years ago, that used to be her. That used to be her and her friends and her love. Running around, saving the world, having fun with no cares.
When she closed her warm chocolate eyes, she could feel his lips pressed against hers. She wished that he had never gone, but after his grandfather's funeral, he felt that he needed to do something. His something was just more dangerous.
She thought back to the letter she had received only a week ago, handed to her in the form of her sullen friend and somewhat of a younger brother. He was always grinning, but he was anything but happy now. He told her to simply read the letter, it was written specifically to her by the man she loved.
If you're reading this
My Mommas sittin there
Looks like I only got a one way ticket over here
Sure wish I
Could give you one more kiss
And war was just a game we played when we were kids
The redhead girl remembered when war was simply just using bakugan to win. It could never actually physically injure them at all. She could still clearly picture when he first told her what he was doing.
"Ali?" he asked.
"Yeah?" she asked softly, looking up from her spot next to the running sink.
He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her slender frame, sneakily planting a chaste kiss on her fair cheek, "I have something to tell you."
"And…"
He sighed, "How about this? We'll go down to Dan and Runo's and I'll tell you then. Deal?" he asked, his topaz eyes tingling with the future promise of surprise. She didn't question the look in his golden pools, knowing that he would keep her safe.
"Alright. Just let me get ready," she began to untangle the strings of her apron.
"Why would I let do that?" he asked, holding her waist tightly, "That would mean I'd have to let you go."
She whipped her locks around to blow suds in his face. She giggled at his slightly startled face. How could anyone possibly ruin their moment?
People could. And people did.
I'm laying down my gun
I'm hanging up boots
I'm up here with God and we're both watching over you
Alice kept on looking at the front road, waiting for the comfort of a bottle green car to drive in, knowing fully that it was in the garage, waiting for an owner that would never again brush its wheel with his elegant grip.
He just had to help people. He and Dan couldn't help themselves, it was their nature. Heroes until the very end.
The bell rang. She opened the door to let herself out. Locking up the pristine home, she followed her best friend out quietly. The car was silent as Dan drove them to the waiting crowd. They drove past the city, reaching the same place his mother had been buried.
So lay me down
In that open field out on the edge of town
And know my soul
Is where my momma always prayed
That it would go
And if you're reading this
I'm already home
Alice remembered the man in white well. He was there for Runo's marriage, for Julie's, and for hers. Now, he was here to host the saddest day of her life. Irony hurt.
The five friends sat in the front row, next to several other former brawlers. She saw the preacher stand up and begin to speak, but she chose to delve her mind into her memories. He would only speak about her love unknowingly.
She could see the day when she found out that she was pregnant. Immediately sending him a letter, she was showered with joy from her friends. He and Dan wrote back quite quickly, both excited by the news, and working ever harder to come back.
She had just found out that it was a girl. Now, she'll never get to meet him. She will never get to see the man I will. But to Alice, it was still a wonderful feeling to know that they did have a child. A girl that would look like him and get her heart. She smiled a bit. He had written to her, telling her the exact opposite.
If you're reading this
Half way around the world
I won't be there
To see the birth of our little girl
I hope she looks like you
I hope she fights like me
Stand up for the innocent and weak
The preacher asked for people to get up and speak. Most said simple lines about his personality, his love for bakugan or just the way he seemed to care in his own way. Even Klaus stood up to say that he respected him. With such similar personalities, yet completely opposing viewpoints, their arguments were inevitable; Klaus never stood a chance.
Komba was crying as he talked about the way his style had turned his views of friendship around. The air seemed to wisp around them, as if listening to their every word, and thanking them for it.
I'm laying down my gun
I'm hanging up boots
Tell dad I don't regret that I followed in his shoes
Alice drifted off once more as people she wasn't aware of came up to speak. He had always told her that he didn't mind dying. She had bereted him for it on more than one occasion. He seemed to disregard the fact he was only human even with his grandfather's teachings.
