Death Becomes Me

This was a project assigned to me in my Creative Writing 20 class and I am extremely happy with it! I got a 98% on it. You think I deserve it? lol please review!!!!

Death Becomes Me
by Megan McDonald

“Class, we have a new addition.” the teacher’s voice rang out to her class of 12th grade students. Immediately the room was silent. All eyes were on the door and a hush went through the room as a beautiful teenage girl walked in. She was adorned in a knee length spring dress that was a soft pale yellow and was decorated in pastel purple colored flowers. Her long auburn hair was pulled back and tied with a yellow bow. Her azure eyes glinted and her face was all aglow as she gazed about at her new peers. “This,” the teacher spoke, “is Raine Wilder. She just moved here from Owen Sound. Welcome to Hilltown Raine. My name is Miss Mabel. Please have a seat.”

Raine walked quickly to the only available empty seat near the back of the room. She moved with grace and confidence with her head held high and a smile on her face. Once she was seated, the teacher spoke up again. “How about we all say our names and a little bit about ourselves. That way we won’t feel like complete strangers. Raine, why don’t you start?” the teacher suggested smiling.

“Well,” Raine began slowly, “as Miss Mabel said, my name is Raine and I have just moved here from Owen Sound. I’m an only child and my parents and I now live in that house on Hill Crescent. I like to hang out, party, listen to music, ride horses, and everything, but writing is my passion. I hope to become an author some day.” Raine smiled and looked at the teacher to signify that she was finished.

Raine was introduced to a lot of people that day.

Tom Sander, the boy on her left, was tall with brown hair and hazel eyes. He had lived in Hilltown all his life and was planning on quitting his job at Dairy Queen to become a life-guard once summer vacation started. He seemed nice and smiled at her when he talked.

Violet Mathews was an upbeat girl with short blonde hair and deep blue eyes. She had an older brother named Dave and a younger brother named Steve. They were both very annoying and bugged her all the time. Her parents were debating whether or not to get a new car. Her cat Fluffy had just had five kittens that were absolutely adorable. She talked really fast and Raine had trouble registering what she was saying.

Maeve Smith was next. She had long black hair and dark eyes. The way she dressed suggested she enjoyed a lot of attention from guys. She smiled at Raine in a friendly way. Raine’s house was just a few houses down from hers and her dad worked with Raine’s dad at the oil rigs. She invited Raine to a party the following Friday and Raine accepted graciously.

Ashley Brown had green eyes, long red hair and glasses. She was outgoing and pretty and had bright white teeth. She liked to smile a lot when she talked. Her mother and father were the richest people in Hilltown and they owned ten cars. It was no wonder she was popular.

Next up was Shawn Cairns. Like Violet, he seemed to like talking. He was cute and funny with blonde hair and blue eyes. He loved sports, and pretty much anything that was dangerous. He was a modern day rebel, one could say.

There were many others in the class who had things that set them apart from the others. Take Matt for example. He was a Star Trek fanatic. He wore a uniform from the enterprise and was seldom seen without a pool noodle that he used to ‘defend himself from Klingons’. In reality, he just walked around beating people with it at random. Andrew was the loudest person by far in the class. He was often kicked out of the classroom for talking too loud. Dezerae was the quietest person in the class. She was always down and depressed about something and nobody could get through her shell to find out what was wrong. Kaley was the class’s popular girl wannabe. She was bubbly and very annoying. The position of computer geek was left to Lacy. She was actually a nice girl when you sat down and talked to her, but she knew more about computers than about communicating with people.

And then there was Zenith Strife. He offered nothing more than his name, but as Raine gazed at him, she was intrigued. He sat alone in one corner of the classroom and had positioned his desk well away from everyone else. He had very dark, almost black, brown hair that hung past his eyebrows, almost to his bottom eyelid. His eyes were a deep brown and almost stone like. They offered nothing to the imagination, and exposed nothing about him. Across the bridge of his nose, a thin scar disgraced his otherwise handsome face, and as she stared, she became curious. Curious to know what this teenager seemed to be hiding about himself.

