Three days before:
Em slipped the pill into her mouth, slapped her faceplate back down and twirled it around her tongue before swallowing. She unzipped her thigh pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, which she neatly unfolded. Without breaking eye contact she said to Kyra, “Tell me again what she said.”
“Who?” asked Kyra.
Em rotated the paper in her hand and cocked her head to get the light from her helmet in just the right position. Speaking softly she handed the paper in her hand to Kyra and said, “Your sister. Remember? When she was in hospital. You told me the story.” Em’s cheeks began to quiver. “Please, tell me again what that little girl said.”
Kyra was dumbstruck as she watched Em’s eyes glisten in the dim yellow light. And then she smiled, her cheeks rising like twin moons under the pristine lakes forming in her deep sapphire eyes as she surveyed the sketch Em had handed her. “Well,” answered Kyra, trying hard to keep her voice from cracking, “she said a lot. Was there a particular bit you wanted me to recall?”
Von moved in closer. “What is this story you speak of?”
“When my little sister was six she was diagnosed with a terminal illness. The night before she passed away she gave me a couple sketches and shared with me the wisdom that can only come from one so young. About six months ago, I shared that story with Em.”
“Please,” said Von. “I’d like to hear what she said too. If you don’t mind that is? Em?”
“It’s okay Von. I would be honored. Stand by me will you? Kyra, since time is short, start with the part where she said she loved you with all her heart.”
Von moved beside Em, placing his arm around her shoulder. Kyra began. “When she whispered those words into my ear that she was the luckiest litlle girl in the whole world to have had me as her big sister I just lost it. Couldn’t control the tears. And that’s when she told me that just as Papa nourished his flowers with water that my tears nourished her.”
Kyra paused, lost in thought.
“Don’t stop,” said Em. “Please continue.”
“That’s when she pulled out two sketches she had drawn. One was of me and one of grand. I started crying again and she asked me to hold her hands. Then she smiled and whispered, When you go to sleep at night and close your eyes, think of me and I will be there, always, forever because I love you Kyra and no thing, no person, not even this illness will keep me from living in your heart. Kyra stopped. Von starred straight ahead, lost in his own world.
“Tell Von what you told me.”
“My sister passed in the night. Those were the last words I heard her utter. I told Em that that little girl, my sister was the blessed one, that she was the giver.”
Em fought back a yawn, the first sign the pill was working. They were down to only minutes before the sweet kiss of slumber took their hands to places only imagined. “You never told me her name.”
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Kyra tried to rub her teary eyes before realizing how silly it looked when her balled fists collided with her faceplate.
“Her name. You never told me your sister’s name?”
Tears exploded from Kyra’s eyes. “Her name.” Kyra looked up as if guidance would be found in the heavens above. “Her name was Emily.”
Von looked up. Em stood frozen.
“So now you know why it took me so long to warm up to you. I’m sorry Em.”
Em opened her arms and as before, the two embraced. “You know what?”
“What?” asked Kyra.
“In just a few minutes, you are going to introduce me to that little girl and the three of us are going to hold hands and we are going to dance and laugh.” Em yawned again. “We are going home Kyra. And we are going to meet the blessed one.”
Categories: Story, Kyra, Emy, Von
18 comments:
From time to time a chapter comes to mind that that brings tears to my eyes. This is one of those. I don't know why, but there is something inside of me that wants to know that little girl who was able to transcend the moment of her death and see from a vantage point few of us can comprehend. I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed writing it. Think I'll go read it again. Love to you all and maybe a few hugs and kisses too. :-)
By the way, I would recommend listening to Gary Jules' Falling Awake while reading this one. You can find the Grey's Anatomy version on YouTube, which if you eyes are still dry after viewing, well, then this story is probably not for you. ;-)
I hope you know how you touch others.
