by
TC
he house was empty by the time Gregory Chash came home that evening. Of course, he had been gone for seven years, fighting in the war which still wasn't over. Desert Storm they called it. Or the Persian Gulf War."Hello?" He called out, hoping for an answer. None answered him from the darkened and dusty hallways. In that few moments, Gregory realized how empty the house really was. Nothing really remained--just a few odds and ends of furniture scattered here and there like an old-fashioned game of pick up sticks. On the dusty coffee table, a not sealed with a red sticker caught his eye. Lifting it up slowly, he opened it and took the letter out, reading its contents. Dear Gregory;
We are all sorry, but Ebonia has died. She caught cancer, and couldn't get help fast enough. We have moved away, and by the time you find this note, if you ever do, we'll be starting a new life. Goodbye, Greg. --Tusa
Gregory stared at the letter a second later, then set it down on the table. He stepped out the front door, and into the open air. The sky had turned a darkened blue, the sunset causing colorful rays to be sprayed around the setting sun in a violent display of anger. It seemed as if his thoughts had ripped across the sky in an effort to end something that never should have been. For the first time in his life, he was really alone. Walking onto the dampened grass, Gregory walked until he reached a large hill that seemed closest to the sun. He sat down and pulled out a peice of paper from his pocket. On it, was a picture of an angel. He clutched it to his chest, right above his heart, and did something he hadn't done since the war. He cried. While he had his head down, a part of the sky opened up and turned a white that gleamed in the last rays of sunlight. An angel with gossamer wings glided down to his lone figure on the hill. It landed next to him and put a hand under his chin, lifting it up to face him. Gregory stared at the angel with watery brown eyes. "Why, angel? Why?" Were the only words that came out. The angel smiled. "Because I wanted to give you a chance to start over as well. Ebonia loves you Gregory, and always will." Gregory pulled away and stood on the hill, looking over the grassy plains below. The angel stepped behind him and waved her hand. Gregory transformed into a timber wolf. He turned to the angel and cocked his head. "I did this to give you something new to look at." With that, she disappeared. Gregory turned back to his view, and let out a long, mournful howl at the sun that looked upon him with satisfied eyes.
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