After the introductions class continued as usual, but Raine noticed that Zenith didn’t follow along and shrugged off the homework assignment. It was as if he wasn’t even a part of the class; as if he wasn’t even there. But he was, writing furiously fast in a notebook of remarkable size. It was black leather and had his name engraved in gold on the front. Once, he glanced up and caught Raine looking at him. She quickly turned her head and continued with her studies, but he’d noticed. How couldn’t he have. He had felt her eyes on him the entire period and it irked him. It seemed a blessing when the bell finally rang.

“Don’t forget to bring your atlas. You’ll need them to finish your map assignment. Remember, page 305 questions due for tomorrow, numbers 1-29.” Miss Mabel called above the noise of her students as they filed out of the room.

Raine was last out of the classroom, intent on waiting for Zenith. She was curious to find out what was in that book of his. She caught up to him in the massive confusion of Hilltown High’s hallway.

He felt her tap him on the shoulder and he groaned inwardly. Trying to ignore it, he pressed quicker into the mass of students. She persisted however and he growled. ‘Won’t she go away? What does she want?’ he found himself thinking and whirled around to face her. He wasn’t drawn in by her cute smile and sparkling eyes.

“What’s in that notebook?” Raine asked with a grin that would knock any other man off his feet.

Zenith glared at her and turned his back, walking quickly away. ‘Maybe if I just ignore her...’ he thought. A few minutes and many footsteps later, Zenith finally thought he had lost her. He sighed as he opened his locker door and grabbed the books he needed for his other class. Not that he was going to use them. He only really needed one-

“What class do you have next?” Zenith looked on in shock as he saw Raine resting lazily against a locker by his. He grunted his reply and continued rummaging in his locker. “Really? You have Bio next? That’s great! I have that class too! Maybe I can find a seat near yours.” Groaning, Zenith shut his locker door and walked away, books in hand. It wasn’t seconds later that Raine was right at his side. “Mind if I walk you to class?” She asked batting her eyes pleadingly.

This was all he could take. “Yes I mind!”

Raine paused for a moment. “Why?”

Zenith growled. “Because I don’t like company. That’s why.”

Raine stepped in front of him. “Why?”

“What’s it matter?”

“I was just asking...I thought maybe you and I could be friends.” Raine said softly.

Zenith laughed. “Me? You? Friends? I doubt it.” He pushed past her and continued down the hall.

After setting her teeth, Raine called after him. “Why not?”

Zenith turned. “Because you’re annoying.”

Raine swallowed. “Thanks. I’m flattered.” She said, sarcasm filling her voice. The hurt showed through in her deep blue eyes and Zenith almost felt a little bit bad. Almost. Rolling his eyes he left her standing alone in the open hallway as the sound of the ringing bell reverberated through the school.


It was a few hours later when Raine exited the school. The bright sun and warm breeze brushed past her and ruffled the hem of her dress, but she didn’t feel it. Nor did she feel the long stem grass tickle her ankles or hear the soft sweet melody of singing birds that filled the air. No, Raine was not her usual cheerful self.

After their confrontation in the hallway, Raine tried repeatedly to talk to Zenith. He, however, brushed her off without a second thought. This hurt Raine more than she could have thought. And as she walked now into the sunlight, she argued with herself. ‘What am I so hurt about? Did I think everyone in the school was just going to accept me right away for who I am? Besides, what’s so special about this guy? I bet that there are a million guys who would give an arm and a leg to go out with me, just like in Owen Sound. I should just forget all about him.’

Raine, however, didn’t follow her own advice. Sure, she had made many new best friends over the next few days, but the knowledge that she had been pushed aside by the one that she had really wanted to befriend bothered her terribly. Meanwhile, she hung out with Shawn, Tom, Maeve, Violet and Ashley. They went to Dairy Queen everyday after school, and her new friends introduced her to the cool people in the town. They showed her how to really have a good time. Regardless of this, Raine couldn’t get her mind off Zenith.

When she would see him in the hall, she would smile and wave. He, in turn, wouldn’t even acknowledge her. She would try to talk to him in class but he would just ignore the fact that she was even there.

Slowly, her new friends began to notice that Raine was trying to get Zenith’s attention. They, of course, decided they should try and do something about it.

“Raine,” Maeve said calmly, sitting Raine down on her bed. Raine, Ashley and Violet were having a slumber party at Maeve’s house and were all now sitting on the floor of her huge bedroom. “What’s up with you and Zenith?”

