She said yes.

She said yes.

Not exactly said it, but nodded her head from across the room in affirmation.

I brushed off a tear, as I took out an old engraved case from the drawer in my desk. It had been my father's, and his father's before that. My hands traced the wooden carving on the top of the case, intricate yet subtle, work of an artist long forgotten. The levers creaked as I pulled back the lid, revealing what lay inside. Exhaling deeply, I picked the object inside. I had the habit of keeping it ready for emergencies, but not once had it entered my mind that I would have to use it.

Once again I looked at her, standing there, across the room, in her favorite pink dress, one I had given her on her tenth birthday. She once had told me that this was her favorite dress, and she would wear it almost every day after school. The color had almost faded now, and the ribbon almost frayed at the end, but still, now it seemed that it was radiating some kind of glow.

"I love you," I said, my voice slowly cracking.

She just smiled back.

It was this smile that had captivated me over all this years. I would jump and dance around just to have her smile. She had her mother's eyes, big brown eyes that would light up whenever she saw me. Ever since her mother had died, it was as if she had forgotten how to smile. It was on rare occasion that she would tilt her head, and give a little smile, her eyes twitching on the corners.

A tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

Even before, I just couldn't see her cry. Every time those beautiful eyes watered up, I would do anything just to have her happy. I once had painted my entire face with black paint and made faces at her all day long until she smiled.

"Don't worry baby, Daddy's coming," I said, unable to stop the tears that were now falling down my cheeks.

I slowly brought the gun to my temple, and closed my eyes. Just before my eyes closed, I saw her disappear slowly, as if smoke was being swept away by a draft of wind. I pulled the trigger and a strong white light flashed in the front of my eyes, and then there was nothing.

Old Chest

The light bounces off an old chest in the corner,

A thick film of dust adorns it, sparkling in the sun,

Outlines of the once beautiful craving dot the top,

And all but one of the handles remains on the side.

Years of neglect has turned this treasure trove so,

But today this would reveal its contents,

As this hand shall dust off the years from this chest.

The cloth quickly turns brown from white,

Nothing that a flick of the hand can’t cure,

Slowly but steadily the grime dirt starts to come off,

Thus showing the intricate cuts beneath.

Inside it are the remains of the world that was.

Little pieces of history that have a story to tell.

The smell of once crisp pages overpowers me,

Rendering me oblivious to the world that surrounds this body.

I can sense the hands that once flowed over these pages,

Firm yet gentle, determined yet unsure,

The ink has faded but still the story lingers,

Of lost dreams, and the unknown future,

Of deep thoughts, and deeper feelings.

As I read them, I get to know why they were hidden away,

Locked away from the world in the corner,

The truth is not for me to uncover,

Digging up old skeletons would lead only to more pain,

So, I put them back, for someone else to make the decision.