It's All Gone

A man lies on his back in the middle of a field. The moon gives him some light to see the dark outline of the trees and a swooping owl or two. A tear streams down his face and he looks up at the moon as if in a trance. His eyes close and immediately images spin round and round in his mind taking him back in time. Holding hands with a young woman and glancing nervously at each other, they skate around a rink. She laughs and he catches her. Suddenly his mind flashes to another place. He and his dad are fishing, talking, and laughing about life and women. They sit down on the back of the truck and take out a few sandwiches. They eat lunch and walk back to the edge of the pond. They cast a line and then smoke cigarettes. “Come on man,” his buddy calls. He runs across the house, leaps out the door, and jumps on his bike. “Man, Jimmy’s dad ain’t home and he said he knows where he keeps the key to the van.” He didn’t say a word, but glanced at his friend and smiled instead. The grass brushed his face and he was back in the field staring at the moon again. He could hear her coming, her dress swishing against the grass. He doesn’t look. It’s her. She lies down beside him, holds her head up on her elbow, and looks at his face. He doesn’t look at her. The moon has him in a trance. She lays her head on his chest and he holds her close and kisses her head.

“It’s all gone,” he says

“I know”

“I love you”

“I love you too”

The sunshine beams through the window shining bright on his face. He’s in his bed and the fan blows across his body. His body aches but he turns over and faces his wife. She’s gone.