She sat beside him, 'Will you never forget?' He looked at her trying to find what she was looking for. Her hands clenched tightly, face downcast. She hid her eyes with locks of hair, lips set in a thin line. They parted, 'Will you never forget your childhood home?' He looked at her, trying to reach out, knowing he could not. Her shoulders slouched, her dark hair streaked with grey.
'Will you never forget those who love you?' Her voice shook, soft and angry. 'Will you never forget the good times?' Tears fell, life zooming past him. Sighing as the wind blew her hair out of her face. Her eyes were swollen, mere shadows of what they used to be. Wrinkles covered her face, a terrible scar running down the left side. 'Will you never forget how hard we fought?' Tears flooded and threatened to spill. She held them off, keeping them locked in check. Her chin trembled, body wracked in soundless sobs.
'Will you remember all those you were taken from?' He wanted to nod his head, say something to let her know yes. He couldn't, all he could only sit and watch her break. Watch her wait for an answer to a question she would never get. 'Will you never forget the love we shared?' He wanted to scream yes, yes he'd remember! She stood on shaky legs, unsteady, frail. She had aged, while he had stayed forever young at 18. Though she had aged she was still beautiful to him. Time couldn't hide that; memories and love devoured the time that had passed.
He reached out a shaky hand, stopping short. One tear escape and fell to the dew covered grass. 'Will you remember the good and the bad? For no good comes without the bad!' A bitter smile graced his lips; he could feel her heartbreak and pain. It was as if it was his own, he blinked back his own tears. One lone tear ran down his pale cheek, parallel to hers. Her eyes traveled the polished rock, trapped in conflict. Beside another headstone, his name was carved. On it was written his date of birth and death. She had memorized the inscription, 'the one boy who grew up to soon. The loss of him will never be forgotten.'
He couldn't comfort her, he was the dead. 'There are no winners in war, in the end both sides lose.' She bit her lip, forcing herself not to scream. Scream at him for leaving her, scream at herself for being to prideful, for turning her back on him. Scream at the heavens for taking him from her. She didn't want to die, but would gladly exchange hers for his. It wasn't fair, but war never was. People cried because they had lost their hero, their idol.
Not her, no not her. She had cried for the loss of a friend, a love, she cried for the little boy who had grown up much to fast. For a boy who had given his life, his all to be so easily forgotten. 'Will you remember those who never asked anything of you?' He nodded his head, a silent answer he hoped she knew. 'Are you happy with your parents?' Yes, no! He wanted to tell her that he missed her. He pushed all his energy forward, wrapping it around her in a gentle caress. 'I'm sorry.' It was faint, she wouldn't have heard it if her ears hadn't been strained.
She shook her head, 'no, I'm sorry.' She indeed as sorry for his loss of innocence, for his sacrifice that was so easily forgotten. From her pocket she with drew an old heart shaped locket. On it was in scripted, 'a love for eternity.' When she opened it, there was a picture of her and of him. They had been so happy back then, before things had taken a tragic turn for the worst. Placing it on the stone, she sighed. She gently placed a kiss on the cold rock; an odd contrast to the warmth his lips used to bring. With one last glance she turned her back and walked away. He watched her leave, crying silently for what he could never give her.