Under the Same Sky
There was the sofa. The last remaining remnant of his old life… It rested with a benign innocence in an otherwise desolate corner. Its gently sloping arms and its noticeably worn cushions knew nothing of heartache or the reverberating, all-consuming sound of a gunshot. Despite its faded maroon color, it did not know the abrasive smell of crimson blood… It was on this sofa that he had been curled in the same position for two days, unable to move. He needed nothing… he wanted for nothing but oblivion. In his dreams of late she was always perched in her lithely graceful manner on the floor beside him. His subconscious refused to abandon the sofa even in sleep, and so she would always lean her back against it, legs bent in front of her, and rest her head on his thigh. For a time they would remain in almost perfect silence. The quiet was never quite pure because it was always raining outside in his dreams. He could never differentiate between the sound of the rain pitter-patting on the window and the sound of their falling tears. It was difficult to decide if he was grateful for that or not. At some point she would rise to her feet and lay down beside him, so that they were facing each other. Dazed, he would slowly stroke her delicate features and run his fingers through her tangled hair. As the minutes wore on their bitter tears merged on their clasped hands. He was so lost in her deep eyes that he hardly took notice as she traced a path up his arm, pausing at his neck. The cold, gentle pressure of the gun pressed to his temple felt like assurance, and he would sigh and simply pull her closer as she pulled the trigger…
He despised waking up above everything else. When he opened his weary damp eyes he was always faced with the same horror… empty space. From across the small living area of his new apartment the dead, emotionless stare of his still unpacked boxes was continuous and unyielding, as if they knew the unavoidable truth. He found their accusing glares unnecessary. He had already come to the realization that she was all he truly had left.