I watched the song again, and just as the singer is able to reach inside his soul and from that purest place of honest emotion reach forth into ours, just as those images rolling across the scene tap into our sense of fellow feeling and memories of experiencing loss, so does your writing coax us not just to read with eyes and mind, but to feel every breath, every thought, every feeling. Once again, I am consumed with the wish above all else that I could explain adequately, how beautifully you write, how so easily you invite the reader to enter within. What amazes me is the strong hold that these characters have, like the most wonderful friendships where even time spent apart doesn't alter the way they interact when together, picking up as they left off. With these storylines or when it comes to characters that do not make an appearance for a while, the response evoked draws together every thing that went before. The scene before this one is a little while ago now and yet in an instant we are right back with them as though we never left, feeling that very heightened sense of awareness for the situation that they find themselves in, wondering what they must be feeling, knowing some of what they are feeling, and watching as they talk and come together and spend those last moments.
The unknown tends to frighten us more than anything we can see and prepare for and at the same time, death too seem from this side of it, where we are faced with empty spaces where someone once was and yet we've seen, been offered the hope, most of us, the sense of peace that sometimes or often comes over a person nearing the end, who otherwise was reluctant so to speak.
One might say it is awareness of the situation, that nothing can or will change, that offers such clarity and silence, that in those moments where everything is about to be stripped away, it becomes as clear as can possibly be, what really mattered in life, the only thing that lives on after we are gone, love given and received.
Even for one so young, perhaps especially for one so young.
Kyra herself shows there is truth to that theory, when she discloses her sisters name and the subsequent cocoon that she enfolded herself within, moving forth slower than she otherwise would have done in welcoming Em into her heart.
The scene here is so poignant, I don't have the words to say how much. The togetherness and the hope, not that they will survive, but that their love will continue, that they will be reunited with those that went before and that death is only a physical barrier, one that is no match for what binds us.
I need to take that link and be touched by that scene between Kyra and her sister all over again. That one on top of this one, I'll be floating in this world (the story) all day. Sigh. Blissful, regardless of the sadness, it's still strangely blissful, heightened emotions, and all from a story created by you. That's the wonder.
Before I reluctantly leave this page, been reading and re-reading this chapter :-D, let me just say again how wonderful it is that Team Bravo, just days old, already boasts 7 members! I had a good feeling about us from the start, and it grows and grows with each new name added. Feel immensely proud and priveldged to be part of this group!
Zzzzz....
Isis, :-D
This chapter was inspired when Oliviah gave me permission to sketch her. I kept thinking how much I thought her photo would look like "Emily" when Emily, if she had lived, had grown up, especially those sparkling eyes and vivacious smile. My original plan was to use her sketch, the one Em has in her hand that she hands Kyra, as the image for this chapter. I started working on it last night and realized I was just trying too hard and my sketch was not looking anything like what I wanted it too so I finally had to just put it away for another day and try a new approach. But, I didn't want to hold this chapter up until I could get the sketch just right.
I loved your comment more than I know how to say. Time for more coffee.
:-) She has such a warm, pure heart and generous, loving nature, had that Emily lived, grown past the wonderous little thing that she was already then, that thought falls into place, she would have possessed those qualities just like Oliviah. So excited to see the sketch, your main talent is for eyes, and with these incorporating not only all that we see at Unleashed and around the blogeshere, but also the story of Emily, I can see why you'll not rush it. Can't help it though, given what you have produced so far, I'm preparing now to be awed. :-)
Ooooh, lower those expectations! I prefer to under promise and over deliver. :-D
OOH! OOH!
How far back do I need to go into your archives to find out more abt who Em and Kyra ARE?!
Hey ~d, Kyra is the main character, a female Hynerian who was raised by her very special Zing Tao Grandfather. The planet they are from was destroyed by storms and this story follows Kyra and seven other Hynerians on the vessel Bravo as they have various adventures and sexual interludes (LMAO) on the search for another planet. I've done sketches of all the characters so you can see what they look like. On my sidebar I have labels (categories) for the story. Click on any (such as sketches or Kyra) and you'll see all the postings for that label.
