Rain and ash filled the air. Everything else had vanished.
I can't remember when I stopped running. Perhaps when my legs failed me, or when the sound of burning wood behind me was eventually absorbed by the forest. Above, the sky was low, gray, and pressed close to the ground.
In the dirt, I fell to my knees. I had trembling hands. I couldn't stop breathing smoke, even though it hurt my throat. Each breath was sharp and pointless.
He was gone.
To hear how it sounded in the air, I said it aloud just once. Before it could reach the trees, the word broke.
Nothing was here, no wind, no birds. The only distant sound was the gentle hiss of cooling ash.
I pressed my palm against my chest like that could hold everything inside. It didn’t. It just made it hurt more.
His voice still echoed in
