Kissed By a Rose : by- Vampyra

[L.A.C.R.I.M.O.S.A]

.::KISSED BY A ROSE::.

White roses…It’s all I can think about. Shimmering ivory-colored petals tangled elegantly in her raven hair. Her eyes…Sparkling blue sapphires deeper than any depth the ocean would have to offer, full of the emotions and burdens as a result of a twenty-year marriage to myself. Yet those twenty years, no matter how long they may seem in another’s eyes,, seemed to have lasted only a mere day to me, possibly less. “Rob Fisher,” she had once muttered to me on her deathbed, “what would I do without you?”
She’s gone…Even as I speak the word, it seems as foreign to me as would another language. Her name, now only a feeble carving on her gravestone and a gentle murmur in my melancholy heart, echoes distantly throughout my thoughts, invading my daydreams with unwelcome visions. Diane…Diane…an angelic name. So blessed was I to have married such a beautiful creature, so blessed was I to have been graced with such a gift in my life, and so blessed was I to have held the hand of an angel as she took her dying breath and left this world for the next.

[L.A.C.R.I.M.O.S.A]

((Cont'd.....))

I sat awkwardly atop my bed in thought of my beloved wife. It seemed only moments ago when her beautiful, sparkling gaze had entwined with my own during her last few hours here on Earth. Come to think of it, she died on this very bed. I reached out to caress the lacy pillow. It was a dreamy blue, just like Diane’s eyes…
I drew my touch away sharply and cursed the world and its uncaring cruelty. There must have been some reason as to why God would desire to take away such a glorious treasure from me. Why me? Of all the people on this planet, why did He choose Diane? I can’t go on without her! I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I can barely breathe. Why do I deserve to endure such torment and agony?
With Diane once again probing my thoughts, I laid down uneasily upon the soft comforter, burying my face deeply within the welcoming depths of her pillow. After a few moments of discomfort, I finally came to the decision of lying on my back only to find myself staring blankly at the ceiling above. I took a long intake of breath, taking in the sweet scent of freshly-picked roses- Diane’s favorite perfume- and lay still once again. My eyelids began to grow heavy, and for once in the longest time, sleep overtook me with astonishing ease.

I cannot put into words the following events that occurred, and even if I could, who would dare to believe me?

[L.A.C.R.I.M.O.S.A]

((Cont'd...))

I stepped into the clearing of a luscious, green forest, and to better comprehend where I was, I had a thorough look around at my surroundings. Tall, daunting trees loomed over me like bleak, green-cloaked figures, peering down at and scrutinizing a newcomer under full, bushy brows. The very grass beneath me that tickled my bare feet seemed to bear a life of its own- murmuring in delight, almost as if they spoke a strange tongue that belonged only to them. The very air I breathed seemed thick with such a sweet, rapturous joy and tingling mystery that would make one think he possessed the ability to grow wings and fly away into worlds unknown. Even I had to stifle such a silly belief as I gaped at the beautiful landscape. Flowers of all shapes, sizes, and color littered the lively, plush green floor- tiny colorful blemishes poking their heads out of the ground’s surface only to smile at the promising, clear, blue sky.
As if to verify the existence of such a miraculous place, I knelt down on one knee and brushed the fragile blades of grass with curious fingertips. My eyes widened as I leaned a little further and wrapped my wondering fingers around the slender stem of a small, purplish flower, silently listening as the tender sigh of the breeze whispered soothingly to the trees in a language of its own. I plucked the flower from its firm grasp of the ground, and I examined it closely. Every leaf, every petal, every detail of the miniscule plant was immaculate: I turned it over and over in the palm of my hand, my marvel of this new-found Eden ever increasing. Then suddenly, it began to warp- its shape twisting and contorting into an object unknown. My brow became furrowed, and I squinted my eyes on behalf of the bright, luminous light that the flower began to emit. When the blinding glow had subsided, I gasped at the wonderment that I held in my grip.

[L.A.C.R.I.M.O.S.A]

((Cont'd...))

