Seven Years Later

Written for:

"The Writer's Cramp"  13+: Write the best poem or story in 24 hours or less and win 10K GPS!

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That noise, that haunting noise, it was forever there, it wouldn’t go away. Jessica rolled over and placed a hand on the bed beside her. She couldn’t get the noise out of her head. Her fiancé’s snores stayed with her long after his death. They were light enough not to keep one awake but loud enough to let you drift off to sleep. It had been almost seven years since his death, Jessica knew that she should move on but something kept her from doing so.

Five times she had brought home a new boyfriend, the first time they had been to her house. The lounge room was fine, but when they hit the bedroom the man she held onto would freeze, his face glued to the spot where Jason would have lain. Their faces paled further when the soft snoring began. Jessica knew what was coming next. His body seemed to go limp and stiff all at the same time.

They would step backwards through the door, stumble as though something caught their foot and tumble to the floor, their eyes still glued to the bed. They would splutter and choke on their words as they pointed. The only words that escaped their lips were: “Who” and “How”. Jessica could only shake her head as she watched them gain control over their motor functions. The man would scramble to his feet and turn, running towards the door.

Tonight was such a night. The snoring always seemed that much louder after an event such as this. She stroked the pillow, her mind asking the question to why they all took off for the millionth time. “Why won’t you let me be happy again Jason?” she whispered to the noise beside her, like usual, the snoring seemed to hesitate as she said these words. Squeezing her eyes closed she felt the tears form in her eyes.

“I love you Jason, but it’s been seven years, I will never forget you, please don’t let me be alone, I don’t want to die alone. Why did you have to die?” the ranting spilled from her mouth as she turned away from the noise beside her. She could feel the warmth across her body as though Jason were still there and he had placed his arm around her.

“The one for you will come again soon…” Jessica jumped, startled by the voice whispered in her ear, she rolled back over and stared at the pillow. She shook her head, telling herself that she had imagined it; she had imagined Jason’s voice whispering to her.

The snoring had started again, soft and steady as before, like always, like seven years ago when Jason slept by her side. Jessica sighed happily, slipping into a deep, pleasant sleep, a sleep that she hadn’t had in a while. She could still feel him beside her, the soft snoring, helping her, soothing her.