Sophie

• Lyric Hearn, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2013

Memories of pure delight waltzed above the possibility that they might be the only moments that will ever exist in my too short of a relationship with Sophie. Looking into her eyes I could see the youthful romance we so carelessly idled before the infinite crowds of prying and, in some cases, envious eyes of lonely souls whose fairytales had perished in the bitter grips of reality. I remember days where I would think of countless ways our relationship could end; nightmares of a creeping sense of disappointment infecting our lives until it leaves us only with the assumption that either one of us cheated each other out of the life we used to have, the life we deserved… But I was convinced that we had a love strong enough to catch us from even the furthest of falls. Now, looking past those stories of love and triumph that whispered incessantly in her sweet honey brown eyes, there lurks a story of tragedy and has me wondering; what happens if only one of us has to fall from the high of love?
Looking around the room I see tokens of affection that Sophie had collected from me over the past year, all of which has it’s own special memories entwined with the very fabric that make them. The sweet smell of caramel popcorn lingers on the giant teddy bear that sits adjacent to me, I had won her that bear at the carnival, however, this does not bring a feeling of joy or romance. This bear reminisces the moment when Sophie first fell ill. Walking down the aisles of whirring rides and the pitiful screams of young kids polluting the air, Sophie had collapsed. At that very moment there was a sudden frost that pricked the air and my world went cold and was hushed to a deafening silence. Four months later we find ourselves here; in hospital. While doctors do everything except to figure out what is exactly wrong with her, I have sat beside her watching the twinkle in her eyes dim a little more every day. Death is playing hide and seek with us. I know he’s somewhere but we just haven’t found him, death is a coward, the lowest of them all. There is a sudden ocean of hostile waves of fury which rise and relent within me, making my blood boil. However, I am calmed by the comforting touch of Sophie’s hand against my back. I curl up beside her and move a piece of hair out of her eyelashes and place it carefully back into the neat cascades of wavy raven hair and lay a gentle kiss on her forehead. I want to say something to her, anything but nothing comes to mind so all I offer is the security of silence and the promise of each second I spend with her. I can tell she wants to say something too by the way she keeps on taking deep breaths and opening her mouth, yet words resisted to come out. Instead she flashes her beautiful smile and closes her eyes.
For what seems like hours, a raging concern suddenly arose. What if Sophie had cradled into heaven during her sleep? I rushed by her side and placed my head upon her chest and listened for the beating of life, tears flooded down my face. I lift my head and lean towards her but I stop. I gaze at her, absorbing every intricate detail. I want to leave her as she is, pure, peaceful and perfect.
“I Love you.” The more those words hung in the air, the more it crystallised into a moment I will remember for the rest of my life.