"Why would you do that?" Runo yelled at a drenched raven-haired boy. He was sitting next to Alice, wincing as she continued to pull out thorns from his cut up skin, sniffling in-between.
He looked up with his deadpan stare, "I'm pretty sure that's just a really stupid question."
"Runo…" Dan began, trying to calm his girlfriend.
"No Dan, do not try and help him! He could have gotten killed!"
He was rather vulnerable with a broken leg, but his eyes bore into his surrogate sister's, "That kid would've for sure if I didn't do something."
Julie screeched suddenly, "That's no reason to jump into a twenty miles per hour river! You're lucky that you only got out with a broken leg and cuts!"
"It was illogical," Marucho quipped, trying to speak up, yet retain some peace. "You could have died."
He looked almost childish as he crossed his arms, "If I can do something to help, why not?" The next few moments were quick. They registered what he meant and Dan made an angry moment to shake his friend into some sense when a resounding thwack was heard.
Now, Newton's law states that every single action has a single opposite reaction. Action: Alice slapped his cheek. Reaction: he stared.
Alice's tears were streaming down her face as removed her hand from the position where she had hit him. "Don't say that! You matter too!"
She didn't bother to look at him when she dove to bury her head into his shoulder, circling his neck with lily white arms. By reflex, he wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. "Please," she whispered into his ear, the tears slowly subsiding, "don't do something like that again. You're human. You do matter."
"Okay Alice. Okay."
When she finally got enough courage to ask, his mentality came from his father, who had served in the Army and gotten hurt several times because of his lack of preservation. Still, Alice thought bitterly, he got to live in the end, didn't he?
She wiped away her tears and bitter ideas to listen to her friend's speeches. These were the people that he had let into his life. His love, his best friend, his little sister, a good friend, and a bubbly girl.
So lay me down
In that open field out on the edge of town
And know my soul
Is where my momma always prayed
That it would go
And if you're reading this
I'm already home
Marucho was always impeccable. He had grown in the past years to finally reach an average height of 5'8". He was engaged, and his fiancé sat a couple seats down, also trying not to cry. They had met thanks to the one no longer there. The genius was sharp, and had a unique way with words that could make even that hardest of haters into believers. Now, she watched as his silver tongue tripped over the half formed words scrambling in his brain to try and give her husband justice.
Julie's bubbly personality seemed to be dimming as she spoke. Her words were caught in between tears and fake jokes. She focused on his love for nature and the way that he affected her life. The black dress she wore was of Runo's creation. It was swaying along with her as she spoke, her body's trembles apparent to the crowd.
Runo almost tripped on her way up, her legs refusing to support her way up to the stand; it meant accepting the truth. Her long tresses tickled her red cheeks as she spoke with a quavering voice. She was never without an insult or comeback, but Alice saw she had nothing to say for this occasion.
Dan took a deep breath after staring at the crowd for a minute. They all expected him to begin with quiet words about his best friend. He stopped, and looked at the big brown casket behind him and the man within it. Dan seemed to find comfort in the sudden strong brush of air that filled the field.
" …was an idiot. He was pretty narrow-minded and was really difficult to make a conversation with," he stated. They all stared as he continued to spew out things that seemed so misappropriate for a funeral. "But, he's my best friend." Alice smiled at Dan. It was just so Dan to speak about him like that. He continued to speak about his childhood days and beyond. Dan proved his friendship with the brawler, his love for his brother. When the pyrus brawler finished, people were smiling, chuckling, and flat out laughing.
If you're reading this
There's going to come a day
When you'll move on
And find some one else
And that's OK
Just remember this
I'm in a better place
Where soldiers live in peace
And angels sing amazing grace
She stood up and the bells she was wearing in her ears jingled. She confidently wiped away the water from her eyes and stood up at the podium. "I would have loved to live a long life with him. To be there when I'm ninety and rocking there while he was just as active as his grandfather. For him to be there when our girl was born, and when she married." She took a deep breath.