Raine looked around at her friends and was surprised to see serious concern in their faces. They all seemed strangely grim. “What do you mean? Nothing’s up, I just want to be his friend.”

“What? His FRIEND? Ugh!” Violet blurted and Maeve immediately hushed her.

“Raine, I know you’re new and you don’t know who’s who yet. And that’s ok. But it’s time for your first lesson. Zenith is a loser.”

“A parasite.” Ashley put in.

“A FREAK!” cried Violet.

Raine was taken aback. “I...I don’t understand. What’s wrong with him? I mean, sure he’s different and all that but he’s cute and—,”

“Oh he’s cute, sure,” Maeve agreed, “But trust me Raine, he’s not the kind of person you want to be seen around.”

Raine raised an eyebrow in bafflement. “I don’t get it. What makes him a freak?”

Maeve laughed. “What doesn’t make him a freak?”

“What do you mean?” Raine said puzzled.

“He’s disgusting. He’s stupid. I don’t even think he knows how to add.” Violet sighed.

“And he’s always writing in that stupid book. Even the teachers have learned not to acknowledge him. They’ve all pretty much given up after what happened to his parents.” Maeve put in.

“ Oh ya, when THAT happened. When Zenith was about eight or so his parents went crazy and killed each other. They tried to kill him too, but they only succeeded in nicking his nose before he ran away. That was when he kinda went all weird and crazy and closed himself off from the world. And you know, I wouldn’t be too surprised if he follows their footsteps.” The three of them laughed at Ashley’s ‘joke’ while Raine sat unbelieving in front of them, staring at the three people she thought she knew, with different eyes.

“That’s horrible.” At the seriousness of Raine’s voice, they stopped laughing. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. It seems to me that all this poor soul needs is help and you’re sitting here laughing at him. Laughing about his death. That’s not only horrible it’s sick.”

“Listen Raine—,”

“No, you listen.” Raine interrupted Ashley sharply. “I can’t believe you can talk so lightly about death. Death is not a laughing matter. And suicide is no different. I can’t imagine what that poor guy went through. And you’re here making fun of him. If you ask me, you three sound more like freaks than he does.”

“Shut up Raine, if you knew half of the things he’s done you’d—,”

Maeve hushed Violet once again and looked at Raine with a steely gaze. “What are you saying Raine? That you’d rather be friends with the Freak than with us?”

“Stop calling him a freak. You don’t even know him.”

“Oh, and I suppose you do?”

“No, but at least I am willing to give him a chance.”

“I thought you were one of us. I thought you were cool.”

“Ya, well I thought you were better than this. I thought you had some decency and compassion. But you’re really just shallow nobodies who thrive on other people’s pain to give you entertainment.” Raine spat furiously.

Maeve didn’t flinch at these words, just simply looked at Raine. “Leave, then.” she said demandingly. “Go to him Raine. Go and be friends with the Freak. But just so you know, you’ll never have the opportunity to be popular again. You’ll never be invited to any of our parties. YOU will be the nobody. A nothing. Got it?”

Raine nearly exploded with rage. “Got it.” she said through clenched teeth. Then she stood up and picked up her things. She gave the three of them one last look of disgust and swore as she slammed the door to Maeve’s room, leaving them behind in her past.

~*~*~

Raine didn’t sleep at all that night. Amid her fluffy and warm blankets, she lay curled up in a ball, hugging her knees. She didn’t worry much about Maeve and the others as she did about Zenith. What was she going to say? What could she do to get him to talk to her? She couldn’t possibly make him be her friend, could she? This was all so confusing.

It was no wonder that she was in an unhappy mood the next day. Her parents knew something was up when she didn’t even touch the bowl of Cocoa Pebbles that they had lain out for her. Cocoa Pebbles was, after all, her favorite cereal. No matter how much they coaxed however, she wouldn’t tell them what was wrong.

At around noon, Raine decided to go for a walk. The weather was cloudy and bleak with a light rain leaking from the Heavens, but Raine didn’t care. She threw on a light jacket and walked out the door into the gloom. As she walked down the street, she watched the cars drive by with unseeing eyes. Her mind was clouded with the events of the night before and of the friend that just wouldn’t be.

Without her knowing, her feet took her to a completely different part of town, a place that she had never been before. The raindrops became heavier and Raine was snapped back to reality. She searched around for cover where she could wait out the building storm and sighed in relief when she spotted a shaded alley.

