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Gasping breaths in overwhelming darkness. The young woman could see nothing in the terrible blackness around her, could feel nothing but the cold slab of stone under her seemingly lifeless body. She attempted to rise from her prone position, but found she could move no part of her body. Only her eyes could open and close, move from side to side. The sickly smell of decaying bodies filled her lungs. With difficulty, she parted her cold lips, but no sound came forth. The woman slammed her eyes closed, only to have them spring open again at a faint sound somewhere in the darkness.
A scratching sound, as if tiny claws were scraping on stone. As Juliet felt the claws on her immobile body, she remembered where she was. The crypt. The rat crept up her leg, pausing at her knee to chew on her skirt. Juliet tried to scream, but still no sound came from her cold lips. The rat continued it’s journey across Juliet’s body, and another sound came from deep in the crypt. Juliet tried not to think of her dead family members lying on identical stone slabs nearby, but soon she was feeling their skeletal fingers caressing her comatose limbs. The rat was at her stomach now.
Another sound came echoing from the darkness around Juliet, closer this time, reminding her of spectral beings she had seen in her dreams. Tears ran from Juliet’s eyes, down the sides of her frozen cheeks, to rest in her ears. The rat stopped its journey on her left breast, tearing through the thin fabric of her burial gown to gnaw on her soft, cold flesh. Juliet gasped at the pain, this time a faint moan escaping her frozen lips.
The sounds in the crypt grew louder, and turned to footsteps. Soon, a glow illuminated the tomb around her, and the skeletal caresses left her body. The rat, afraid of the light it rarely saw, fled from her body to another, in a darker corner. In the faint light, Juliet let her eyes wander around the crypt, finally resting on Tybalt, whose decaying body lay near hers. Juliet quickly closed her eyes so as not to remember the sight, but it was burned onto her eyelids already. More tears escaped her, and she wished she really would die.
The footsteps entered the room she was in, and the light shone brightly, demanding she open her eyes. Juliet refused. Something caressed her cheek, and she thought for a moment the rat had returned for another taste of her until she realized she was feeling fingertips on her face. Finally, her eyes sprang open, to gaze into the face of her lover. He was touching her face, but could not bring himself to look at her lifeless body. His hand left her cheek, and reached into his pocket, removing a small vial of colorless liquid. He uncorked the vial and raised it to his lips, ready to join Juliet’s side.
“Romeo…” the word barely made it past Juliet’s lips, but it was enough.
Romeo stopped with the liquid half in his mouth, quickly spitting it on the floor of the crypt as he saw Juliet’s open eyes and realized she was alive. He threw himself atop her and wept at her neck, pausing to kiss her warming lips every other second.
“Juliet, oh my love, I thought you dead! How can this be?”
Juliet tried to respond, but no more sound escaped her lips. She could but blink the tears from her eyes.
Suddenly, more sound echoed throughout the crypt. Voices this time, two or three of them. Juliet’s fear shone through her eyes, and she could see Romeo feared the same as her. If they were found out, they would both be killed. Though he was afraid, Romeo reassured his love with confidence in his voice.
“I will take you away Juliet, somewhere they will never find us. We can be together, make a new start, and be happy as we could not be here.”
As gently as he could Romeo lifted Juliet’s lifeless body from the slab she lay on. To him, her slight body weighed no more than a child’s would. The warmth of his body flowed through her, his heartbeat was a steady thud against her cold chest. Juliet managed a smile as he swiftly carried her from the terrible crypt.
Romeo doubted the people at the mouth of the crypt had missed the signs of him being inside, but he knew no other exit existed. As soon as he was close enough to understand the words the voices were forming, Romeo broke into a run. The two men conversing at the mouth of the crypt froze with astonishment as Romeo came barreling past them with the dead Juliet in his arms. Before they could lay hands on him, the two had disappeared into the woods surrounding the small cemetery.

