*Stephanie Meyer owns Jasper, Maria and any other recognizable characters...I own the plot, except for recognizable events that were mentioned in Twilight.*
"I cried
Never going to hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him they told her
Waitin' for the love of a traveling' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone when the letter said
A soldier's coming home…"
Traveling Soldier by Dixie Chicks
Prologue: An Empty Casket….
"I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that
Believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never
Die."
Empty, hallow, lifeless. I was nothing and yet I was everything. I am pain, I am dead. But I am alive, all of this hurt is just more and more proof that I am still living.
Why?
Why am I still alive? How have I not toppled over, dead, when he is gone? How is it possible to continue living when I have no reason to? My reason is dead, and yet there is no proof of his absence, no body for closure.
They couldn't even give me my goodbye, I would never be able to say goodbye.
I could only imagine his eyes, his lifeless, empty eyes. Eyes that once shone so bright, eyes that I had once gazed into. But never again would I see those eyes, filled with so much love, so much life. No, never would I look into his beautiful hazel eyes again. Never would I feel his warm hand clasp mine, never would I feel his lips brush against mine. He was gone and I am empty.
"I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand
At the latter day upon the earth: and though this body be
Destroyed, yet shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself,
And mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger."
The casket is closed, the wood soft and smooth, but there is no need for it. He is not there, it is empty.
No, he would never rest in his expensive tomb. He would lie forgotten by his comrades, on the cold, damp floor. But I wouldn't forget, I would never forget him, the one man I could ever and will ever love. Forever in my heart shall he live, for time and distance, age and death, shall never change my feelings. And my unchanging heart beats in his cold pale hands; the heart that is his until it drums no more.
"We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain
We can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord
Hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
Name, his name is engraved on the wooden cross laying precariously in my hands; his name is engraved on my heart.
His name, the name forever on my lips, the name I shall whisper before I die.
His name….
"May Almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost, bless you and keep you, now and for
Evermore. Amen."
Jasper Whitlock.
A/N: I just want to say that I am sorry if the mention of god in this chapter offends anyone. Research has told me that in the 1860's, people were pretty religious (in the south at least) and I wanted to make this as historically accurate as possible. Yes, this is about Jasper, but it's about his human life. Alice isn't really going to be in this except for the epilogue, when I just recap Jasper's vampire life. I'm sorry if this sucks, but I'm used to creating my own characters, not running with someone else's.
Also, I am writing three other stories along with this (I have a short attention span:/). One is about Alice/Jasper and another is just a foggy outline, while the last isn't for Twilight. R&R please.
Jess3