The minute she set foot into the narrow alleyway, she wished she hadn’t. For there, standing in the shadows, was a man taller than herself. He had dark brown, almost black hair that hung low on his neck. It couldn’t be...but she wondered. “Zenith?”

He whirled. It only took a glance for her to realize that she had been right. His eyes were wide with wonder, their bronzed depths sparkling almost with their own light. That is, until he saw who had called his name. “What do you want?”

Raine swallowed. This is what she had feared. For him to just turn his back and never let her into his life. “Zenith...what’s wrong? Why can’t you be my friend? That’s all I’m asking...please?”

Zenith smirked. “And why should I? Because you asked me to? Besides, why would you want to be. No one wants to be my friend. And that’s the way I like it. I enjoy being alone.”

“But why? How can you live like that? Having absolutely no one in your life to turn to, to talk to?”

“I live just fine. I don’t need anyone, and I especially don’t need you.” Zenith said stubbornly and turned his back on her.

Raine was losing her patience, “Why can’t you just give me a chance? I mean, would it hurt you to have a friend? Would it kill you to try? To trust me? Why can’t you do that?”

Zenith looked into Raine’s eyes and for a second Raine caught a glimpse of what he held inside. She saw the pain and anguish that dwelt behind those shields of dark gold and the intenseness of his despair. She only saw it for a second, and then it disappeared. And then he spoke. “You wouldn’t understand,” was all that escaped his lips.

For a moment Raine couldn’t speak. What she had just seen was deeper than anything she could of imagined. Once her voice returned, she said softly, “Maybe I would if you would just tell me. Why is that such a big deal?”

“It just is.”

Finally, Raine saw that she wasn’t getting anywhere. Fighting back tears of frustration, she glared at him. “Fine. Maybe you weren’t the guy I thought you were. You act tough, drive people away, but inside you’re scared. You’re scared Zenith. Scared of becoming close to me because you know you want to be my friend too. Scared of becoming close to anyone. And that’s alright.” Then she sighed. “But you don’t want to talk to me so I’m going to leave. I don’t even know why I stuck up for you when my friends put you down. I shouldn’t have thrown away their friendship for you. Have a nice life Zenith.” The rain had halted while they were arguing so she walked quickly out from within the alley before her tears got the best of her, leaving behind a very silent Zenith. Because no matter how hard he tried to deny it, no matter how badly he didn’t want it to be true, deep down he knew she was right.

~*~*~

It was Monday morning, when he saw Raine walking to school that Zenith changed his mind about her. Had she really defended him? Given up her popularity? Her friends? Just for him? Maybe...it would be alright to be her friend. It had been so long that he had almost forgotten what it was like to have one.

“Hey.”

Raine stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the strangely familiar voice behind her. It couldn’t be, but it was. Zenith was standing not two feet away from her, a shy grin on his coy face. “Mind if I walk you to school?”

Raine tried to speak, but found out rather quickly that her voice wouldn’t work right. So she simply nodded and smiled in a friendly way.

After that moment, Raine and Zenith began spending a lot of time together. They would go to the movies on Friday nights, go to the arcade for a few hours, and even go on long walks just talking about everything: life, the world, and love.

With this new closeness, Raine discovered a lot about Zenith. He too liked to read, and write and doodle on the margins of his notebooks. Deep down, under all those layers of shyness, she found a very nice, very talented, sensitive guy. Since Zenith didn’t have any parents, he lived with his aunt and uncle in their house. Along with their friendship had come other feelings; feelings of attraction, affection and love to name a few. And yet, no matter how close the two got, he refused to show what was written in his black notebook. She would beg him and he would completely refuse, as if he was embarrassed about what was enclosed in those leather covers. When Raine actually got to catch a glimpse of the contents though, she knew why he didn’t want them seen by anyone other than himself. And what followed her discovery was something she would regret for the rest of her life.

It was mid afternoon. The sun was out, the birds were singing, all was peaceful in the world. Raine and Zenith were sitting on his bed, lost in each other’s gaze. Raine had searched often for signs that the depressed young man whom she had met was still there in his eyes, but all she could find was love, hope and tranquility.

Zenith broke the spell by standing up. “My throat’s getting dry and I need a drink. Do you want anything?”

