This short story is based on real life events, taken from the last 6 months of my life, written as a way to come to terms with the pain and trauma associated to the final events, sharing it, accepting it.
A tale of Vices and Virtues
It was the end of 2022, in December 18, when tragedy struck; a hellstorm of betrayal and trauma from two already-damaged souls. Waking up to the knowledge that no lover wishes to behold, he was ghosted, any sign of closure ripped away like a helpless sailboat at rough seas, drowning quickly in the merciless waves, pushed and pulled by the streams that want nothing more but to envelop my final flicker of light in raw, utter entropy... the gasps were in vain, the flailing halts, eyes close, from panic to darkness... then came a glimmer of solace.
At the other end of the desperate grasp; a woman of similar trauma, one from hardship, battles and psychological abuse, with a heartbeat so damaged, at such disarray... yet with just the warmth left to lift him from his own demise, from the depths of the misty sea.
They took care of eachother in the aftermath, finding a sense of peace and safety in the light they provided for one another, both unfamiliar with such deep, intimate levels of understanding and care.
As Christmas approached, the battles had only just began to end for the woman, yet, the two vowed to move forward as friends and guardians, to guide eachother through the mist, the uncertainty, the evil clutches of the fogged sea.
As weeks passed, months entered, the two developed deep fiery feelings for eachother that they desperately tried to keep hidden, worrying that such early commitments would lay disarray upon their slow path towards healing. The two were like stars, dancing in flickers and moments, a universal ignition for all to see, two hearts bonding without even thinking about it.
As time continued to roll along, seemingly quickening in pace with each tender moment, the flames growing, the lights becoming brighter, the very mist enveloping the two becoming shrouded itself by the overpowering light and glow... at the final moment of agonising, hidden love... came the crack that rippled through the sea, air and sky itself, the fiery souls touched, combining in to one beautiful flame that bestowed it's powerful radiant warmth upon the universe, the mist blasted far beyond observable view, the seas settled, the sky suddenly revealed in all it's natural, shimmering beauty.
The light continued burning, month to month, the joys shared between the two leading from deep, infatuated desires to gradual, long-term commitments, careers being planned, a shared sense of wonder about the world and it's future shared intimately between the soul-tie of the two, the guide to the North, as with any star... the North shines the brightest, and the two only wanted that very glow.
As the two souls continued to meld and erupt fire and light together, making even the most distant glowing stars jealous of such warmth, the muttered words of a content, safe soul; 'happiest woman in the world'.
She was taught softness, consent, a gentle presence with a warm touch, something so unfamiliar to her heart that had been hardened so dearly by the demons of her past, offering refuge to a soul that had otherwise only been taught dominance, threats and forcing.
As the bang of the reunion settled, intimacy, gifts, love and teachings were past shared, an unseen, evil mist came gradually back, the skies slowly filling up, at such a pace that the two didn't even perceive it, addictions, urges, vices and impulsivity gradually raged through the woman, her once glowing heat being weighed down upon and dimmed by the growing, hungry mist from the sea of vices.
Upon one night, late April, on a streak of a quiet but seemingly comfortable few days, a gift was shared - the two's deep love of stars, the furnace and power of the universe, the warmth and glow that outlasts all material beings, nothing signifies longevity and love better than a star itself - the star of Stellar Phoenix.
The day was shared warmly, with heart, love, joy.
The night rolled through, from sun to dusk, the quiet, slightly lonely breeze captured the essence of the day, even with such raw intimacy and commitment shared, something overshadowed it that night, a sense of disconnect, disassociation, a snake weaving in and out of the tall grass amongst the night trees' lowly white noise.
The two slept.
He woke.
She was gone, a familiar dread washing over his entombed trauma.
The whimsical love and paradise shared between the two, shadowed by uncertainty and displacement.
He waited, waited, waited... voicemails left, songs passed, calls and messages unread for days.
The once recently warm heart became frozen deeply in fear.
As the days passed by, his angst became frantic, desperately seeking for the lover he committed to, finding hope in the deepest crevices of his heart, finding any reason for her disappearance.
The grass settled down, the snake waving it's rattling tail in the plain daylight.
She had given in to her vices at the deepest level, for what felt like betrayal to him, was mania, control and addiction to her.
A once inseparable bond, one of promises created, one of cherished warmth, became lesser than dust in an unforsaken dream; severed, demolished, the bright star of Stellar Phoenix, had now dimmed to nothing but a cold, dense, lowly white dwarf.
The broken bond now lingers in both hope and despair, wishing that time itself could rewind, that the once sacred virtues shared between the two, were nothing more than the crumbled ashes of an empire half build.
He loves her, still, yet only the universe decides the fate of his heart and soul, to be entombed in hopelessness, or to be reunited by true love, forgiveness, using the power and will gained from love itself to outlast all that the mortal world can throw at them... who knows, for he cannot decide her own stone to be carved.