So what did he do? He left...
He just didn't have the strength for this, right now, right here... he didn't want to have the drama deep in his heart.
Soon he stood just at the doors, the night slowly turning into dawn and Calloway took a heavy breath in when his ride finally came.
What was it?
Oh, just a helicopter.
The propellers were loud and blustery as it landed on the free stretch of land across the way, and the old tired lion got into it, getting ready to leave.
He just had no strength left.
He watched through the window as the land below him began to grow small from the higher and higher height he was gaining in the sky.
He closed his eyes weakly for a second, taking a deep breath out, before turning his gaze at the pilot and asking.
"Not going to spend Christmas with your loved ones?"
"Ah, I'll be back by morning." The antelope pilot said and Calloway stilted his lips in a half smile, half frown as he looked back up to the dark sky and how the sun was starting to split in the horizon, a warm golden light tracing the line between earth and sky.
"But it already is..." The lion uttered to himself and sighed heavily, pressing himself back on the seat.
When Ash got home, she was surrounded quickly by her family members, all of them in shock and horror at the sight of her cask.
"Ash!" Her mother cried, rushing to her side and looking at the hard molded plastic around her arm, "How could you do this to yourself!"
"I-" Ash muttered, not knowing exactly what words she should get out, "I... didn't want him... to go."
There was a small silence then at that moment and her brother only said, after taking a swig of his beer can.
"You could've just thrown a brick through the window."
Ash's mouth dropped open with his ill advice and she only sighed heavily, walking back into the warm toasty house, but with her head down in shame.
"I... I just-"
"Look, it doesn't matter now," Her mother said quickly to them all, and hurried up after Ash, placing her hand on her daughter's weak shoulder gently as she continued, "Everyone we love is here and safe and that's all that matters."
"Here, here." Someone ushered out and the rest of the family, besides Ash cheered in unionism and truth of this fact.
But that was not the case for Ash. No, the one she loved so much right now was gone once more... and she would have to nurse a broken heart for the rest of the holidays.
As the sun began to light up the sky the hours that passed, at seven in the morning, with terrible sleep, Ash found herself back on the porch and looking at the heavily clouded sky that hung just above her head.
Everyone's head.
She hoped that Calloway was okay... she had lied to herself when she had left him at the hospital last night. Lying and thinking that if she just said no to her heart, things would be okay again.
But she was wrong... and the emotional pain was so deep, tears balled in her eyes as she closed them, the tears running down her cheeks like little streams.
Calloway felt the same pain, although now he was miles and miles away.
The helicopter was approaching his mansion quickly, flight the fastest way to travel, and he gulped hard as he saw the lonesome large house awaiting for his sad pained self to return.
Return and be trapped in his memories... the ghost.
The ghost of Ruby all he had left... heck, even the ghost of Ash.
As the real one would not be there for him anymore... not for this Christmas at least... he had hurt her so much by just doing the opposite actions of what he really wanted to do.
At this time, and in this moment... he'd just like to kiss Ash... and know if that kiss felt right, or terribly wrong.
His old blue eyes peered onto the snow-filled fields below and how the trees were coated in icicles from the cold.
Soon the helicopter had landed and he stepped his cold boots onto the ground of his home. Moments later he was waving his heavy paw at the flying vehicle as it lifted back up and away and he gave a broken fare welling smile, before inhaling in deeply and turning to walk back to his door.
He opened it moments later, and only gazed up at the deep pink and light blue sky that escaped through some of the snow clouds and gave colour to the world.
He closed his eyes weakly, entering his home and whispered to the girl that was no longer there with him.
"I love you, too... Ash... I really do."
"Really, Clay?"
He tensed up the second he heard that long-ago voice ask him this, and he looked from side to side quickly, searching for her.
"Ruby...?"
He began to instantly look around the house, the mansion, for the owner of that voice, his lost loved one.
He walked the quiet cold halls, searched around the empty bare rooms, till the idea lit up in his mind and he swallowed again, nervously, as he stepped tepidly on the carpet of the hall upstairs, pulled open his bedroom door, and saw her there.
Standing on the snow pile that had formed from the cold weather outside. The snow that had escaped into his room.
He looked at her then, silently, as Ruby had that same beautiful blue glowing dress like she had had when he was performing for the first time in ten years.
"Ruby...!" He whispered, yet shouted as well with as much strength he had, "You're... you're..."
"I'm...?" She said with the tiniest of a small smirk and nodded to him softly as she said, "I'm here..."
"But why are you here?" He asked her back, desperate to know the truth. The reason for her heavenly appearance.
"I couldn't leave you alone at Christmas," She said in a gentle whisper, a small smile coming to both sides of her lips.
"But all the other Christmases?" Calloway asked quickly and she looked at him, with so much love and hope.
"I was always there with you Cal... I'm always with you..."
"Ash," He said quickly, swooping his arm out as if to make a dramatic point with his body movement, "She means nothing."
"Clay..." Ruby only said with a tilt of her head and a warm gaze into his eyes, "It's okay... to feel love again..."
"She's not you, though..."
"Well, no one's gonna be me, Clay." She continued with a hint of a chuckle nearly escaping her mouth, "Just like no one can be you."
He wanted to cry so hard at that moment. Ruby was so incredible and so true in her words and wisdom.
"Why this Christmas...?" He finally asked, needing answers for the past and everything in his life right now, "Why?"
"Because I love you, Clay," She replied softly and took a weak step towards him, holding out her furry hand, "I love you."
Love... love was such a powerful force and a very devastating one at that. His eyes turned down to look at her open paw before he again gazed back into her eyes and he asked, terrified.
"Am I dying...?"
She smirked just the littlest and only held out her hand to him more so.
"I want to show you something." She said to him, waiting for his response and the old lion just stared at her open hand, so afraid, but gave a stiff nod and began to slowly reach his own hand forward.
He took her hold and for a second, something he had not felt so long... he felt right then.
Her touch. Her actual physical touch.
"Where are we... going?" He whispered out the question and she chuckled weakly, looking into his eyes and smiling the warmest smile an animal had ever given. A heavenly smile from not just a ghost, but an angel.
"You have so many questions Clay, so many fears and worries... but remember this one thing."
He looked at her worried as he began to feel the earth move under his feet and the whole world transforming around him... her...
"Everything will be okay." Is all she said. Her words hit his poor broken heart and he looked at her in fear and despair as things began to change into things that were once only lost to memory.
She held his hand tightly in her own and whispered to him.
"Close your eyes..."
He looked at her, for a second perplexed, but when he saw her gentle expression he agreed, nodding his head and closing his tired old eyes.
"Clay..." She whispered back, squeezing his paw softly as she said this time, "Open them now."
He was afraid, afraid of what he'd see. His head shook a little in reluctant fear and his Ruby said again, the love in her voice hitting him hard.
"Open your eyes... for me..."
He would always do it for her... she made him strong... and when she was gone, a coward was all he was.
"Okay..." He whimpered with tears balling at the corners of his sad eyes, and what he saw...
Was like a dream in real life... what his life had been.
With her...
With her...
With his Ruby.