Death Nears
Dust, attestation of long years untouched, cloaked the chamber in a hushed reverence that was broken only by the whisper of breath.
“Do you believe…there is forgiveness?”
From the darkness came the anguished query. “From whom?"
"I...I do not know, now." He gasped, back arching in agony as he groped for her hand. "I deserve no fate better than this."
"I killed him," said Aya softly.
"We have slain him, you and I." Eden shut his frost-blue eyes. "Merle. I shall soon accompany you in the halls of dead. There, destroy my soul, shred my spirit, but do not forgive, for then I die a second death."
"Live," whispered Aya. "Live. Be with me."
"I love you, Aya, so much it pains me to say it. The world stills...to only this moment."
Etienne crept up to them, dark eyes searching for what others could not see.
"Etienne?" murmured Aya. "Poor fool, what do you seek?"
"The hands of death hover over me, but have not yet taken hold."
Strange glimmers shone in the deep chamber, and Aya was seized in an ecstasy of horror. Great fantastic shadows stepped around them on invisible, silent feet.
I have loved you since since the dawn of time, before the concept of man was ever conceived.
"Minh," said he, very quietly.
"Elan," said she, her voice faltering. "Dearest one, why is it that we must always meet thus? Is there no remnant of our love but this?"
"And Kyros?" spoke Elan wearily. "He is dead. So are we all, and all we could attempt to forestall such tidings came to naught. Dust and ash only are gods and mortals, as debris in the capricious winds."
Blood dripped down the sides of the tomb.
Her voice was wrung with poignant sorrow. "Is that not true of each and every course?"
"The chain that riveted us has slackened, for one shackle has broken. Should we not rejoice, celebrate in this novel freedom?"
"We weep for our imprisonment, for only there did we find scant happiness, bitter delight."
They fell silent, a mute narration of their past playing before them.
"I would have been content, beloved, with whatever you could have given to me, had not trochal fate forced my hand."
"This, I know," responded she, clearly, keenly.
"Etienne, little one, come to me." Blood trickled down his chin, and Elan coughed, painfully. "It was you, was it not, who brought us to life?"
"He is as you were," said Minh, wonderingly. "Lost and tormented through no fault of his own."
Etienne crawled forward, great eyes strained wide, fathomless and dark.
"I am lost no longer, nor tormented, for I know my path, and what I must do to end it."
Minh gave no reply, only gazed upon them both.
Elan lightly brushed Etienne's face. "I release you from your curse, little one. Begone, ye ghosts, and trouble him no more."
A whitish light traced the contours of the chamber. A tall, statesque woman came forward, her beautiful face drawn in a grimace of anger and distress, long magnificent robes rippling along the dusty ground.
"Goddess," groaned he. "I have failed you."
"Always and anon, Aya is with you," said the Goddess bitingly. The girl looked at her silently, tightly grasping his hand.
"Can I not...have even...this comfort?" said he softly. "Do you despise me...so much, then, for.. my weakness?"
The god fell to her knees, heedless of the filth staining her garments. "I love you, Eden!" cried the Goddess. "Why does my love, a god's adoration, an immortal's devotion, not satisfy?"
"Because...you do not know me...Goddess."
Blah blah
"Elan," gasped she. "How...you are dead..."
"Shortly...to be so, yes." His words grew fainter. Tears dropped from the green eyes of Minh, but she did not speak.
The Goddess whirled on her. "I detest you, you despicable whore!"
"Why do you waste your words on such as I? Even now, a surplice would not suffice to cleanse me."
Still blah
Minh smiled sadly. "This, then, was our purpose in entering this place of bedevilment. Let us go, beloved. The horizon beckons."
Etienne bowed his head.
Aya fervently grasped Eden's hand, for he was fading quickly. "I only...wanted your happiness," whispered he, "and...you prayed for my death."
"Never!" A pale, wan moon rose above them, but they knew it not.
"You cared for Merle...a dead man, far more than you ever cared for me," said he bitterly. "Oh, beloved, why must our plans always go awry?"
"Do you truly begrudge him even my greater love?" rebuked she harshly. "When I took his life, should I not give to him a recompense?"