I write the story such that you don't really need to go back to the beginning to understand what is going on. Feel free to read as much or as little as you like. Thanks for stopping by. :-)
Oh, that moved me to tears. Here is something that also moved me to tears, in a different sort of way, yet the same. I think you will understand. I hope I can figure out how to put a link on here. http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=2zygjipki5
Aww...I just read your comment about using my picture for what Emily would have looked like had she live..and Autumns comment as well. You both certainly have warmed my heart. I do hope you can view that link, I think it will really warm yours. Hugs and smooches
Off to listen to "Falling Awake". I've never heard it before, this should be a treat. Been meaning to thank you and Autumn for the intro to James Blunt. Was listening to him this morning and his music, his voice moves me to tears...which is a good thing. Once, I thought I had an ocean of tears inside of me that I could never find release from. Now, not so much, maybe like a small river or a stream. Music and things like your story are beautiful ways to release some of those tears, in a way that doesn't erode my being but heals it--beautiful tears, a joy...if that makes sense. Music is a language that speaks all the nuances that we could never fully articulate in words. Something about your writing and the love people share in the comment section, as well as on Autumn's blog...it is like that music. And it is like a beautiful dance. Once again, I post a comment I am not sure whether or not it makes sense. Something I was going to post on mine, and may still post...the greatest way to triumph over death is to celebrate a person's life...or to simply celebrate life. This all feels like a celebration of life, from the request to crunch molecules and the story of the young boy's death...in it was truly a celebration of his life. It touched me like nothing I could ever express. I will be talking to you or Autumn soon about joining your team.
Oliviah, I loved, loved, loved that video. Wow, I'm still grinning from ear to ear. Thanks so much for sharing.
As for Team Bravo, we would we honored to have you crunching molecules and folding proteins right along side of us. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. Takes less than five minutes to download, register and join Team Bravo. Once the device is running, there is nothing else for you to do but just let it run in the background. I have mine running 24/7 and have been doing so for two and a half years with as many as twelve computers. Hope to see you on the roster soon. :-)
As for the story and your comments, I can't say how much that warms my heart, that my story can bring to another what it brings to me. I sincerely thank you with all the hugs and kisses I've got.
Oh, and Falling Awake is, I think, Gary Jules' best effort to date. I almost used it in the story some time back. I think it really fits with this post. Wish you could have been here to cry with me. I almost had to stop in the middle of writing it. I lost it when Kyra told Em her name was Emily. And you know what? I didn't know that until Kyra said it. The whole time I was writing the chapter I kept thinking, what was her name, what could I use and only when I got to that part did it hit me and then the tears just flowed as I imagined Kyra saying those words and Em hearing them.
As always, thanks so much for stopping by and leaving me such wonderful feedback. All my love dear Beautiful Soul. :-)
*sniffle* I can see why you have tears; they're streaming down my cheeks now. FANTASTIC chapter - one of the best I've read in a while, packed with emotion and love. Loved it!
Karen, I can't remember a time I enjoyed writing a chapter more. Probably not since the scene with Kyra at the window of the iso ward looking in on Kieran when his life support monitors started to flatline.
Thanks so very much for all your comments and catching up with the story. Jack thanks you too. :-D
Beautifully written, and so poignant. I had a definite emotional reaction to this chapter, and that's something I don't admit easily. Trée, you've done it again!
Deb, this chapter was written from somewhere deep in my heart and I was both Em, Emily and Kyra all wrapped into one, yet none of them wishing I was all of them. I don't know how else to explain it. This was another of those chapters that I could see in my mind's eye as clear as day, even though no action was taking place, I could see the expressions on Emy and Kyra's faces as Em asked and Kyra told.
You know, part of me wants to do audio for this chapter and part of me knows I can never capture what I was feeling, the way I was feeling it, the night I wrote this. My greatest fear is that no one would see what I saw, would get what I got from this chapter. I can't tell you how much it means to me to know that you and others were able to be as touched as I by this particular scene, in the last ten minutes of their lives, as they talk about what is most important--to revisit a six year old, to revisit the wisdom and strength that small child had in her moment of death. And I can only imagine the look on Kyra's face when Em handed her the sketch of "Emily" and what that story must have meant to Em for her to have drawn Emily and carried it with her.
It is often difficult to find words to relay certain feelings, and concepts, or to capture the moment, but believe me my friend, you did it.
Thank you Deb. Comments like yours motivate the heck out of me to continue to try to express in words with I feel in my heart. I know I always say it, but I do sincerely appreciate your kind and sincere words. :-)
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