A Thousand Lies Could Never Hurt As Much As The Truth

She'll come back.. I know she will. She would never leave me here alone. She knows I need her.

I stared out into the sunset, trying my hardest to just sit and enjoy the oranges and reds of the sunset. I silently waited for her to come back, to be held in her arms once more and see that perfect smile of hers. Though no matter how hard I tried to drown it out, a small voice in the very back of my head softly whispered, "She ain’t coming back."

She will. I know she will.

The sunset looked more like fire, the effect of smoke enforced the look, making the sun turn a deep red color, like it was made of blood or something. I couldn't help but think that maybe it was made of blood of those who had perished in the flames.

If that fire hadn't started, I knew she would've been safe. I wouldn't be sitting here worrying about her. But she had insisted I leave, claiming it was safer for me.

It wasn’t safer for her though. She could be hurt... Or worse... No. She's coming back. I know she will. It's only a matter of time before she returns. Then everything will be good again.

A sudden scream broke me away from my thoughts. I turned to find a small child calling for their father to come back. A hope he was still alive. The poor thing, they shouldn't have to grow up with no father. With no family to care for them. Without a family, it's hard to adapt to the world. To survive it.

We as humans need to know someone is out there who loves us. Who'll willingly hold us in our arms when we need a hug. Who'll drag us when we can't go on. We need that special someone who will smile every time they see you, and will love you even when you feel like a disappointment.

That's why we are social creatures, we crave the attention and affection of one another. It helps keep us sane. That's why we stay in contact with our young, long after they leave us.

But what happens when you lose that one person? When you loose your shoulder to cry on when you need it most?

I had hoped to never find out. But as I watched the uncontrollable force in front of me devour the only life I ever knew in a matter of seconds. I was silently starting to wonder if that voice was right. That she was never coming back...

No. She's coming back.

I won't budge until she does or until I grow old and die. But I was silently hoping it wouldn't come to the second option. I wanted to keep the promises we made all those years. The promise to always be there for each other no matter how ugly things got.

It was supposed to be us against the world, Scarlett. You're not allowed to leave me now. Come back, please.

The commotion behind me grew louder as more people were dropped off into the supposedly safe zone. Most were the young children the adults had worked so hard to protect, the ones many sacrificed their lives to save. Their cries of fear and pain echoed through my skull, piecing my heart like daggers.

Slowly, I turned away from the fire and scanned the small group of survivors. Everyone had a black sediment that covered them. All were as lost as the last, looking around at the other survivors with fear filled eyes. Some were just completely frozen with shock that their friends had to drag them away. The children held onto anyone familiar like they were their life lines, many had their heads buried in their chests.

The adults all wore solemn looks, with tired eyes. Many hadn't slept well, not even I did. The neighbors animals wouldn't keep it down. And even though Scarlett had slept like a rock, like she normally does. But I struggled.

It was only clear why they were acting strange when the smell of smoke hit my nose. As soon as I did I woke her up. We had run around our house, grabbing what very few important things we had in the house before running out, avoiding the flames as we ran out.

The streets had been filled with chaos, people running around, rounding up the children that now stood behind me. Some were looking desperately for their partners while others fought to try to contain the fire, which was a miserable attempt. Animals had broken free from their pens and pastures. Most of them formed a stampede, trampling anything in their way. There were a few people who weren't able to move out of the way of the stampede and were trampled.

I wonder if their families know of their fate... Or were they waiting for them. Watching the minutes tick by, watching as the flames slowly burned themselves out. Thinking that they'll show up, but, they never will. Just like Scarlett.

No. She'll come. She always does. She knows I need her. That I can't go on without her. That's why she'd never leave me.

But she did, didn't she?

But she was helping someone who needed her. I knew that. I mean, if it weren’t for her, they'd be dead. And there were already far too many who had lost their lives. She was the reason they were alive. She was their hero. Just like she was my hero. Not just a hero, she was my life. My hope, my fears, everything that made me who I was. Without her, I am nothing.

I need you, love... And I'm not leaving until you come back... Okay?

I listened to the cries of the survivors for a few more minutes before standing up. I quickly walked away from everyone, but I didn't get far before I was being yelled at.

"Where do you think you're going, Cyrus?"

I looked over back at the woman yelling at me. She was one of those gossipers, I knew that just by the way she looked. I wasn't gonna deal with her.

"I'm going to wait for my wife if you must know..." I called back, turning my back to her again.

"You're not going in after her are you?" She asked.

I thought for a long moment, "No."

Not yet at least.

"Stay where we can see you, we don't need to lose any more people than we already have."

I rolled my eyes, but reluctantly listened to her, going only a little further away from the other survivors before settling down under a tree. I sat there for a long moment, drawing a candle in the dirt. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the flames so I eventually just gave up and stared out to the sky.

Soft footsteps approached me a couple minutes later, making my heart flutter with hope. Then a soft voice asked a simple question that quickly diminished my hopes: "Is that you, dad?"

I shook my head, refusing to look at the kid, "Wrong person kid..." I muttered.

I waited for them to leave, but they didn't. Instead they sat down beside me, "Why are you here?" They asked softly.

"I'm waiting for my love to come back." I replied softly. "And I won't leave till I see her again."

The kid looked up at me, "Can I wait with you?"

I looked down at them, "Why?"

"Me and you are both waiting for someone," they replied, "maybe if we wait together, it'll be less lonely."

I smiled slightly, "Sure, you can wait with me."

***

The wind whispered through the once lively forest, bringing a sorrowful mood to the land. Almost as if it was mourning with me. But was it really mourning? I mean, it took so much from me so cruelly.

I shook my head and sat down on the edge that once had looked out to a great city. Though I had been far too young to remember much, I do remember that faithful night where smoke and death devoured it. Where I met Cyrus.

I looked over at the stone beside me, "I'm sorry Scarlett never came..." I whispered, running a finger a long the engraved name, "but I'm sure you two are having the best reunion of your lives... Or deaths I guess..."