by Almney King
Gwen went to speak again but decided against it.
“But I’m glad,” I said. “I’m glad there’s such a strong will in you, Gwen. It’s that fire of life within you that reminds me.”
“Reminds you of what?”
I placed my hands on his shoulders, holding tight as if I were drawing the very life from him.
“That even though we are frail, we are not weak. That our strength does not lie in our bodies, but in the spirit in which we speak, and act, and live. You remind me that perhaps there is a light still shining, still singing of love and freedom, still urging us to carry on. Even in the dark. Even when the shadow is around us and we can hardly see ourselves.”
“Corrine.”
“But I’m not worried, Gwen. I’m not afraid. I believe in the light. Perhaps not for me, but for Fern... and that’s all I need to keep going.”
Gwen gripped me by the neck and drew me in.
“Believe me, Corrine, you don’t want to live that kind of life. I’ve seen too many of my comrades do the same thing. Turn themselves into some kind of martyr for the sake of others. It’s a cheap road. In the end, it means nothing. Only that you weren’t strong enough to stick around for the real fight... that you didn’t have the courage to live. It’s cheating life.”
I closed my eyes. “Promise me you’ll keep your light, Gwen. That it never dies.”
“Fern wouldn’t like this.”
“Promise me, Gwen,” I said sternly.
Gwen sighed. He shrugged as if my words no longer concerned him, but his voice trembled slightly when he spoke. “Sure thing, babe.”
“I’m serious.”
“Sure I’ll swear it... only if you aren’t so quick to give in.”
He came closer. “If you’re in need of the light, borrow some of mine.” He took my hand. “We’ll see the stars again, and when we do, we’ll take that breath of freedom together.”
I leaned into him. Listening to Gwen speak was always tiring.
“Alright. I promise,” I said, “but Fern comes first. Whatever time we have left, I want her to live it. What I went through, it would ruin her. She’s too pure for it.” I drew away from him. “No matter what ends I have to go to, I will find her. She has to be free, Gwen. It’s the only way she can live. It’s the only way anyone can live, and until I bring her home I cannot rest. Until I see the sun in her eyes and the wind on her face... I will never rest.”
{ ABOUT THE AUTHOR }
ALMNEY KING
Almney King is the middle child of a large and loving family who reside in Orange, California. Almney is also the author of The Valley of Anchor, a collection of poetry she published at the age of sixteen. To this day, she continues to write poetry as well as several other upcoming fiction novels. While Almney writes for more mature readers, her passion is mainly dedicated towards the youth. Through her work, she hopes to inspire and empower young people from all backgrounds to use their own gifts to succeed, to motivate, and proudly service others. She encourages the youth to leave a legacy of their own that is dignified, and more importantly, a legacy that is true to themselves.