(age takes all)
A girl gave her boyfriend a locket for Christmas. It was gold, and in the shape of a heart with "My Sweetheart" written on it. Everyone except the girl and boy knew they were not destined to be together, and it came as a shock to each other when they ceased being boyfriend and girlfriend. Years went by, and they each got married. His ginger hair faded slowly to the colour of age, while her face wrinkled, and spotted, much to her horror. The locket found its way into a box where he kept precious things, and there it stayed.
Now, his hair is totally silver, and his memories, clear as day once, are now fading, and hazy. Tears still adorn his eyelashes as he hobbles into the room. His withered hands begin shifting things to make way for him, because now, he wants to remember clearly a time before age. He makes his way to a dresser, and slides the topmost drawer open. Inside, there are some shirts folded neatly, and a box.
He sighs, and takes the box into his hands, closing the drawer as he goes. A chair is resting in the room, and he relieves the strain on his old legs by sitting on it. Gnarled hands open the box, and delicately move some things about. A lock of brown hair that, even in detachment from the head, fights the ties, a feather from an owl long gone, two halves of a wand… They all touch his fingers, and he remembers slowly. Something gold glints in the bottom, and his heart soars as he reaches for it. But it is only a broken locket, with burned velvet lining, and his heart plummets. He doesn't want to remember that right now.
Pictures flash by, scraps of yarn from lovingly worn out sweaters caress his hand briefly in his search for that one memory eluding him. He moves two smaller boxes, labelled 'Rose', and 'Hugo'. They rattle as he moves them, and he smiles dolefully, remembering belief in such things when they were young. He remembers believing too.
The box is almost empty when his hand touches the chain. He pulls it out, tenderly, and the tears come again as they had mere hours ago. He looks at the chain, and at the locket he saw as so absurd then. He can't believe that he loves it this much now. Memories flood him, of that year. Flock of birds hurtling at him, poisoned mead and spiked candies…
He remembers it like yesterday, and wishes through the flood of tears that no one ever had to die. Not even ex-girlfriends.