(short Story) In The End Poem by Elisia Cardona

Down the dark road he walked with blood on his shoulder torn clothes with a small smirk on his face. All he thought about was to see her, just her once more, but it seemed time wasn’t on his side. Down the trail his home town, but what a difference from what he remembered. “It has been a long war.” He thought to himself. This walk of sins and now snow, how he could remember when the trees where in full bloom when he last left. Remembering the last words he said to her. Just remembering. He remembered her perfume, her clothes, the sadness in her eyes, all these memories. He promised never to forget her, that he’d come home to her. “Will I even make it home? ” He thought as he walked on down this long trail. He could see his small town, he called home. He couldn’t feel his body as snow caught against his wounds and clothes. He had hoped she’d be waiting by her window watching the road looking for him.
He was so focused on getting home, that he didn’t even notice the enemies that hided in the darkness of the trees. He could feel his eyes fade in and out. “Not now, I’m so close” he whispered to himself. He could feel it, death’s hands at the back of his neck, breathing down hard. He shook his head to shake off this feeling of death. Tracing back to his memories of the day he left. He couldn’t remember if she said I love you back. Her mouth moved, but no sound came each time she parted her lips. “If she loved me, she would have let me know.” Where the words that parted his lips, as frost echoed in front of him. He finally snapped back into reality taking note on the men that have been watching him and following him. His heart began to beat faster as the drums of war, so he ran hearing his heart beat in his head. Blood pumped from his wounds, his legs began to numb, and his heart was all that he heard and felt, not even focusing on the new wounds from the arrows.
It felt as if he was flying to his love. The snow began to pound on him more, as he got closer to his town. Men hollered as they seen him run up to the entrance gates. It seemed god wouldn’t let him have his day. “Pray for a miracle” He thought to himself as he ran harder knocking down three guards, and opened his home gates. He seen his people chained and some in cages. Men were holding out bows and arrows, rifles and guns, all now pointing at him, this man that wanted no part of this war. Screaming and yelling, but the man was incoherent, muffles is what sounds poured out of men’s mouths. Scared and panicking, “I never wanted to be a soldier! Never wanted to see men die! ” the thought raced into his head. The men started to close in on him, but he never wanted to die this way either. “Die with honor! ” he said as he ran towards a soldier knocking out the gun from his hand. At that moment, he saw her. Still as soft as ever, with her hair in a pony tail, still looked silky, her eyes still with hope, sadness, and love. He ran towards her, not thinking of what may happen to him, as long as he got to touch her, to tell her one last time that he loved her more than anything.
More muffled sounds came from the soldiers. He called out her name, and she turned to look at the man she never forgot. Tears began to form on both faces. The muffles where no more, the people disappeared, it was just them. He took his loves hand, walked toward the river bed, sat down in the snow. All was silent; all that could be heard was the river and the night air. He held her close, whispered into her ear, what he longed for her to hear, “I love you, more than you’ll know.” Her mouth moved, but no sound.
Back to reality, both lied on the floor, his old and new wounds streamed out blood, and her wounds were fetal. Both dying in each others arms, eyes faded to black, no longer breathing. He’d never know if she loved him all the same, in this lost dream of love.