Heaven's Not Enough - Salune Short Story

April 30, 2017 Unknown 0 Comments


Heaven’s not enough…if when you get there it’s just another blue…and heaven’s not enough…you think you’ve found it and it loses you….’

   In the dim morning hours, just before dawn, nothing could be heard resonating from the white marble shrine that sat upon the hill, overlooking the ruins of the once grand elven city. Lush green grass moved with the cool wind, and the delicate green tendrils of the over hanging willow trees brushed the marble pillars of the building softly. There it stood, cold, open, and empty, awaiting someone to come. To fix it, to love it as everyone once had. In the distance, the ruins of buildings, markets, and temples could be seen in the softly growing sunlight. Untouched for hundreds of years, they were covered in ivy, and soiled, but the brilliance of what once was could still be seen shining through.

    The dense forest next to the ruins harbored the regular criminals, birds of paradise, rabbits, deer, falcons, and the occasional magical creature as well. Unicorns, fairies, and griffins were just a few of the creatures inhabiting that forest. Phoenix could often be seen flying over the ruins, and the few who were still residing within miles from the old city knew why it attracted such supernatural creatures. For in the fight to protect the shrine's greatest treasure, all the magic of the elves that once lived there was used to overcome the invaders. The noble elves had made one last, great stand at the shrine, and it was there that everyone died. Man, woman, child, all had used their very beings to defeat the invaders, and it is here, at this shrine, that our story begins, and ends.

    ‘You’ve thought of all there is…but it’s not enough…and it loses you in a cloud…There most everything is nothing…that it seems…Where you see the things you only want to see…’

    Silver. Soft, warm, and mournful. Silver tears met the ivy strewn marble floor, falling from the heartbroken eyes of an elven maiden. There she was, in what must have been the most beautiful room of the old shrine before it was abandoned, hovering over her last hope. Warm sunlight broke through the cracks in the ceiling, and landed on her ivory skin, causing her to shiver slightly. With the new warm sensation, and with grief. For there, staring up at her, from the flat of his back, was an elven male, his dark amethyst eyes locked on her face.

    “You know…”he muttered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, “You’re so beautiful…when you cry…” She stifled a cry of anguish, and felt her bottom lip begin to quiver, as more tears brimmed her eyes.

    Wincing, the ebony haired youth lifted his hand, and wiped them away, smiling.

     “Vincent…” the maiden whimpered, warm tears falling down her pale cheeks, and landing on the white marble floor.

    “No need to even tell me I’ll be ok…” He winced, and smiled again softly, “You and I both know…that…that…”

    Slowly, she scooted herself around, and with gentle movements, placed his head in her lap. “I…I just don’t understand why…it had to be you….” She murmured, feeling tears begin to brim once again and began to delicately run a slender hand through his hair.

     He groaned quietly, and still smiled, as he looked again into her eyes, “Remember…when we first met? At the lunar festival, in Mourir?” She smiled affectionately, and nodded.

    “You were watching me…while I was performing the dance of great light…” lifting her gaze from Vincent, the youth looked out the cracked window frame, and watched as a phoenix flew over the forest beyond.

    ‘I’d fly away…to a higher plain…to say words I resist…to float away…to sigh…to breath…forget…And heaven’s not enough…If when I’m there I don’t remember you…and heaven does enough…you think you know it…and it uses you…’

    His voice brought her back, and she wiped a few more tears away. “You were so enticing…swaying, and moving with the music like you were…”

    Smiling, the youth recalled the same night, “You were hiding behind the statue in the main garden, and those violet eyes of yours never left me. I could feel them the whole time…”

Vincient began to laugh, but in mere moments, it turned into a hacking, horrible cough. When all was said and done, the maiden had to wipe the crimson from his lips.

    “Y-You were wearing a silver dress…” he muttered softly, remembering, “The way the light bounced off it…and onto your beautiful face…I was in love the moment I saw you.”

    She forced a smile. Lifting a hand, the elven male took a soft curl of her silver stained indigo tresses, and began to twirl it around his finger, carefully.

    ‘I saw so many things…but like a dream…always losing me…in a cloud…’

    “Salune…” she looked up at her name being mentioned, and saw his eyes begin to droop, “I want you to remember me…ok? I-I love you….I…lo…”

    His eyes were almost shut, and the elf began to panic. “No…Vincent …stay with me…” she moved again, after laying his head on the marble with care, and hovered over him, tears falling down her face. “Vincent….Vincent! No! Wake up! I love you…you can’t leave me…you just can’t leave me!”

    ‘Cause I couldn’t cry…cause I turned away…couldn’t see the score…didn’t know the pain…of leaving everything really far behind…in another life…in another dream…by a different name…’

    His violet eyes were shut, and a soft smile still played across his lips, but he was gone. Feeling grief like no other, she only prayed a quiet prayer for his departed soul, before grabbing a fistful of his black shirt, and placing her head on his chest, weeping horribly. “It was all my fault…”

    ‘Gave it all away…for a memory…and a quiet lie…and I felt the face of a cold tonight…still don’t know the score…but I know the pain…of leaving everything really far behind… and if I could cry…and if I could live what truth I did then take me there…’

    Sniffing, and looking through tear brimmed eyes; Salune gazed at the serene face of her beloved. His ebony hair was a bit disheveled, and his normally tan skin was beginning to pale. Shaking, she leaned over him, and softly let her warm lips caress his. “I love you…I always will….” Slowly, she laid herself next to him, and placed her head on his chest.

‘Heaven Good-bye’

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Words: 1078
Characters: 5058

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