Untitled Episode21
889 Words
The silent light of dawn seemed to spread with a strange emptiness all around. A light curtain of fog all around, a kind of cold breath in the air.
The atmosphere was filled with a deep sense of sadness. In the midst of this silence, Robert stood beside Sophia's grave, as if time had stopped for him.
Stephen stood there for a long time, his eyes fixed on the small mound of earth beneath which lay the most beloved girl in his life, sleeping eternally.
He slowly placed the bouquet of white flowers he was holding on the grave. The white flowers seemed to symbolize the thousands of words he had left unsaid.
A silent language of purity, love and imperfection.
His eyes were tired, deeply saddened. There was a strange emptiness in those eyes, as if all emotion, all color, all light had been wiped from his life in an instant.
Stephen slowly knelt down beside the grave. He touched the ground with trembling hands, as if trying to touch Sophia one last time.
His lips were trembling. After a long silence, he whispered very softly,
“I’m sorry, Sophia… I couldn’t save you.”
These words seemed to come from deep within his chest.
Every word carried a trace of guilt, helplessness, and an infinite pain. Her throat was tightening, and tears were silently rolling down the corners of her eyes. She was trying to hold back her tears, but her efforts seemed to be failing again and again.
After a while, he slowly stood up. He didn't even look back. Maybe he knew that if he looked back once, he wouldn't be able to control himself anymore. So he held on tightly to everything inside him and walked out of the cemetery.
His long coat swayed lightly in the cold morning wind. The fog was gradually thickening around him, as if nature was trying to hide him. As he stood by the side of the road, an old bus pulled up. The sound of the bus was heavy, as if it too was tired.
Stephen got on the bus without saying a word. He sat by the window and looked out. The cemetery, the city, and the memories slowly disappeared behind the fog.
Which were inextricably linked to his life. The bus moved slowly forward, and after a while everything disappeared.
He silently returned to his village. A place where maybe he could find some peace, or at least be alone with his pain.
As if the world was still asleep. James walked quickly towards the old cemetery. After a while, he arrived in front of St. Mary's Cemetery.
The large iron gate was half open. The gate bore the marks of time, the old paint had peeled off, and there was rust in places.
As he entered, he felt as if he had stepped into another world.
Rows of old graves, wet soil, scattered dry leaves. A strange silence spreads all around. The air smells cold, and the silence seems even heavier.
His heart began to pound. He slowly moved inside. Suddenly, he saw a grave in the distance, where the soil had just been poured. The soil was still wet, with light marks on it.
There was no one around. James slowly walked towards the grave. Each step seemed to be heavier for him. The pain in his chest seemed to be getting more intense. When he reached the grave, he stopped.
A bouquet of white flowers is placed. And in front of it is a small white stone plaque. His eyes slowly stopped on the plaque.
It says...
“Sophia”
This one word shattered his world.
He couldn't hold himself back any longer.
Suddenly he knelt down in front of the grave. He clutched the wet earth with both hands and cried out in pain...
“Sophia…! Why did you leave me like this?”
Her tears mixed with the ground. Only the cold wind was blowing around, the soft sound of dry leaves could be heard.
The morning mist had cleared, but the sun had not yet fully risen. Birds were chirping in the distance. But even that sound seemed to be drowned out by this grief. James sat there for a long time.
Every memory of Sophia began to flood his mind......her smile, the look in her eyes, the warmth of her voice. It was as if everything came back together and hurt him even more.
But in the midst of that grief, another feeling slowly woke up. One question, a doubt. Who is Sophia's guardian.
This word made a strange shadow in his mind. He slowly raised his head. There are still tears in the eyes, but there is now a new fire in those eyes.
“Why didn’t Sophia tell me about her? Why did she suddenly come and take everything?”
These questions created a new restlessness within her. Slowly she stood up.
The silence around him, the gray sky, the cold wind, everything seemed to give him a strange strength.
He looked at the grave for the last time.
Tears welled up in his eyes, but a firm resolve was born inside.
For Sophia… for the truth… he would not leave this path.
Then he slowly left the cemetery and began to walk towards the city.
- Writer