* * *

It had been two days, and they were still in the woods. Juliet still could not walk, and barely spoke. Romeo had been forced to steal into the city after the first night to bring back food and blankets for Juliet. They fell asleep on the wet ground, and though Juliet’s lips were blue from cold when she awoke, she smiled at Romeo over their meager breakfast.
Romeo tired quickly of carrying Juliet that day. She grew no heavier, but he grew weaker. He knew he should eat more to keep up his strength, but he gave most of his portions to Juliet, but she grew thinner every day. Finally, he was forced to lay her on the ground as he fashioned a sled out of their blankets. Even with Juliet on the sled, it slid easily over the matted leaves of the forest floor.
That night while Juliet was sleeping, Romeo watched her with concern. Her flesh was cold to the touch, but her face was flushed, and her breathing heavy. He feared the potion Friar Laurence had given Juliet was really killing her. He watched the top half of her body toss and turn all night - she still could not move her legs. Just as dawn began to strangle the last whips of night with smoky fingers, Romeo left their bed.
Dressing quickly and quietly, Romeo made ready to leave their camp. He moved food, water, and extra blankets close to Juliet, then kissed her burning forehead and silently walked away from her. He could go faster without the burden of her small weight, and he must be quick to return before nightfall. He went in search of the Friar, and a magic potion to return his Juliet to her former vibrant self.

* * *

“Romeo?”
Juliet awoke shortly after Romeo had disappeared into the forest. When he was nowhere to be seen, Juliet panicked, thinking he had abandoned her. Thinking she was stranded helpless and alone out in the forest, Juliet began to weep, but was forced to stop when the heaving of her chest sent searing pain throughout her upper body. Gently, she removed the torn cloth from the left side of her chest, and examined what she had managed to hide from Romeo.
Though the rat in the crypt had only chewed on her fair skin for less than a minute, its sharp teeth had done severe damage. The skin of her left breast was nearly shredded, and though it had stopped bleeding, the flesh was bright red and inflamed. The wound was hot to the touch and seeped yellow puss. Juliet knew a terrible infection lay within her body.

* * *

Meanwhile, Romeo was nearing the town they had once lived in. Even though it was still early, many people walked the streets, and it was difficult to reach the church without being seen. When he managed it, Romeo went immediately to the Friar’s cell, and waited for the man to return.
Romeo was waiting only a few moments when the Friar opened the door to his cell, starting when he saw Romeo pacing the small room.
“Friar! Hurry, she’s dying! Give me the antidote, give me anything you can, but please hurry.” Romeo was near hysterical as he cried to the Friar, even shaking the man to get his attention.
Friar Laurence knew Romeo had stolen Juliet from the tomb, but figured they would be long gone by now. He tried to calm Romeo as he prayed the boy had not been seen as he walked through the city.
“My boy, do not worry yourself. Be calm. Here, sit upon my bed, have a little wine to calm yourself.”
Romeo gulped the wine offered him, and began to calm down, sitting on the Friar’s bed. Slowly, almost as if in a dream, Romeo began recounting the tale of the past three days. When he finished, the Friar gulped some wine himself.
“It is understandable that she cannot walk. The side effects of the elixir I gave her are extreme. But her flesh should not be cold, her face should not be flushed. It almost sounds as if she were ill, but she was a fine healthy girl last I saw her.”
Romeo just watched the Friar with hopeful eyes, almost childlike, so he went on.
“I can make an antidote to the potion, and perhaps a mixture of medicines to recover her vitality. But it will take me three days, even if I begin now. You will have to stay here until then, it is too dangerous to venture out again until you absolutely have to. Now, do not worry about your Juliet, she is a strong girl, she will survive on the food and water you left her for three more days. Until then, you must stay hidden away, here in my chamber.”
Before Romeo could respond, the Friar had disappeared out the door. Romeo dared not follow him, and could only sit upon the bed, feeling helpless as a newborn. Eventually he collapsed into a dreamless sleep, not to wake until the next morning.

