Her Name
His heart never smiled.
Sure, his mouth would fashion the expression whenever it was expected of him, but his heart remained lonely, aching, sad. Nothing could reach it; it was too far away, too isolated, retreating to some far off place, afraid of feeling again, afraid how those feelings ended: in pain, abandonment, disappointment.
When she touched him though, he smiled. He could smile like he suspected a regular person did; with ease, without force or discomfort.
It was natural. It felt nice.
But what was her name?
Who had slipped coyly past the security of his heart?
She had made him smile, whoever she was.
Even as death took cruel hold of his body, decaying his mind and awareness, he could remember that sensation. He recalled the way her body grounded him, her voice soothed his worries, and her laughter made him grin, even when he felt like doing nothing but letting his grief consume him.
He remembered her as eyes which rested in his skull went dark, never to have his awareness ghosting behind them ever again. They were just a pit of nothingness now, his eyes, serving no real purpose.
She had made his life worth something.
She had made him smile.
Jal.
That was her name.
Sure, his mouth would fashion the expression whenever it was expected of him, but his heart remained lonely, aching, sad. Nothing could reach it; it was too far away, too isolated, retreating to some far off place, afraid of feeling again, afraid how those feelings ended: in pain, abandonment, disappointment.
When she touched him though, he smiled. He could smile like he suspected a regular person did; with ease, without force or discomfort.
It was natural. It felt nice.
But what was her name?
Who had slipped coyly past the security of his heart?
She had made him smile, whoever she was.
Even as death took cruel hold of his body, decaying his mind and awareness, he could remember that sensation. He recalled the way her body grounded him, her voice soothed his worries, and her laughter made him grin, even when he felt like doing nothing but letting his grief consume him.
He remembered her as eyes which rested in his skull went dark, never to have his awareness ghosting behind them ever again. They were just a pit of nothingness now, his eyes, serving no real purpose.
She had made his life worth something.
She had made him smile.
Jal.
That was her name.