Young Writers Society

When he said that she would be the last person he would ever love he meant it. When he promised that he would come back and not leave her waiting he meant that too. Letting go of her that night was the hardest thing he could have done. She understood, nodding her head while she tried to muffle her crying as he let her go. She watched as he got into the carriage, kissed her once more, and then he left down the winding road. What he didn’t promise though, was that he would never forget her and that she would not find a new love.

Standing on the balcony of the empty darkening mansion he had left her in, she awaited for his arrival. The house had an airy stillness to it and held many secrets that plagued her mind each hour of darkness. It had been nearly a year since his departure. By then all she could do was linger and anticipate that he would return so that the house would be filled with joy and happiness, not sorrow and torment. Her long black hair, much like a raven wing, was soft and shiny and glistened in the midnight moon. Blue eyes held unshed tears and her lip quivered; yet she made no sound of her agony. Looking up towards the moon like so many other nights, she prayed that he would return to her. It was a ritual she repeated with every heartbeat each night. Holding the golden locket around her neck in her clenched hand, she would whisper his sweet name like a prayer over and over again until she would cry, letting the tears that had not fallen slip down her rosy cheeks.

“Richard, my sweet Richard, return to me so that I will not witness this suffering each night, with ever heartbeat of my undying heart that holds your love, I will always cherish your departed words, ‘I love you and forget me not.’ Richard, oh Richard.”

Her breathing got more rapid as she spoke, more passionate as she ended. By the time she was finished she could not even whisper his name again without her stomach tightening into knots of torture. Crying softly, she turned and hurried through the French doors, her ruby colored dress swishing along her feet as if trying to escape the pain it witnessed every night. Breaking down and crumpling to the floor, she cried and shook with ever breath she took. Whispering the same prayer, this time quietly to herself.

“Richard, my sweet Richard, return to me so that I will not witness this suffering each night, with every heartbeat of my undying heart that holds your love, I will always cherish your departed words, ‘I love you and forget me not.’ Richard, oh Richard.”