"Remorse is a foul bedfellow," sighed Eden tiredly, "lying ever between us." (Therese Raquin)
“Do you believe…there is forgiveness?”
From the darkness came the anguished query. “From whom?"
"I...I do not know, now." He gasped, back arching in agony as he groped for her hand. "I deserve no fate better than this."
"I killed him," said Aya softly.
"We have slain him, you and I." Eden shut his frost-blue eyes. "Merle. I shall soon accompany you in the halls of dead. There, destroy my soul, shred my spirit, but do not forgive, for then I die a second death."
"Live," whispered Aya. "Live. Be with me."
"I love you, Aya, so much it pains me to say it. The world stills...to only this moment."
Etienne crept up to them, dark eyes searching for what others could not see.
"Etienne?" murmured Aya. "Poor fool, what do you seek?"
"The hands of death hover over me, but have not yet taken hold."
Strange glimmers shone in the deep chamber, and Aya was seized in an ecstasy of horror. Great fantastic shadows stepped around them on invisible, silent feet.
I have loved you since since the dawn of time, before the concept of man was ever conceived.
"Minh," said he, very quietly.
"Elan," said she, her voice faltering. "Dearest one, why is it that we must always meet thus? Is there no remnant of our love but this?"
"And Kyros?" spoke Elan wearily. "He is dead. So are we all, and all we could attempt to forestall such tidings came to naught. Dust and ash only are gods and mortals, as debris in the capricious winds."
Blood dripped down the sides of the tomb.
Her voice was wrung with poignant sorrow. "Is that not true of each and every course?"
"The chain that riveted us has slackened, for one shackle has broken. Should we not rejoice, celebrate in this novel freedom?"
"We weep for our imprisonment, for only there did we find scant happiness, bitter delight."
They fell silent, a mute narration of their past playing before them.
"I would have been content, beloved, with whatever you could have given to me, had not trochal fate forced my hand."
"This, I know," responded she, clearly, keenly.
"Etienne, little one, come to me." Blood trickled down his chin, and Elan coughed, painfully. "It was you, was it not, who brought us to life?"
"He is as you were," said Minh, wonderingly. "Lost and tormented through no fault of his own."
Etienne crawled forward, great eyes strained wide, fathomless and dark.
"I am lost no longer, nor tormented, for I know my path, and what I must do to end it."
Minh gave no reply, only gazed upon them both.
Elan lightly brushed Etienne's face. "I release you from your curse, little one. Begone, ye ghosts, and trouble him no more."
A whitish light traced the contours of the chamber. A tall, statesque woman came forward, her beautiful face drawn in a grimace of anger and distress, long magnificent robes rippling along the dusty ground.
"Goddess," groaned he. "I have failed you."
"Always and anon, Aya is with you," said the Goddess bitingly. The girl looked at her silently, tightly grasping his hand.
"Can I not...have even...this comfort?" said he softly. "Do you despise me...so much, then, for.. my weakness?"
The god fell to her knees, heedless of the filth staining her garments. "I love you, Eden!" cried the Goddess. "Why does my love, a god's adoration, an immortal's devotion, not satisfy?"
"Because...you do not know me...Goddess."
Blah blah
"Elan," gasped she. "How...you are dead..."
"Shortly...to be so, yes." His words grew fainter. Tears dropped from the green eyes of Minh, but she did not speak.
The Goddess whirled on her. "I detest you, you despicable whore!"
"Why do you waste your words on such as I? Even now, a surplice would not suffice to cleanse me."
Still blah
Minh smiled sadly. "This, then, was our purpose in entering this place of bedevilment. Let us go, beloved. The horizon beckons."
Etienne bowed his head.
Aya fervently grasped Eden's hand, for he was fading quickly. "I only...wanted your happiness," whispered he, "and...you prayed for my death."
"Never!" A pale, wan moon rose above them, but they knew it not.
"You cared for Merle...a dead man, far more than you ever cared for me," said he bitterly. "Oh, beloved, why must our plans always go awry?"
"Do you truly begrudge him even my greater love?" rebuked she harshly. "When I took his life, should I not give to him a recompense?"
"Remorse is a foul bedfellow," sighed Eden tiredly, "lying ever between us." (Therese Raquin)
