4/6/12

An Unknown Kiss of Death
By Vernicia Nee-Cee Rogers


A darkened figure hovered around him and though he knew what was to come, much love still flowed out from within him. He knew what was coming but refused to spoil the evening, he refused the opportunity to want to live again. The night so still and young we trailed along the secluded beach as the light of the moon and stars gazed down upon us like a painting of beauty divine, worth more than gold and diamonds. The sea so calmly swept back and forth across the shore gently washing away the color of his feet as he walked so joyfully ahead of me. I slowly glided behind as my feet were so comforted by the evening sands.

Watching him, starring even, at what seemed like a happy child, with only me unknowing the close proximity of the night’s surprise I knew I had finally found my night. We ran around arm in arm from shore to sea, until he so closely pulled me to him as if he had not seen me in a long number of years."It's time," he said, for what I did not know, nor could I bring myself to ask. For the way he had said those words, it was in a voice of broken hopes. It was as though a silver bullet of fear was shot right through my soul....I was terrified! I guess he noticed, for when I tried to speak, he sweetly stopped me pressing his cold finger up against my quivering lips.

Then there we were, standing in the sea as cold as ice, yet so warm as he hugged me so tightly while tears of hurt, fear and confusion raced down my face. As he released me from his muscular arms, I held his hand as smooth as silk yet, it felt so much colder than the surrounding sea; as if his body had always known what was to come. He then let go of my hand only to hold my face.

He said, "I love you, and no matter what that won't change, even when I'm gone." His words piercing my heart only seemed to force more tears of pain down my face long as the river Nile. Tears I'm sure ran straight into the sea.

I tried to speak again, hoping he would explain exactly what was happening; Yet again, he gently placed his finger upon my lips and then held my face, softly pulling me towards him until from far ashore we seemed as one."I love you and that's all there is” he said. For the first time all night we shared the same emotion of pain in our eyes. How could we not...our world of love, happiness, and unity was being torn apart! I tried to pull free of him yet again but he still held me so tightly. Then he looked at his watch to check the time. "It’s twelve," he said. Why the time mattered baffled me. He took off the watch and read an inscription on the back of the watch. It said:

"A darkened heart, never to see the light of love again, you my angel saved me. My love for you is forever. So when you see the sun set and the stars glisten, think of you and me, think of our love eternal, never forget me...I love you!" He then placed his watch in my palm, closed it, and brushed his fingers across the side of my face, wiping away my tears one last time before he kissed me a kiss so passionately, so intense and so painful, until I suddenly felt free; Only to open my eyes and witness my love vanishing before me. Now standing so lonely in the sea my love no longer stood before me. I mourned long and hard tears that were no longer distinctive from the sea beneath me. I mourned over the memory of our last kiss...I mourned over his death! My true loves soul shall forever live within me.


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Vernicia Rogers is an English Creative Writing Major at Seton Hill University, with an aspiration of attending law school. She is originally from the Virgin Islands and has published a poetry chapbook titled Poetically Musical. She was also part of a student publication of the Creative Non-Fiction course novel titled Revelations in Progress. She enjoys writing and seeing how creative she can get.