Time Lost

By: Crystal Luna

Solemnly, she bore the caskets weight as she marched along. The image of his vacant face remained
fresh in her mind. Gently, they set down the casket like a baby to its crib. She never imagined it would
be this hard. A crimson rose fell from her hand. Its thorns pricked her as did the loss of her love. Arctic
gusts whisked against her face. Over flowing tears crystallized and laminated upon her cheeks. Remorse
jolted through her body like a lightning bolt, if only she could go back to the start.
His sudden death felt like an illusion. The thought of lifes fragility tugged at her heart. Grief
suffocated her as she gasped for air. Her many scientific expeditions caused regret as she reflected on
her negligence and persistent absences. Efforts made in the name of science, science and progress
Even the piled roses on his casket reminded her of him. Their petals reminiscent of his crushed velvet
pajamas spooning against her bare legs; her last chance to cuddle with him was spent at her desk
contemplating and pulling puzzles apart. His coffin sunk into the earth, engulfed as a man in quicksand.
Existent only in the faded memories of people he once knew. She watched their tires grind against the
gravel road. Onlookers anxiously escaped to their warm homes for grieving. The hood of her cloak hung
over her face. She remained, mourning, in the desolate cemetery.
A harsh winter made the land as barren as her heart. She sat next to his tombstone evaluating all the
nights she missed, and the ones she hadnt. She longed for their aspiring discussions. Fondly, she
remembered the words: ask me your questions A tiny smile cracked her lip. Stinging temperatures
drained her body, constricting her blood vessels. Glacial blood gathered at her fingertips. She curled up
like an arctic fox in the snow. Her chapped, broken lips wished for him to come back and haunt her. Her
eyes drooped as her surroundings faded away. A foggy outline of his face stared into her eyes. His
opaque image blurred then faded away. The winter night cradled her body and laid her down to sleep.