Raine smiled and shook her head. “No thanks, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

She giggled, “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Alright. I’ll be right back.” Zenith said and winked as he walked out the door.

Raine sighed and looked around the room. It was a pretty ordinary teenage bedroom with posters hung up everywhere of his favorite band, Disturbed. Clothes littered the floor and his desk was hardly recognizable. Papers stuck out from all angles and were scattered along the surface. There was only one window and it was above the desk which was across from his bed.

It was then, when she was looking at the desk, that she saw it. The black notebook. It sat upon his desk amid the mountain of other papers. The shiny leather cover called to Raine and created a conflict within her. ‘Should I? I’m so curious. I have to know what’s in there. But I can’t. It’s his. If he wanted me to see what it holds, he would have offered, or at least given in when I was begging. I should respect his privacy, but it’s so tempting. Look at it, just sitting there, mocking me. He’d never know. But...he could be back any minute...oh...one quick glance couldn’t hurt could it?’

With that thought she leapt off the bed and was across the room. At last she held this book of secrets within the palms of her hands. Finally, she was able to feel the smooth leather covering and smell the crisp scent of the aging pages. The gold leathering that spelled out Zenith Strife cried out to her. ‘Open me! Open me!’ it seemed to say. And Raine did.

The first page was filled with horrific pictures of blood, death, and suicide. Faces twisted in pain and agony filled every white spot on the paper. Shocked and mortified, Raine turned the page. Her hands shook at what she saw. There was a picture of what looked like Zenith when he was five years old with his parents. The picture had been torn many times and the words ‘die’ and ‘I hate you!’ were written all over it. Underneath of the picture was a poem. Raine shivered as she read it.

Death Becomes Me
by Zenith Strife


Oh merciful death,

Oh loyal hate,

Acidic breath

Of sadistic fate,

Release me from

This tragic world.

Allow me to become

A soul unfurled.

Crash!

Raine looked up hurriedly, tears streaming down her cheeks and gasped, dropping the book when she saw Zenith standing in the doorway. A clear glass was shattered on the floor at his feet, and the look on his face could have killed. His dark brown eyes were wide with hurt and betrayal, his mouth was curled with anger and his cheeks were pink with embarrassment.

“I said no. I told you not to look at it.” He growled and took a forceful step toward her.

“Zenith...I...I’m sorry. I never realized...” her voice trailed off and was replaced with frightened sobs. She leapt forward and embraced Zenith, wrapping her hands tightly around his neck, but was shrugged off violently. Suddenly, Raine was on the floor. Her cheek stung red hot from Zenith’s hand. Then she was speechless. She brought her fingers up to touch the pink spot on her face and brought her eyes up to look at Zenith in awe.

He stood like a stone, his eyes wide and unseeing. He brought his hand up in front of his face. It shook terribly, but he looked beyond it, into his dark past.

‘Where’s my dinner?’ There was a wild, insane look in his father’s eyes and his mother shook as she tried to regain her composure.

‘It’ll be ready in a few minutes.’ she said, hardly above a whisper. Her frightened voice wavered a bit and Zenith tried to concentrate on the black and white television he was situated in front of. But Big Bird’s voice couldn’t drown out his father’s yelling.

‘I told you to have it ready when I got home!’ He was getting angrier by the moment.

‘I know...but I...I...’ His mother groped for words. Her fear was obvious by her stammering.

‘Well? Why isn’t it ready?’ When his mother didn’t answer Zenith heard a sharp slapping sound and a thud as his mother flew back into a wall. ‘Answer me when I talk to you!’ His mother’s screams and his father’s furious stammering filled every corner of the young boy’s mind and his eyes misted with tears. It was then, when he was five years old, that he had vowed never to be like that. Never to be like his father. Never to hit a girl.

‘And yet here I am.’ Zenith thought in awe as the present situation came back like a slap in the face, not unlike the one he had just given Raine. He glanced down at her and saw her shocked face. A tear ran down his face as he reached out a hand to help her up, but she winced away from him, as if scared he was going to hit her again. He wanted to say he was sorry, that he hadn’t meant to, but his voice wouldn’t work. Her eyes just stared at him as they misted over once more. ‘Why?’ they seemed to ask.

