An elderly woman lay in a bed that was not her own. Around her,
machines sounded noisily without the power to distract, flowers in vases
scented the room sweetly; people tiptoed past her door, unwilling to
disturb any inhabitant. She had been in this hospital for three days, her
poor health taking a drastic turn for the worse.
To her right, an elderly man sat watching her, holding her hand, never wanting to let go and face the inevitable. She smiled at him, knowing that her time would soon come to an end. "Elliot," she cooed, weakly.
He reluctantly looked to her face, her brown eyes shining happily at him. "Yes, love," he answered in a forced calm. Her situation was killing him on the inside. His grip on her hand tightened slightly in anticipation.
"I-I need to say good-bye to you," she smiled sadly. "My life is almost at an end."
"I.know," he said dimly. His hopes had been let down before, but now he had no hope left. She was leaving him, and it would happen soon. "I was wishing for more time with you, my love. I want.more time."
"Dearest, fate always has something planned for us. I'm willing to accept mine. Please understand." She looked away, not willing to see her husband choking on his words.
She had spent most of her life with this man, and she had cared for him deeply. They had shared so much and now she was leaving him behind; she was going on her own journey. She thought of the three children they had had, the house they had owned, anything they had ever had or experienced together. It would be their legacy.
"Sarah," he started, uneasily. Her eyes encouraged him. "It was your strength that got me through life. I love you." She stared up at him, unable to answer. Her eyes closed for the last time.
Elliot stood up and kissed his wife's forehead. He squeezed her hand and lingered by her side until he knew she had gone from his world.
~*~
The sounds of the hospital room began to fade as she closed her eyes for what she knew to be the last time. She felt her husband squeeze her hand and his lips linger on her forehead. The whole world around her seemed to no longer exist. She felt lips upon her forehead, and knew she would sorely miss her husband.
Quickly, her eyes opened. She looked around her in a curious yet awe- struck fashion. The scene played out before her, like something of a dream from the distant past. A crystalline ballroom was elaborately decorated for a ball. There were people around her, masquerading as goblins and other fantastical creatures.
Her body donned a silver dress made of a thousand pearls and diamonds. Her hand flew to her hair. She felt the familiar decorations in a familiar style. She held her hands out, amazed to once again find smooth skin. Her eyes looked up, scanning the ballroom for anyone she might have known.
Then she laid eyes on him. His smile was daunting yet gentle. His eyes twinkled with mischief as he slowly made his way to her. I can be just as cruel as I am kind. She smiled, choosing to walk towards him.
As she reached him, he caught her up in his arms and carried her onto the floor for a dance. Their eyes locked. His mouth twisted into an awkward smile. He said nothing.
"Is this Heaven, my Goblin King?" she asked meekly. "Or else am I dreaming?"
They stopped twirling around the ballroom. His fingers nimbly produced a crystal, which he held in front of her. "What is it?" she asked.
"It's a crystal, nothing more. But if you turn it this way, it will show you.the truth." Deeply curious, she peered into the depths of the ball. She watched a casket being lowered into the ground on a cold December morning. Then she saw Elliot.
"Then I am here to stay?" His eyes lit up, and he again spun her lightly around the room. This time, he wouldn't let her go so easily.
To her right, an elderly man sat watching her, holding her hand, never wanting to let go and face the inevitable. She smiled at him, knowing that her time would soon come to an end. "Elliot," she cooed, weakly.
He reluctantly looked to her face, her brown eyes shining happily at him. "Yes, love," he answered in a forced calm. Her situation was killing him on the inside. His grip on her hand tightened slightly in anticipation.
"I-I need to say good-bye to you," she smiled sadly. "My life is almost at an end."
"I.know," he said dimly. His hopes had been let down before, but now he had no hope left. She was leaving him, and it would happen soon. "I was wishing for more time with you, my love. I want.more time."
"Dearest, fate always has something planned for us. I'm willing to accept mine. Please understand." She looked away, not willing to see her husband choking on his words.
She had spent most of her life with this man, and she had cared for him deeply. They had shared so much and now she was leaving him behind; she was going on her own journey. She thought of the three children they had had, the house they had owned, anything they had ever had or experienced together. It would be their legacy.
"Sarah," he started, uneasily. Her eyes encouraged him. "It was your strength that got me through life. I love you." She stared up at him, unable to answer. Her eyes closed for the last time.
Elliot stood up and kissed his wife's forehead. He squeezed her hand and lingered by her side until he knew she had gone from his world.
~*~
The sounds of the hospital room began to fade as she closed her eyes for what she knew to be the last time. She felt her husband squeeze her hand and his lips linger on her forehead. The whole world around her seemed to no longer exist. She felt lips upon her forehead, and knew she would sorely miss her husband.
Quickly, her eyes opened. She looked around her in a curious yet awe- struck fashion. The scene played out before her, like something of a dream from the distant past. A crystalline ballroom was elaborately decorated for a ball. There were people around her, masquerading as goblins and other fantastical creatures.
Her body donned a silver dress made of a thousand pearls and diamonds. Her hand flew to her hair. She felt the familiar decorations in a familiar style. She held her hands out, amazed to once again find smooth skin. Her eyes looked up, scanning the ballroom for anyone she might have known.
Then she laid eyes on him. His smile was daunting yet gentle. His eyes twinkled with mischief as he slowly made his way to her. I can be just as cruel as I am kind. She smiled, choosing to walk towards him.
As she reached him, he caught her up in his arms and carried her onto the floor for a dance. Their eyes locked. His mouth twisted into an awkward smile. He said nothing.
"Is this Heaven, my Goblin King?" she asked meekly. "Or else am I dreaming?"
They stopped twirling around the ballroom. His fingers nimbly produced a crystal, which he held in front of her. "What is it?" she asked.
"It's a crystal, nothing more. But if you turn it this way, it will show you.the truth." Deeply curious, she peered into the depths of the ball. She watched a casket being lowered into the ground on a cold December morning. Then she saw Elliot.
"Then I am here to stay?" His eyes lit up, and he again spun her lightly around the room. This time, he wouldn't let her go so easily.