Author's Note: This story is set after One More Day.
Asunder
Small rays of light came through the tiny slits in the curtains, giving the room a dull, lifeless glow. He lay silent on the bed, the sheets tangled and tossed about from restless nights. Her scent still lingering, but fading with every passing day. He buried his face into the pillow, trying to inhale her scent. It was already damp with the tears he had shed that afternoon. He refused to change the sheets.
Every night he had simply fallen into bed. He would dream of her that she was there with him. So vivid, that he could feel her, see her gorgeous eyes staring back at him. The dreams always ended the same way. Her sparkling eyes becoming dull, empty, lifeless and he would lose her again, feel her slip away before his mind awoke bringing him back to reality, back to life.
Life, PJ Hasham no longer cared for it. Nothing mattered to him anymore. Nothing had meaning. The silence was deafening. He hated it. A reminder of everything he no longer had. A reminder of everything that would never be.
He closed his eyes again.
She had suffered. She had known that she was going to die, each breath she took slowly killing her. Her blood staining the ground, staining his hands. Tears began to brim his eyes. Memories of moments, of things that he could have done differently, kept replaying in his mind. The image of her lifeless body haunted him, her desperate voice begging him to save her, that if he had done something differently that she would still be there.
The sense of failure overtook him again. His eyes shut tight as he tried to stop the tears from flowing. He tried to breath, but all that came out was a guttural choking sob.
Sluggishly he reached across to his nightstand, currently littered with bottles, as his fingers laced around the liquor and he brought it to his lips, gulping the liquid. The whisky burnt his throat and he spluttered, before continuing, relishing the burning sensation.
Ironically, it had been a pristine day, the sun shining on Mt Thomas, as the town gathered to remember the young vibrant woman who had touched their lives. The town was oddly deserted, except for the church, as the people went to say their final goodbye.
He stood silently, alone, watching as they carried Maggie's casket, decorated lovingly with roses. He watched as they slowly and with finality carried her to her new resting place and out of his life forever.