* * *

Three short days seemed three long years to Romeo. Finally, on the third morning, the potions were finished. Romeo wished to leave immediately, but the Friar would not hear of it.
“Listen to me, boy. I will not permit you to leave my cell until the dead of night, and even then we must disguise you. No one must know it is you, or else we will both be imprisoned, and Juliet will surely die. Just wait, and as soon as night falls, I shall take you to my workshop, where you will receive your potions and be on your way.”
Romeo had no choice but to wait. He had never passed a longer day. Finally, just as it seemed night would never fall, dusk gathered like forlorn shadows along the streets, and the Friar returned to his cell. He handed Romeo a long cloak to hide himself in, and led him to a part of the church the boy had never seen.
Down a spiral staircase and through a maze of catacombs, the two rushed until they reached a heavy wooden door. The Friar led Romeo into the small room beyond, where he secretly kept what others would call witchcraft. It was here that for the past three days he had been nursing a fragile potion to save Juliet. He carefully poured it into a small glass vial and labeled it.
While Friar Laurence’s back was turned to Romeo, the boy’s eyes wandered to a nearby shelf. He felt his sight tugged in the direction of a cluster of vials labeled with a crude drawing of a skull, and knew these would kill a man. Without the notice of the Friar, Romeo concealed one of these vials in his pocket, thinking if the other potions did not work, he could end Juliet’s suffering another way.
Friar Laurence turned to see tears streaming down Romeo’s face, and took pity on the boy.
“Do not weep, child. This vial will restore your love’s strength. She will be able to walk within hours of drinking this. And this one will restore her health. Now, take these two vials, wrap yourself in dark shadows, and make haste to Juliet. I hope to never see either of you again.”
On hearing these last words from the Friar, Romeo ran from the small chamber under the church, never looking back. The sky was darkened by clouds threatening rain, and Romeo had no trouble making it out of the city unseen.
Romeo plummeted through the forest until he neared the place he had left Juliet. There, he slowed in order not to alarm Juliet at the sounds of his heavy breathing and crashing through trees. He had nothing to fear, it seemed, for Juliet was sleeping in the same place he had left her. The food was gone, and little water remained, but Romeo cared nothing for food and water now. Only Juliet mattered, and soon she would be well enough for them to begin their new life.
As Romeo neared Juliet’s sleeping form, and rushed to her side when he heard her moan. Though it was dark, he could still see how pale her face was, and he could feel how the heat radiated from her skin. She was no longer cold, but alarmingly hot.
“Juliet! Juliet, my love, please wake. Please, open your eyes,” Romeo begged.
At the sound of Romeo’s voice, Juliet’s eyes sprang open. At first she thought she was dreaming, but the pain in her chest negated that.
“Romeo! I thought you would never return!” Her voice was no longer strong, but as weak as the mewing of a kitten. Juliet gasped in the pain speaking caused her, and reflexively placed her hand over her chest.
Romeo noticed this, and attempted to move Juliet’s hand. She half-heartedly swatted his hand away, but was so weak he barely felt her hand on his. At first he could see nothing, but as the clouds cleared away from the bright moon, he gasped. He had never seen anything as gruesome as the wound in Juliet’s chest.
Torn flesh was all that was left of Juliet’s once beautiful breast. The remaining skin was so swollen it had split in some places. Puss and blood streamed from the wound. Romeo could think of nothing that would help alleviate her pain, he could only cradle her small body close to his as she whimpered into his chest. Then he remembered the vials.
“Love, drink this, it will heal you,” Romeo whispered, uncorking the medicine vial.
Her reply chilled him to the bone.
“It is too late for me. I can feel my body dying,” Juliet stopped, gasping for each painful breath, and continued. “I am only glad you did not abandon me as I thought. Please, just hold me close as you were, I do not want to move any more. Please, stay close to me. Do not leave me again.”
“I will never leave you again,” Romeo said as he hugged Juliet’s burning body close to his.
Romeo rocked her until she quieted and her breathing grew softer. Soon, Juliet’s breathing quieted all together, and Romeo knew she was dead. He gently laid her body on the bed he had left her in three days before, and arranged her in the position she liked best to sleep in. He covered her with a blanket, and she looked so peaceful he could not weep for her. his breath slowed more and more. Soon the two young lovers lay dead in each others’ arms, and it began to rain.

“I will never leave you again,” he repeated, hoping some part of her could still hear him.
Romeo took the vial he had stolen from his pocket, and laid down next to Juliet. He wrapped his arms around her body and kissed her cooling lips one last time. Romeo drank the poison in one gulp, and soon grew tired. His eyes closed willingly, he pressed his lips to Juliet’s forehead, and smiled as it began to rain.