agibezuidenhout

· 22 May 2020

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The last dance

A strong wind pulsed through the long, lush blades of grass. The leaves of the old oak tree shook, matching the melodies that the birds brought to the scene. It was a lovely day in the middle of Spring where two young lovers met to share a dance amidst the blades of grass that seemed to cover the entirety of the field.

They had nothing with them except a radio with two shiny antennas emerging from the top. The radio was set to a frequency that played classical music. The music could never have been more beautiful, especially on this day. The piano that was playing on top of the violin created a melody that was perfect for the dance.

They were in each other’s arms, they pulled each other close and for a moment they felt like nothing was wrong. They moved slowly, taking every step carefully. They felt safe with each step that they took together.

The music on the radio cut to static and the only audible sound was the ominous shout of a siren in the distance. Even though the sound of the siren was horrible and deafening, they continued to dance as if the siren served as a melody. He then held her hands in his, stopped dancing and stared deep into her light green eyes. Their eyes were locked on each other. A single tear rolled down her cheek as her mouth formed a smile that could not even be forgotten in the most horrible of dreams.
Their hearts were intertwined even though their hands shook, and their eyes and mouths told a different story, like they were almost fearful. He left her one hand and spun her around with the other, getting a good look of her entire body before facing her again, still scanning her body with his eyes, from head to toe.

He got down on one knee and spoke in the calmest tone imaginable, “Marry me, Juliet.”
She broke down into tears and jumped into his embrace, not answering his question. He held her close and they stood there as if they were suspended in resin. A tear formed in his right eye too, carrying a river of sadness and then it finally fell to the floor, forgotten by his face and greeted by the soil.

He rested his head on her shoulder, “Everything is okay. Don’t ever let go,” He closed his eyes, leaving all his sorrowful tears behind on her, “We’ll be alright.”

A swarm of bullets filled the air, moving through them like a hot knife through butter. They both fell to the floor, still in each other’s calming embrace. They were dead but still they never let go of each other.

One of the soldiers spoke, “You did what you had to, Robert. This is war, never forget that.”

The calmer soldier responded, “Death was not victorious here, nor will it ever be.”

The soldiers marched on, past the yellow, long, lovely, lush, blood-soaked blades of grass, and the young couple that just shared their last dance. 

CREDITS FOR IMAGE:  pinterest.com
#shortstory 
#romance 
#somber