He ran, he ran as fast as he could, the memory of the panicked and frightened Pelly's words burning in his ears.
Flashback
K.K. sat happily on the tall stool, carefully strumming his guitar's strings. Tonight was his favorite night. He would get to play his music for the Roost, the local 'hotspot' for all animals. He was happy that they liked his music, but there was one person who he looked forward to seeing tonight.
Slider smiled at the picture of her he kept next to him on the stage. Her short brown hair, her deep black eyes, and that smile that made him melt. He could remember how they met. She came in on a Saturday night, ordered a coffee and made a few requests. Every Saturday she'd come by to listen and request. He thought nothing of it, she left tips and he played for her. Then one night, she asked if she could sing to one of his songs. He agreed and the second he heard her sing, he was hooked.
He thought of her all the time, her face, her voice, her smile. It took him a while, but he gathered up enough courage to ask her out. Surprisingly, she was planning on doing the same that night. After that, they were inseparable. They would spend almost every day together. She was his first kiss, and his first lover… He really thought she was perfect, even if she had a tendency to be late. Like now. She was running at least a half hour late, which was more than usual.
Another thing that bothered him was the lack of an audience. He didn't mind playing to no one, but even the bartender, Brewster was missing. Why were they so late? He perked up when he heard the door upstairs open, and the sound of feet pattering on the steps.
He was surprised to see Pelly, of all animals, huffing and puffing as if she had run a marathon. The pelican looked up to the singer with a worried expression. "K.K.!" she huffed. "There's been a… accident at the cliffs… Sammy…"
He didn't need to hear anymore, as he hopped off his stool and made a mad dash past the bird and up the stairs.
End Flashback
His guitar swung back and forth as he kept on running to the scene. He stopped in his tracks as his eyes lay upon the horrific incident before him. The entire mountain side had crumbled and broke. He ran to the saddened mayor, whom seemed to look graver at his arrival.
"T-Tortimer." He stuttered.
The old turtle fixed his eyes on the distressed dog and his sad frown deepened. "I'm sorry Slider… But there's nothing we can do-"
"Where is she!" demanded K.K.
Tortimer sighed in exhaustion, pointing to a heap of rubble that many of the town's folk were gathered around. K.K. wasted no time getting there, pushing through the crowed of animals. He pushed through the last person, freezing at the site that met him. There, halfway buried in rock was Sammy, the human. At her sides were Agent S and Alfonso, the former keeping the human's head up.
Slider felt his muscles quiver in fear for his lover. "How…"
"There was a rock slide," answered an all too familiar voice. K.K. turned to see Tortimer behind him, his face still carrying that sad expression. "She tried saving Celeste, but ended up being crushed in the process… I'm afraid we can't do anything for her at this point, she's halfway under a ton of rock, and the ambulance won't arrive in enough time… you should be with her right now, she needs you now more than ever."
He didn't even have to respond, Tortimer could see in Slider's eyes that each sentence tore his heart up more and more. With a shaky breath, K.K. nodded and turned to walk to his lover, for the last time.
Alfonso saw the white dog approaching, and immediately moved to give him some room. K.K. kneeled down, replacing Agent S' comforting hand with his own. "Sammy?" he said in a shaky voice.
Said girl slowly opened her raven eyes, looking up at her lover and smiling. "Hi," she said in a raspy tone. "Sorry I couldn't make it to your show."
Slider bit back the tears that stung the corners of his eyes, shaking his head. "No, its fine, I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."
"Yeah well, Pelly isn't the athletic type." Sammy joked.
K.K. smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm surprised she even got there under a day."
Sammy chuckled in response, coughing up some blood in the process. "Oh K.K.," she held her available hand to his cheek, her cold skin tingling his face. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry."
He shook his head again. "Please, you don't have to be sorry, I'm just glad you're ok, the ambulance is coming, so just stay-"
"No," she interrupted. "No, you and I both know what's going to happen, so please don't try lying to me, it won't work."
"Sammy…" Slider felt a tear trickle down his cheek. Sammy caught the salty water with her thumb.
"Don't cry," she begged. "You look so much better when you smile."
In response, he smiled, it wasn't forced, but it wasn't honest either. "Anything else I can do?"
"That's better. Now," she took a moment to clear her lungs of the blood that seemed to gather there. "I would like to hear one last song, if you don't mind?"
He shook his head. "Any song you want."
"Play… K.K. Ballad, the one you played for me on our first date, please."
The cyanine singer nodded, letting Agent S place a pillow under her head. He started adjusting the tune of his guitar, and then began plucking his instrument's strings.
I thought you knew, I thought you knew
But now you know
"I love you"
And I hope that you love me too
These times are hard, these times are hard
But you know that...
"I love you"
And I'm glad that you're here to help me through
...all the way
He kept playing, even if the second verse was the same, he'd give her the best show he's ever done. He felt the hot tears fall down his cheeks as the last verse was coming. This was the last time he'd sing for her.
I thought you knew, I thought you knew
But now you know
"I love you"
And I hope that you love me too
These times are hard, these times are hard
But you know that...
"I love you"
And I'm glad that you're here to help me through
...all the way
He strummed the last note, as more tears fell down his face. "How was that?" he asked shakily.
Sammy smiled, here vision long gone by now from blood loss. "Best. Show. Ever!" she faked excitement. "There's one last thing I'd like."
"Name it."
"Kiss me… one last time." She asked.
He didn't even need to answer, as he leaned down and placed his lips on hers. He felt his tears drip onto her face, making her wince slightly. As he rose, he saw the life in her eyes dwindle. "Sammy?" she didn't respond. "Sammy!"
"Good…bye, Totakeke." She whispered weakly. And with that, Sammy, Totakeke's first, and last lover died.
The strangest thing happened with the weather. It didn't start raining, like the heavens themselves were weeping. The clouds didn't clear, as if accepting a new arrival. It was if time itself froze. The air grew cold and stale, the grass seemed to shrivel, and the wind ceased. Yes, for that short minute, time itself stopped, as if contemplating on what occurred.
And all he could do was sit there, completely frozen in the still atmosphere. The notion of his love, his only love, gone hit him like a bullet to the heart. The tears that flowed came faster. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm so sorry."
READ THIS BEFORE YOU REVIEW:
Ok, before you say how unoriginal a rock slide is, or that he plays a love song in a sad moment. I know all that, but it doesn't make it any worse. It's said to be over done, but the truth is that it just hasn't been done right enough. I may not have done that here, but perhaps it will inspire someone to do so.