He couldn’t take it anymore. He tore out of his room and sped down the stairs, jumping down the last three. He sped out the door and climbed into his car, slamming the door and tearing off down the road. Raine chased him down the street screaming his name and begging him to slow down.

Guilt filled Zenith’s soul. Such an anguishing guilt that he had never felt. His mind was a mess and his eyesight worse for the tears that were pouring out of them. He drove dangerously, speeding in between cars and flying over the asphalt. He didn’t even see the corner until it was too late.

Raine’s heart stopped. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t think, she couldn’t speak, as she stood staring at Zenith’s car. He had run into a tree at eighty kilometers an hour when he missed a turn and jumped a curb. His sky blue Chevelle was now completely wrapped around a full grown willow tree. The jaws of life had come to open the car in hopes to remove Zenith’s damaged body from the vehicle and ambulance attendants carried him to their van on a stretcher.

One of the attendants asked Raine if she was alright, but she didn’t get a chance to answer. Her head felt suddenly light and everything went black. She didn’t even feel herself hit the ground.

~*~*~

“Mamma, who’s that girl?”

“Sh Bobby, be quiet. She’s sleeping. Let’s leave her alone, ok?”

“Miss Raine? Raine Wilder.” A deep voice called in the distance and slowly, Raine returned to earth. She was lying uncomfortably in a hospital waiting room chair, her eyes fluttering lazily open to behold an elderly man in a white overcoat and a woman with her son across the room. The man held in his hand a clipboard and a pencil. The instant she realized who he was she jumped up in her seat.

“Zenith? Where is he? Is he going to be ok?” Worry filling every place in her heart, Raine’s eyes began to fill with tears once more.

The doctor’s somber eyes looked down on her with sympathy. “Follow me.” he said in a soft voice and helped her to her feet.

She was lead down a quiet, empty hallway. The only figure they met was a nurse. She looked at the doctor, who nodded sadly, then to Raine, giving her a solemn nod.

Raine’s mind was spinning. ‘Why did everyone look so sad? What was going on? Could it be...Zenith! It must be bad... Oh my...what have I done?’ Tears threatening to burst forth again, Raine was silent as she walked obediently along with the doctor.

Suddenly, they were before a door and the doctor let go of her arm. She looked at him questioningly and he spoke in a voice that was hardly above a whisper. “He asked for you.” Raine nodded slowly and gathered all the courage she could muster. Then, struggling to keep her composure, she held her breath and opened the door. The doctor smiled at her one more time then closed the door for her when she went in.

The room was slightly dim, curtains shading the natural sunlight from the open window. A bed was against one wall, a curtain draped across the edge, blocking it from her view. Raspy, hollow breathing echoed through the room and Raine’s courage wavered. Determined though, she walked to the curtain and opened it.

And there he was. The stubborn yet sweet guy that she had come to love was battered and beaten, lying helpless in a hospital bed. A bloody bandage was wrapped around his head and his mouth was open, struggling to grasp all of the breath it could.

Raine’s heart fell. Her world came crashing down as she moved closer to the bed. Slowly, his eyes opened. “Raine...” he gasped. “Raine...sit here. Beside me.” He said and she moved to the chair that was beside his bed.

Finally she was able to talk. “Zenith...Zenith I am so very sorry.”

“No. Stop.” He interrupted her feebly. “Please...let me speak.” Raine quieted down and listened more carefully then she ever had in her life. He swallowed hard and his eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry Raine...I...I didn’t know what I was thinking. I hate myself for what I have done. I should never have hit you so. I’m scared...Raine. Scared of never seeing your face again. I’ve come to love you so much...I don’t know how I’ll bear it.”

Raine reached for his closest hand and clutched it tightly. “Don’t be scared Zenith. I’ll be here with you until you go. I’m fine. I promise you.” With that she kissed every one of his five fingers, closing her eyes as tears began filling them once more. She sighed deeply. “I’m so sorry...” She said softly.

Her voice hadn’t been much more than a whisper, but Zenith had heard. “Hey.” He said, demanding her attention. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I reacted so harshly. I should never have struck you. You have nothing to be sorry for. It is I who must apologize.”

“But...if I hadn’t...then you wouldn’t have...I’m so sorry.” Raine’s face was grim with regret and dismay as a wave of guilt engulfed her. She began crying loudly, tears streaming down her face.

