Forever

The man is watching and waiting in silence.

As I stare back, also in silence I think.

I think about why he is here and why I am here.

The answer is the same.

We are here to die.

We came here to die because we have suffered much pain.

But then he walks closer to me.

And I see that he is not a man at all.

He is a boy.

A boy about my age.

I know this boy.

He attends my school.

His name is James.

"James," I call out.

"Yeah? Who's there?" James calls back.

"Alison," I call back.

"Alison? From school?" James calls back.

But all I can respond with is a scream.

A high-pitched, horrified scream.

The last things I hear before I die are the running of footsteps and the splashing of blood.

James was calling my name.

And then everything went black.

Then I woke up.

I was in a coma.

I was just dreaming.

When my eyes opened, there were a lot of people.

James was there.

And I knew why we were both there.

We were in love.

With each other.

But I knew we couldn't ever be together.

Because I knew that he was going to die.

Soon, oh so, soon.

But how can you tell someone they are going to die?

Especially if you are in love that person?

I didn't know how I knew, but I did.

Then suddenly I stood up.

Because I knew that he was going to die soon.

So I gave him a hug and a kiss.

And as I let go he reached up to his heart.

He knew the inevitable.

That he was going to die.

So the last words I heard from him were,

"I love you, Alison."

And I said,

"I love you, James."

And I knew that he heard me.

When the doctors told us that he was dead, I already knew, but I still cried anyway because he was the only one that I ever truly loved.

And so I've learned that people should be cherished, because you never know when the ones you love are going to leave your life

forever.