He found it hard to swallow and even breathe for that matter. What was the problem? Why did everything hurt so much? A big gasp of air, inhale, exhale, and then nothing. The room reverberated with small gasps of air. It sounded terrifying. Like someone was dying. But he knew that no one was going to die in this room today.

Afterall, he was already dead.

She smiled," What's the color of snow?"

"Uh, who cares?" He scratched his head, the girl always knew how to confuse him the best.

The girl glared at him," Fine, it was such an easy question too. I was going to take you out to dinner if you got it right. But I guess you'll just have to sit here and eat alone tonight."

He sputtered quickly," White!"

"Good job!" She clapped her hands and laughed happily.

A strange memory took hold of me that day. The memory that I cherished the most, but it was also the one that was hardest to remember. I'd rather just forget.

"Energy can be transformed, but it can neither be created nor destroyed."


The boy always wondered what the astronomer was really talking about. The old man had a strange way of saying things, but really meaning something else entirely. The boy found it much easier to just listen to the old man, memorize his words, and figure them out later. For it would be much too difficult to understand him right on the spot.

"Energy that can be transformed..." The boy picked up the old astronomy book and left the room.

"Are you joking?" His voice was dangerously low, hissing with an unconcealed anger that forced him to tremble.

The other man's smile was more cunning and sly," Why would I kid around with something so serious? After all, you and I aren't that different."

"DON'T SCREW AROUND WITH ME!" T
he boy snarled viciously and drew his fist back and hurled it into the other man's face without restraint.

Blood dripped from his mouth and his glasses fell to the ground, shattered in pieces.

The older man coughed blood but smiled again," You don't want to hear the truth do you? Fundamentally, we've done exactly the same thing, your sins are only parallel to mine," His eyes narrowed," So you don't have to act to righteous."

The boy held him up against the wall, nearly ripped his collar off, and he growled," Don't ever compare me to you. You and I are nothing alike!"

He drew his fist back again in a fury of black anger; this next blow would be the last.

Daylight was insufferable, he mumbled incoherently. It blinded him and forced him to back away in submission. The darkness was chased away and nothing was left except for a white light that softly laid its veil over everything in sight. A hand reached out to him, pale, thin, and weak, it managed to hold his hand and tug.

Please tell me what is the matter, said the owner of the hand. The boy stared off into space drearily, without realizing what was going on. Sleep eluded him, but he was mentally and physically exhausted. He didn't know if his heart was even beating anymore. A light thud, three seconds later another one; five seconds another thud against his chest, and then nothing. But quickly the thudding resumed so he knew he was still alive. Sort of.

The boy turned to his distressed companion. His eyes were devoid of life and color. Once sky blue, now grey. Am I alive? asked the boy. His companion sat up straighter and stroked his hair softly, Of course you're alive. He blinked, as if not hearing a single word he said. In fact, he could hardly comprehend any type of speech any more. His forehead dropped into the shoulders of the other boy and together, they sobbed silently throughout the days.

The course of human life is odd and bizarre, yet beautifully profound at the same time; similar to the blushing peony, whose life is as ephemeral as the journey of the brave eagle's journey to the sky. In truth these artifices, as beautiful as they seem, are sometimes painful, sad, and heart-breaking. Though they are short-lived, they are certainly worth living. There is nothing more abstract than ourselves. Pain brings us strength, loss brings us experience, and happiness brings us hope.

I prayed to god everyday for about a year after that day. She was the only person in the whole world that I loved. The only person that truly understood me, and accepted me for who I was, and our perfect world was falling apart. Falling apart because I was, for one moment, the stupidest man alive. Dear god, I am sorry. I am so sorry. Annalissa...

- - -

"You brought me strawberries again?"

I smiled and looked at my young wife. Her hair had become thin and weak, her skin pale and pasty, and her lips, her once beautiful full red lips, were nearly white.

"Yeah, they're you're favorite aren't they?"

She laughed weakly," Not after eating them everyday for a month."

I sighed and sat down beside her hospital bed. Clasping my hands with hers, I looked at her," When are you getting better?"