As the tears stream down his face, he remembered. All the happy times, and the way it once was. Before he made his mistake. The pain was suddenly gone, and he found myself in another world. A happier world.

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A first meeting. A young boy is sitting alone by himself, watching a girl play with her friends. She is beautiful to him, with her hair in pigtails, bouncing up and down as she jump-roped. He has spent many recesses this way. He has been alone for a long time, having no one to talk to. He turns away in loneliness.
A tap on his shoulder alerts him to another presence. He whirls to find the girl who has so occupied his thoughts standing there with a book under her arm. She offers him her hand, one he willingly takes. Pulling him up, they run off to enjoy what innocence they have left.

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Years later. Hands clasped, a boy and girl climb a tree. The girl's hair blows in the breeze, and the boy once again reflects upon how lucky he is. He gazes at her with a wondering stare, and she meets his startled green eyes with her own deep brown ones. Smiling, she grabbed his hand and yanked him upward. He happily obliged.

Sitting side by side, hand in hand, the bronzed haired boy turned to the brunette girl. She didn't see, since she was too busy gazing out over the slowly fading sunlight, and the day faded to night. "It's beautiful," she said, staring in awe at the star filled sky.

"Yes, you are," he whispered, and she turned to him with that familiar blush staining her cheeks, as time stood still. Slowly, ever so slowly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. The touch was like magic, and his eyelids fluttered closed at the feeling. It was indescribable.

What seemed like hours though was only seconds later, he pulled back and opened his eyes. She had her eyes closed too, and slowly slid them open to meet his. Half smiling, she looked down at their intertwined hands. Ever so slowly, he reached over to brush a stray piece of hair out of her face, and his hand lingered against her ivory smooth skin.

Together, they turned to gaze at the stars, each thinking about how they wouldn't share this with anyone else.

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Walking together, two. Just two. Alone together, laughter echoed out over the ocean, startling a pair of seagulls into flight. Nature watches in stunned astonishment at the sheer beauty of what was taking place. Two heart beats, together, alone.

The young woman turns to gaze at the love of her life, and stops suddenly. The young man accompanying her turns to look at her in surprise, with a hint of worry marring his perfect features. Smiling slightly, she pecked him on the lips quickly before dropping his hand and motioning for him to sit, confused, he obliged.

Pulling of her shoes, she took a deep breath, before suddenly running full tilt towards the edge of the cliff. The startled cry of her boyfriend echoed somewhere in the back of her mind, and was lost in the rush of adrenaline. Never breaking a pace, she hurled herself off the edge. Pointing her toes and fingers, she let out an exhilarated laugh as she flew through the air. Finally plunging into the water, she swam gracefully under, before kicking her powerful legs to reach the surface and come up gasping for air.

She waved at the young man far above her, leaning with his hands on his knees, limp with relief. She giggled. He could be so over protective sometimes. She swam over to a rock, hoisting herself out of the water before relaxing back against the warm stone. Bending one leg, she closed her eyes.

Far above, he watched his girlfriend relax. She was so gorgeous, as beautiful as a mermaid. She was so smart and brave too. How could someone like that be mean for him? A stab of sadness pierced his frame, but he quickly shook it off. Today was a happy day; no need to ruin it.

Climbing down the pathway nearby, he submerged in the water as silently as possible, before slipping through the water like an eel. Coming up to her rock, he reached out of the water slowly to grab her leg. Quickly yanking her into the water, he came up laughing at her shriek.

Popping up beside him, she splashed him. He responded similarly, and soon a fully fledged water fight was taking place. The sun slid below the horizon, and the two lovers on the rock held onto each other in perfect peace.

A diamond ring sparkles on the woman's hand, and she sighs in content.

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Almost one year later, they stand across from each other. They are outside, on a lawn that was surrounded by white and pink roses. They stand beneath a white woven terrace, and chairs line up behind them. She is in breathtaking white, while he is in glorious black. As they gaze into each other's eyes, the man before them speaks. They reply and the man closes his book.

"You may kiss the bride," he smiles, and the young man grins before obliging. Cheers ring out through the air, and they are showered with rose petals.

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Another few years pass, and we return once again to see the man and woman parting. The woman turns her head away as the man tries to kiss her, and he kisses her cheek instead. He looks glorious in a pressed camouflage uniform, his hat tucked under his arm. He hugs her one last time, then turns to climb into the truck, not looking back.

He doesn't notice behind him as the young woman collapses to the floor, sobs racking her body. He only sees the good he can do in the world, and he is blind to the pain he will be causing. By the time he wakes up, it is too late.

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Months later, a man visits the lady's house. He takes off his hat before knocking, fidgeting with the clasp in his distress.

As she opens the door, confusion filling her brown eyes, she is wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. Her hair is pulled back into a messy bun, and she is looks worn and distressed.

"I-I'm sorry ma'am," the man says, and she gasps. Dropping the towel, she threw her hands over her mouth to stifle a scream. The same phrase is echoing inside her head, and she sinks to the floor, to be caught by the man unfortunate enough to deliver the news.

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A man walks up the drive, reaching under the eve exactly in the right place to pick up the hidden key. He opens the door, and smiles at the familiar surroundings.

Not much has changed in the house, but he has changed greatly. He has seen horrors in this world not many should see, and survived them while others did not. He realized how foolish and stupid he was to join, and returns home now to make peace.

Hearing a noise upstairs, he walks through a familiar doorway to see a horrible sight. His wife stood leaned against the wall, gasping in pain. Dropping what he was holding he quickly ran to her side, cradling her in his arms as tears ran down his face.

He looks down to see a small plastic bottle in her hands, halfway empty. The truth was dawning on him, and he turned back to look at the love of his life.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and her unfocused eyes stared around blankly. She smiled. "I'll be with you soon, my love," she whispered, and closed her eyes. Her heart stopped.

Wasting almost no time, he picked up the bottle and downed the rest of its contents. Cuddling his love in his arms, he thought. He remembered every touch, every kiss, every feeling and emotion. Every memory was played over and over again, like a broken record. He didn't care though. These memories were important to him. He released himself to the darkness, and smiled in relaxation. . He had survived the war in another country only to return home and die by his wife's side.