Gone

• Tayla Batty, Grade 11, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College
• Short Story
• 2014

Excellence Award in the 'The Text Generation 2014' competition

The soft warm whispers of air that escaped his lips, danced all along the base of my neck. The feeling of being wanted by another human being was such an overbearing sense of belonging that can’t simply be described. His silky brown tendril like curls moved slowly and sultry upward, to lean gently upon my forehead. Bright emerald green orbs staring deeply into my chocolate brown ones. Long slender fingers, belonging to his right hand, gently grazing over my jawline. The opposite hand coming up to cup my other cheek. My face feels like its burning up and slowly melting in the palm of his hand. I gradually bring my right hand up to slide into the mess of hair that lay upon his head, mildly twisting a curl or two around each finger placed grasping his crown. My left hand also rises to cup just below his chin, allowing my pointer to softly poke the exposed dimple. A quiet chuckle rumbles through, evading his widening smile. Instantly, my face feels captivated in following through with a small smile playing on my lips. Noticing this, he shifts back slightly, dropping both hands to rest at the small of my back. As an immediate response, my head begins to fill with words but with my mouth further ahead asking just the one word, “Why?” He glances down to my mouth and slowly back up to my eyes. “I got my calling. I didn’t want to go. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to ever leave…but I have to.” Bringing one hand up, to trace small circles with his fingers in the middle of my chest and his other hand to the centre of my forehead. “They can’t stop me from leaving you in here, and in here. I will always be with you. You are my forever and always. And hopefully I am yours too.” With that, my voice manages to croak a response. “you were.. you are, and you always will be my forever. But why does it have to be now and why does it have to be you? Why can’t it be me instead?” I hadn’t noticed the prick of tears lining the lower lid of my eyes until his figure began to blur. “Because if it were you instead, the world wouldn’t have had a purpose. I wouldn’t have a purpose. Nothing would mean as much as it does when I was and am with you.” My eyes close shut, but only for a split second. It’s as if our eyes are magnets. Mine flick back open to allow easy access for him to gaze further into my soul. “I love you. I’ll see you again, someday.”
I open my mouth. There’s still so much more to say, but nothing is coming out. Nothing but a small gasp of air. I open my eyes, just as quick as I closed them. Gone. He’s gone. As if he was never there, only for me to see.