Young Writers Society

   The ocean was hitting the rocks and all I could do was watch. The foam curled at the edge of the water, it's blue so startling to me as my hair struggled to get loose in its crown of braids upon my head.

   I took a deep breath, knowing what was behind me. That time is gone, but there is no forgetting it. 

   The only one who knows that time is the woman beside me, my dear wife, Heidrun. Her face held scars from that day, but her eyes still showed that glow of brightness that made me fall for her in the first place. 

  We were here to try and rid the old ruins of its issue. We had our secrets, I did especially. It was one of the reasons it fell. 

  "My dear Saga, it's getting late. As enticing as the sea may be, you must put an end to that which is plaguing you here." She spoke, her voice soft as I looked at her. 

  "I don't wish to remember what happened here, but the ghost of it haunts me. Those that attacked hurt my kingdom, our kingdom, my darling..." I pause as the waves crashed against the rocks again, unbothered by the chilling air that accompanied us. "But it's been years, it is time." I said, sighing.

   Heidrun stood up with me, even though I knew she would not see what I saw.

  To her, it would just be ruins, this place of crumbled rock with moss that had begun to take over; Wood that was rotting with that wet coating on the outside; Skeletons that may never move from their spots, loose pieces of jewelry now rusted.

  No more of what it once was. 

  I saw haunting figures of those that died, no eyes, just sunken black holes with sagging eyelids. Open mouths with horrid moans and cries. Ghostly blues of wisps, standing by their bodies that may never be burned in the proper way. 

   I stood in the middle of the ruins of what was once my kingdom. The roads were almost gone, overrun by plants and grass. Bits of it peaked out here and there, but nothing much. It was just enough to see where it changed its course.

  I had promised those I watched that I would protect them, I would hear them out when needed. When we were attacked, there was no time. We all scattered, slaughtered. We tried to fight but those who got away barely made it. 

  "Saga... seeing-one... Saga..." A ghost of a man hoarsely said, staring at me, his hands outstretched. "Please, hear us out. Please..." The man begged me so I sat down and patted the ground. I could see the other specters being to gather around me, dozens of them. 

  So many were children and I could see the sorrow on their faces, the pain of wanting to fully move on. I was the seeing-one. When I pass on, I shall stay as that in the eyes of my people. 

  Heidrun sat beside me, the specters seeing her and making room for even though she could not see them. She did not have my gift, I was the only one that I knew of.

   Nightmares had been torturing me for weeks, of this very place. Screams from that night, the fires, the swords slashing and arrows gouging into stomachs and fleshy parts of a body. I had admittedly been afraid to return. 

  I knew what I would be greeted with, but it was to help my citizens one last time.

   I smiled warmly at those that were around me. It had been so long. "My people, I'm so sorry for what has happened. I was not strong enough to return for some time, I wanted to try to recover on my own but alas, it is time to come back to the walls that once housed our home." 

   I saw specters begin to fade at that, pleasant glows appearing then swiftly leaving just as soon as they had appeared. Heidrun held my hand and I held hers back, the comfort reassuring. 

   "That day is long gone, it is time to move on. It was not our fault, it was ok that we were taken off-guard. Look to the ocean crashing at the shores, listen to it. Let it lull you to sleep. It is ok to move on, your queens will make sure of that." I said, trying my best to reassure them. 

   I wanted my people to have a rightful ceremony of leaving this earthly plane. If it meant gathering every body to skeleton to burn, to let sink into the sea, then so be it. 

  It was time to move on, for all of us.