Bring on the Rain
Dear Jack,
I'm sorry, but I won't be here any longer. I am too depressed, even with a child of my own. Cliff doesn't treat me like you think he does. He hits me when he's drunk. He teases me all the time that I'm overweight, which caused me to have an eating disorder. He cusses in front of my baby, and I can do nothing about it.
Karen must be pleased having you as a husband. She didn't deserve Kai, but I don't think I deserved Cliff. Your child must be extremely happy living on a farm in a big house and having you two as his parents.
I've spoken to the midwife, who is an expert at dealing with depression, and nothing she can do can stop me from my decision.
Before I tell you what it is, let me reflect on some of the wonderful moments we had together. The first day you came to the village, you gave me some flowers. I was happy because someone, for the first time, noticed me. When Karen won the Goddess Festival, you danced with me instead of any other girl. You watched the fireworks with me on my ranch during the Fireworks Festival, even though I did not even tell you that was where I usually watched those sparkling explosions. I cheered for you during the Swimming Festival, even when Cliff was racing. Unfortunately, you did not win, but I still gave you a big kiss on the cheek. I was going to be bored out of my mind during the Cow Festival, but you came and made it so much more fun. I prayed to the Goddess that you would win the Harvest Festival, and you did. You grabbed both me and Karen and gave us each a kiss on the cheeks. That was when I noticed you two had something for each other. I felt jealous at first, but I did not know what was going on. You won the Horse Race for the season, and I ran up to you and gave you a big kiss on the lips. I blushed a deep tomato red, but I loved every moment of that. That winter, I was bored but sad, because one my favorite cows had died when giving birth. You comforted me, which made me so much happier. You came to the church for the Starry Night Festival and gave me some wool to knit with. I thought my heart would explode with happiness.
These events ended soon enough. That New Year's Eve, you came holding a present. I did not know for whom that was, but I was dearly hoping it was for me. As we were counting down, you had a sparkle in your eyes. You handed the present to Karen, much to my disappointment. I thought you might be giving her some wine as a late birthday present since you forgot about it. As the bell chimed the New Year, Karen squealed with happiness.
Why did you give her the blue feather and not me? Why did you have to do it then, secretly wrapped in the most beautiful wrapping paper? And the jewelry box it was given in, my Goddess, it was beautiful. My heart had almost completely torn in two, but I stayed strong and did not cry until I came home. You invited me to come to the top of the mountain with you and Karen, but I immediately refused. Wouldn't I be such a barrier for you two? Obviously you would not be able to make out on the top of the mountain with me watching.
I married Cliff two seasons later only because I had no one else to marry. I knew you thought it was because I was madly in love with him. To be honest, I absolutely hated every thing about him. I could see through the kind outside layer. I could almost predict that my future with him was going to be an absolute disaster. I could not help myself but to have a child with him. I hated the baby even more. Why? Because it was a product of unreal love.
My decision is to leave town and never come back. I'm not packing up much, but I'm leaving you this letter as proof that there could have been real, true love. Thank you for all the good times. I was blessed to meet you.
Heartbroken,
Ann Green
Jack read the letter with disbelief. He had lost Ann through wanting Karen. He knew that Karen was the happiest woman on earth, but to think that Ann, one of the most chipper girls in the neighborhood, had left on such short notice because of depression and not wanting to live anymore. Jack could not help but want to follow her.
The rain was pouring down hard. He walked back inside. Karen was lying sleepily on the couch watching a soap opera.
"Honey, I've got to go away for a few days. Don't wait up for me at night and tell the baby I'll see him soon," Jack said to his wife.
He walked outside, determined to find the one he lost. He ran to the beach to see if Ann left by ferry. He did not see a boat off in the distance, so he ran to the horse racing tracks. The door was surprisingly unlocked. He walked through it to the end of the race track through which the visitors to town came. Muddy footprints were on the ground, so Jack followed them. He continued on for the rest of the day and followed them even more the next day. The day after that, he found a body lying against a tree.
"Hello?" he asked it.
"....mm..." the body muttered.
"Are you all right?" he asked. He sat down next to it. Since the body was face down, he turned it to face himself.
"Ann?!" he asked, surprised.
"...Hungry...need food..." she said.
"Just hang on, let me get you back to Flower Bud. You can have the rest of my food that I brought along with me," he reassured her.
"...Jack? Don't bother please..."she responded weakly.
"It's going to be fine. I'm so sorry for what I've done to you," he apologized with tears in his eyes.
"...I'm dying..." Ann revealed.
"Please don't go!" Jack cried even harder, pressing her against him.
"...I...love...you..."she said as her final words. She went limp with no life left in her deep blue eyes.
The rain was pouring down hard, but Jack felt like he was nothing. He, like a zombie, carried her back to Flower Bud, and gave the news to no one. He laid her to rest himself and every day came to pray on her grave.
"I love you, Ann," he said, too late.
((The End))
A/N – I know this is short and kind of unoriginal, but I wanted to try something new. Please let me know what you thought of it.