1832


Paris, France

"Here misery meets the ideal. The day embraces the night, and says to it: `I am about to die, and thou shalt be born again with me.' From the embrace of all desolations faith leaps forth. Sufferings bring hither their agony and ideas their immortality. This agony and this immortality are about to join and constitute our death. Brothers, he who dies here dies in the radiance of the future, and we are entering a tomb all flooded with the dawn."" Enjolras concluded, he wanted to speak more but the words could not reach his lips. An image came to his mind- one night years ago in the cafe Musain, a young Pole stumbling in uninvited ""nothing to worry about, I'm sure it is weak lungs or something. It does not bother me, although it causes me to pass out. My mother has a disease that keeps coming and going, I briefly contracted it and was sent to a sanitarium and had to sea bath but Poland has my ambitions, more so than my fragile health!"" She had said, yet Enjolras remembered from Feuilly that this young woman passed away in late 1831 from her illness. Enjolras felt sadness for Emily, who he knew so briefly yet did touch him as he saw somebody else equally as committed to his ideals. Enjolras rested assured she was in a better place now and perhaps Poland would rise again someday. Enjolras scanned each of his friends, Courfeyrac was taking watch, Joly binding up the wounds of a young boy that had his leg injured, Marius gazing into the distance- probably thinking about Cosette, Lesgles sleeping soundly. Then Enjolras' mind went to the dead- those who went beyond the barricade. Jehan Prouvaire, the gentle poet who no sane human could dislike, Jehan whose beautiful eloquent words could brighten the cloudiest day. Bahorel, who fought with such vigor and might for the new world they all wanted to see. Mabeuf, an eccentric old man who raised the flag when nobody else could. Eponine, who he did not know, but was a friend of Marius' who took the bullet for him.

They will not die in vain Enjolras muttered under his breath.

Leaping ahead a few hours- the battle was back on.

Gavorche was shot collecting bullets "Cowards! he was a child!" Courfeyrac yelled while bawling.

You have no chance, no chance at all! the national guardsman pleaded for the amis to surrender give up your guns or die!

Enjolras pondered after muttering "Let us die facing our foes, make them bleed while they can."

Combeferre at his side "make them pay through the nose!
"Make them pay for every man!" Courfeyrac shouted

"Let others rise to take our place, until the earth is free!" Enjolras' loud voice belted out clearly.

Smoke and ashes filled the sky, pieces of debris flying everywhere. Lesgle's last few minutes were spent as part of the barricade fell on him. Enjolras tried to get everybody to retreat back into the Corinthe. Combeferre was bayoneted, Courfeyrac killed.
Feuilly felt a seering pain and was gone.

The gun smoke was strong, Enjolras smelled it through his nose- the blood from his friends was in the air, and all around.
Enjolras was standing against the wall "shoot him here!" one of the National Guardsman shouted.

Enjolras would not yield as he folded his arms- from the pile of bodies arose Grantaire. "Long live the republic! kill two of us with one stone, do you permit it?" Grantaire shook Enjolras' hands- then seering pain from the execution squad. Enjolras was not in pain for much longer, the bullets which pierced his body caused his spirit to ascend quickly into heaven. Enjolras heard them- millions of voices singing

do you hear the people sing? lost in the valley of the night? they will live again in freedom in the garden of the Lord

They were coming closer, Enjolras felt nothing but hope as he passed through the pearly gates. Closer and closer, it felt like Enjolras' was walking towards a dream, a great barricade across the horizon. Emily Plater was there "Enjolras!" she exclaimed "I should not be so happy to see you, but i'am. Poland fell" a hint of disappointment in her voice "yet I know that every time a revolution fails the future will be inspired and perhaps" Plater's voice froze "yours?"
Enjolras looked down "did not work..."
"yet France shall become a republic someday, I know it." Plater said sympathetically "what was it you said about about a tomb illuminated with the light of dawn? Anyway, let me show you where your friends are!"
Plater took Enjolras' hand, as they joined the Les Amis- united in heaven, but the fight for freedom on earth has not been completed- that is a job for the future to do.

For every time the old have failed, the new must pick up the sword and continue marching- for liberty.