"Before he…was going to come back, he wrote me, saying that if something ever happened to him, that it would be alright to go on, to find someone else. I was so confused, why would he say that when the battle was over? They were all coming home in only days." She looked at Dan. He couldn't keep her gaze, knowing fully what she was saying.
"It turned out he was dying. He died saving his best friend. They were back to back at the end of the battle, when a wild shot fired and was about to hit his best friend. He took the shot, and died about a day later. I want to say that I don't blame his best friend at all. At first, I was angry at both of them, but I realize that it was just him being himself. I can't change that." Alice took a deep breath again, closing her eyes to feel the wind.
"I love him. I have and always will. But, I know that he'd want me to keep moving on. So, I will." Alice had to accept his death. She had a smile that looked like she was accepting that she had to let him go, to let him move forward as well. In her reality, she was hiding the true pain that lurked just underneath her skin. The feelings of terrible hopelessness that clawed at her chest.
So lay me down
In that open field out on the edge of town
She watched as Felix, Blake, and Zephyr stood up and took the guns that were leaning by their black chairs. They were silent as they walked over to next to the casket. Felix gave a gulp and Blake has tears as they stopped. Alice looked tearfully as her husband's war buddies lifted their muskets, and rang the last shot.
Alice watched as they lowered the casket. She would never again see his perfect smile, hear his laugh, smell his cologne, feel his warmth, or taste his lips. She said that she was okay, but she knew in her heart that she never truly would be. The ground turned, and her heart tumbled down into her stomach. He was gone.
And know my soul
Is where my momma always prayed
That it would go
"Alice…" Dan began when it was just the five of them. He couldn't go on. The four walked away, knowing her need to be alone.
Silently, she looked at the grave. He told her he would be back, but then they both knew it was an empty promise. Promises didn't matter when you went to war. There was no turning back. The sinking sun painted her feelings onto the washed canvas, carving her ache into the fading whites and blues.
How could she ever want to go on after this? He was her everything. He had made a home, a life with her. Her black dress trilled upward suddenly and her sunhat flew. She made an attempt to catch the black memory of her lover, but let it fall on the grave.
She watched in surprise as a wisp slowly formed him, and he picked up the hat. Her eyes sprung up fresh pools as she leaned forward to take the hat back from his hands.
"Not my best decision," he gestured to the hat, "It makes you look sad. But you made it look happy." He was in his best suit, the one he hated but Alice loved. He always wore it for her. He stood there, letting the breeze caress both their hairs, her red and his black. He looked fine, but she knew of the deadly wound beneath his shirt, a single bullet to his chest.
"Shun…"
He put a pale finger to her lips, and placed the woven basket of love on top of her flaming head, "It's okay. I don't ever regret what I did. I told Dan that then, and I say it now. I might regret not being able to be with you, but I will never look back at it."
"Please…"
"Alice, you need to let me go. Take care of our baby girl." His topaz eyes looked deeply into hers, begging her without words.
"No, wait…"
"I love you Alice."
Her breath caught. She loved the way his voice got the tiniest bit husky when he said that to her, a voice that was saved for her, a pitch just for her ears. "Shun, please, I just wanted you to come home."
And if you're reading this
"When you got that last letter," he began, and the breeze whispered a warning in his ear. It was time to go. He had to leave.
Alice always found solace in the wind, it was his element. Now, she found nothing but agony, as it tried to rip him from her grasp. Her limp fingers refused to let her get closer to him. To just try and touch him one last time.
"When you were reading it," he stepped closer and touched his fading hands to her fleshed ones. He looked back at her, his eyes revealing he was ready to move on.
I'm already home
His lips captured her forehead and he stepped back. His image disappeared as the wind blew one last goodbye, leaving her earrings chiming after it. The feeling of Shun smiling leaped in her heart, the whisper of his voice forever imprinted in her weighed mind.
"I was already home."
Well, there you go. Jazz has returned with another one-shot. I hope you guys liked it. I feel like there were way more feelings there, but I couldn't put them into words. I felt them in my heart, but they were indescribable.
Any ideas for another one-shot?