Reach (standard:horror, 1592 words)
Author: Chris R.	Added: Jan 19 2001	Views/Reads: 3727/2283	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
dark story about loss and the holidays

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

and she was running out of energy, but the light called her forward, 
called her onward through the blurry white haze. She fell to her knees 
and crawled forward towards the light but could not make it, she was so 
numb, as if she had been covered in mud, she was too exhausted even for 
the tears that ran a frozen course over her deeply carved face. But as 
she was about to give up and succumb to Lord Sleep she felt the warmth 
again, this time washing over her and lifting her up, taking her by the 
arms and lifting her up again. And there, there at its center... 
...Keri, lit in orange and blue light so brilliant it should have hurt 
her eyes, but it didn’t. It didn’t. She was there at its center, 
smiling, her arms open, dressed in the most beautiful green dress, a 
green so dark and magnificent it matched the emerald fire in her eyes. 
God how I missed you my Keri, my heart, my life...I have been so empty, 
so so empty... I know mommy, I know, you were so lost, and so cold, so 
I came to bring you warmth. To kiss your heart with fire and to remind 
you of my warmth. There is so much for you mommy, so much for you to do 
and see. So much for you to love, so much...but you have to find the 
warmth again, you have to find it and hold onto it and never let it go. 
Because I am never far from you. Never. I am always with you, in 
whatever you do, or see, or love. One day...one day we shall be 
together again but not now, not yet...there is so much for you here, so 
much...but you have to find the warmth again. Have to find it and 
never, ever let it go. But how, how honey? I feel so cold, so numb, 
so...I miss you so much. Can’t I just sleep, I feel so tired...I miss 
you so much... I know mommy, I know, and I miss you. But you must go 
on. You mustn’t sleep. There are things you must do, for yourself and 
others, and you are the only person that can do these things. Special 
things. Things that will show others that their warmth is still with 
them too. But you have to let me go mommy. Have to let me rest and 
leave this place. Leave it and go back to the living, to your family, 
and to the world where you can help people. Leave and know that I love 
you mommy, that I love you and always will. And that I am only as far 
away as your memories, where I will live forever. Now go... 

And suddenly awake and aware, her body numb and cold, her daughter’s
headstone before her. She rose to her feet and swayed as she saw row 
upon row of headstone stretch out into the white fire that raged 
through the air. But... She saw someone move out of the corner of her 
eye and turned to speak to them but there was nothing there, just 
another headstone. Shaking she moved backwards slowly, away from the 
headstones, and the snow, away from the chill that seemed to rise from 
the graves themselves. Away from the numbness that clawed at her and 
tried to pull her down again. Away from all this death. She spun 
around, her body feeling suddenly warm, her legs gathering strength, 
she spun and was face to face with one of the shades, an old man that 
looked so, so sad but as soon as she saw him he was gone again, lost in 
the snow. And then she ran, and ran, and ran, and as she ran the warmth 
in her grew and finally as she knocked at her mother’s door she smiled, 
again feeling Keri’s touch, her breath, her love, and knowing it would 
always be with her. Always... 


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