Requiem on Water [Book I]

Prologue

NOT EDITED

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req·ui·em 

n.

1. Requiem Roman Catholic Church
     a. A mass for a deceased person.
     b. A musical composition for such a mass.

2. A hymn, composition, or service for the dead.

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Requiem on Water [Book I]
Copyright © 2013 by Carla Meyer
All Rights Reserved

 

If something comes to life in others because of you, then you have made an approach to immortality.
-Norman Cousins 

 

Prologue

It was the first time in months that Alice had seen the sunshine. Everything was always so dark and sinister in her little bedroom, a place she was imprisoned to, just as her lively soul was trapped inside her fading body. She wasn't ready to die just yet. When she was thirteen, she was diagnosed with leukaemia, and even though they thought she would overcome the cancer because she was young, they had been wrong.

She looked at her reflection in the ocean's surface, and a lone tear ran down her cheek as her hand caressed her hairless skull. She was sixteen and obviously never been kissed by a boy before, but she was young, and she was in love with the idea of falling in love and growing old with someone beautiful. She dreamt about silly things, but even as ridiculous as those things may be to some, these were the things that Alice would never experience.

A sigh fled her lips as she stepped deeper into the ocean, loving the feeling of the sunshine on her skin. She slowly tilted herself backwards and found herself floating on the still waters.

It was soothing.

Her parents had no idea she had left the house, and she knew they were going to be infuriated, but Alice wasn't planning on seeing her parents again. She had left a note on her pillow, saying her goodbyes. She had stolen one of her father's cars and sped several hundred miles down toward the ocean. This was the only place Alice could imagine herself breathing her last breath.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, smiling as the pain slowly subsided. This was exactly what she needed. She didn't need to be locked up in her small hellhole of a bedroom all day and all night. She didn't need her mother crying around the corner every time she brought Alice her medication and meals. She didn't need her father working two jobs to pay for her medical bills, but mostly, Alice didn't need her parents forgetting about Abby, her ten-year-old little sister. She deserved her parents' love and devotion and Alice felt like she was stealing precious time away from her loved ones.

She splashed her arms and giggled softly as drops of water tickled her nose. She had never felt as at peace in her life as she did at that very moment. Silly things tend to make a silly, sick girl happy. She opened her eyes and looked up at the clouds, finding various images in the blue and white heavens. There were no grey clouds in the sky, and even though Alice didn't mind being caught in a thunderstorm, she enjoyed the moment she was caught in.

She was tired of fighting her demons, and all she longed for was rest. She wanted to live, more than any human being had ever wanted to live, but she didn't want to live the life she was forced to. She floated on the waters, and time stood still. She had no idea how long she'd been floating, but she didn't care.

She was at peace.

Her eyes opened when she felt strong arms cradle her in the waters, but she wasn't panicked as she thought she should be. She looked up into a pair of coal black eyes, which stared peculiarly and wretchedly down at her. She smiled up at the face, not caring about a thing in the world.

"Alice," he whispered, bringing her closer to his chest.

Her name rolled perfectly over his lips and she felt the slow beating of his heart against her palm. She was dazed and confused; she was frightened, but too at peace to let the trivial emotion spoil this moment. She had no idea who this man was, or where he had come from, but she felt a longing she had never felt before.

"I want to live," she whispered, closing her eyes and surrendering herself to the perfect blue waters and the strange man's soothing touch.

"Forever?" he asked. A trickle of light broke through the blackness of his infinite eyes. Alice let out a sigh and whispered, "yes". The man brought his mouth to her neck and first kissed it tenderly.

"Would you live with me, forever?"

"Yes," she whispered again, even though she didn't understand the strangeness of the situation. It must have been the medication or the cancer that was messing with her mind, but she didn't care. She had come here for peace, after all.

The man kissed her neck several times and slowly let his teeth break through her flesh. She let out a soft moan, but one of pleasure. He made her feel alive, and she wanted more, she wanted to know him.

"Close your eyes, sweet Alice."

She did as she was told and she felt herself drifting to peace. There was no pain or sorrow, no looking into her mother's eyes and seeing the torment the cancer had inflicted on her family. She was drifting through motions of nothingness and soon, all the painful memories, all of the actual pain, were gone. She opened her eyes and found herself lying in the arms of the stranger.

"You will live sweet Alice, always and forever," he whispered.

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