“Raine...Raine listen to me.” He said, almost yelling, and Raine quieted, her eyes looking deep into his. “It wasn’t your fault, ok? It was an accident. And a stupid one on my part.” He said. Lying back deeply into his pillow, he sighed. “Why did it have to be like this. Why, when I’ve finally got something to live for. I’ve hated life since I was little. And I was fine with it, but then...then you came along and showed me there was hope. Now, when I finally have you, why do I have to die? Why...” His voice trailed off and was replaced with heartbroken weeping.

“It’s alright Zenith...sh it’s ok. Everything is going to be fine.” Raine cooed, consoling him.

Suddenly, Zenith stopped and looked deep into her crystal blue eyes. “Promise me. Promise me you’ll never forget me. Promise.”

Raine smiled through a veil of tears. “I promise you, Zenith, that I will never forget you.”

“And promise me...” Zenith struggled. “Promise me that you’ll read the rest of that book.”

“But Zenith...”

“It’s not all bad. There is something near the end I want you to read.” Zenith said, then sighed deeply as his voice became even more hoarse. He clenched her hand tightly as a steady stream of tears ran down his cheek. “Promise me.”

Raine bent over and kissed him on the cheek. “I promise.”

“I love you Raine.”

“I love you too Zenith.”

~*~*~

Dear Zenith,

It’s been two years now, since you died. I still miss you so much. You will always be the one that fate has chosen for me, and I don’t care if that means I never have another love. It wouldn’t feel right if I did anyway. Because I couldn’t ever love anyone as much as I love you.

Many things have changed since you left. Surprisingly, our whole senior class showed up at your funeral. I think what I said may have gotten to them. I’ve never cried so much as I had that day. I still do cry for you...

I’m now going to college in Boston. I’m going to become a writer Zenith, just like I’ve always dreamed. I’m taking creative writing courses and literature. And guess what? I’m going to devote my first published book entirely to you. You deserve it. I wrote you a poem the other day. Wanna hear?

Missing You, Loving You

By Raine Wilder

For Zenith Strife, my one true love


I remember the first day I saw you.
Your handsome face,
Your silky hair,
Cried out to me.


I remember when we used to talk.
Your perfect mouth,
Perfect lips,
Singing to me with every word you spoke.


I remember when I fell in love with you.
At first it was faint,
And then it was there
Hitting me hard every moment we were together.


You’re unlike anyone I have ever met.
Your sensitivity,
Your kindness,
Shadowed by the shell you put up in defense from the world.


I remember...that day.
I broke your trust,
And your love.
I have never forgiven myself for that.


I remember what you looked like
So innocent,
So fragile,
Lying in that hospital bed.


I could never forget you, my love.
You’ve changed my life,
And now I’m alone,
Always missing and loving you.

Well there it is, it’s probably not the kind of poetry you like, but I had to express myself in some way...and ‘writing is one of the best tools of expression’, as Professor Morgan would say... I do remember you Zenith. Every word that you spoke to me is burned in my mind and will remain there for eternity. Thank you, for including me in your book. I can hardly wait until I am allowed to be with you again...in some other place...

I think I should go to bed now. Goodnight Zenith, I love you.

Love, Raine


~*~*~

Raine smiled through veiled tears as she reread the last words of her letter. Then, licking an envelope, she placed the letter inside, sealing it shut and kissing it once on the fold. Then she laid it down on a grave beside the many colorful flowers she had brought. She forced herself to stand up then look down at the head stone. “Goodbye Zenith, my love. I'll always miss you.” Then she left, walking quickly away, down the dirt path and out of the brightly lit cemetery.

Arriving at her downtown apartment in Boston, Raine hung up her coat. Something hung up in the hall caught her eye, as it always did, and she smiled as she read the poem she had found in the black book once more.

My Thornless Rose

By Zenith Strife


My world was cold
Bleak and dark.
My path in life leading nowhere,
But to death.


I stood in the midst of my world
Awaiting my fate
With impatience.


Suddenly,
A light shone behind me.
It’s brightness was foreign.
I shunned it.


But as it gleamed,
It transformed me,
Body and soul.


That light was you.
You brought new hope to my world.
You taught me there was more to life than just living,
And there was more to living than pain and anguish.

You graciously took my hand, and showed me love.
And for that I thank you,

My perfect

Thornless rose.



THE END