Right there, in my own two hands, sat the most gorgeous pearl-colored rose I had ever seen. I blinked in disbelief, but as I looked again, all skepticism had vanished. Its petals were as pure as the driven snow and as supple as the finest silk. Smooth veins made fine, meticulous grooves embedded in its deep-green leaves, and its stem was firm, steady, and thorn-less yet nimble and flexible enough to bend from head to foot without having it threaten to snap. I fingered it tenderly- unable to prevent the tears welling up in my eyes as my thoughts wandered to my dear, lost Diane. Oh what I would give to have her be with me at this very moment, to share with her the glory of such a utopia. I embraced the heavenly rose close to me, imploring to God that it would somehow shift shape again into the form of my lovely Diane.
Then I was overcome with such an overpowering sensation of joy that I almost cried out with merriment. I picked my head up to see the lucid, blue sky split open and give way to a glistening, white aura. The captivating sphere of light gradually and gracefully made its way down the staircase of sapphire to touch down on the whispering blades of grass, which by now seemed to have been suddenly hushed. Nothing dared to breathe. I staggered to my feet, never daring to tear my gaze from the flickering bright ball of radiance; then, unexpectedly, the aura began to take a different shape. I dropped the divine rose and noticed how it made not the tiniest resonance as it came into contact with the muted ground. Bit by bit, the ball of light began to distort, abandoning its round figure to steal that of a woman’s.

[L.A.C.R.I.M.O.S.A]

((Cont'd...))

My throat constricted, and I gasped. “Diane!” I stuttered, my voice barely audible. “Could it be?” Trembling with joy, I spilled awkwardly onto my knees and incredulously crawled my way towards her, my gaze always lingering on those blue eyes. “Is it really you?” I whispered hoarsely, and I clutched the fine, white fabric of her dress in my hands and began to sob uncontrollably, my shoulders heaving violently.
She was the same way I had always remembered her. Tall. Elegant. Beautiful…She still had the same gorgeous, jet black hair that cascaded over her finely carved shoulders, the same bright smile that lit up the room, and the same blue eyes that captured any wandering gaze, yet something about her was diverse. She seemed to glow- not metaphorically but quite literally. A pale, faint light mirrored off her skin as if reflecting the beauty of her surroundings that now engulfed her. Lovingly, she extended a luminous hand and placed it on my trembling shoulder with a touch as light as the sun’s kiss, and with the other, placed two fingers under my quivering chin and lifted it up so that my eyes met her own.

[L.A.C.R.I.M.O.S.A]

((Cont'd...))

“My dear husband, why do you cry?” She smiled, almost sadly. I had thought the answer was quite obvious, but I answered her in spite of myself.
“I cry for you, Diane…I miss you.” I didn’t trust myself to speak for fear of another tempest of tears, so I left it at that. A worried expression invaded her angelic countenance, and she stood me up, placing a warm, caring hand on either side of my face and sighing deeply- an angel’s sigh. She pressed her forehead gently into mine, and her eyes bore into the very abyss of my soul. She whispered softly- her voice light, musical, completely inhuman…
“You need not miss me, My Love, for I am always with you. Although I may no longer be able to take the mortal form of a human, I shall always live within your heart,”- she gestured to the heavenly landscape around us- “Look around you, Rob. Although this beautiful paradise may seem tempting and youthful, it cannot last forever. When the time comes, its intimidating trees shall turn to stone, its whispering grass to ash, and this incredible utopia you now see before you will disappear as would any other good thing. Yet it is memory that allows us to immortalize such values. Yes. Memory…and love. However, if we just lock such treasure in our hearts, it is then and only then that such things shall be preserved, as eternal and everlasting as time itself.” Diane closed her eyes and stepped back. She then looked to the ground and gingerly picked up the godly rose that lay still and awaiting at our feet. I was too dumbfounded to say anything, so I just watched as she lightly smelled the fragrance of the rose and handed it over to me. Diane closed her finely-crafted fingers around my firm grasp of the delicate flower and then hesitated, like one who was about to bear ill news. She smiled sadly again and began to speak. “I am sorry Rob,” she said, but I am afraid you can have no recollection of this when you wake.”

[L.A.C.R.I.M.O.S.A]

((Cont'd...))

“What?” I remarked in bewilderment, “but why? Why must I wake from such a splendid dream? Why must you be taken from me once more, why-,” she cut me off by holding up her hand for silence. I was taken aback to see her chuckle a bit.
“I truly am sorry, but that is how things were meant to be. I was not supposed to have any contact with the living, but I-…I just had to see you one last time.” She swallowed hard and then made to continue. “But remember all I have just said to you, dear. I fear it is now time for me to depart.” I meant to convince her to stay, but she left no pause for any kind of interruption. “So now I have but one more question for you, Rob Fisher.” Diane opened my hands to reveal the celestial flower. “Will I be allowed to reside in your heart forever?” With that, she gave me a swift kiss on the forehead, and before I could answer, “of course!”, I was once again blinded by a vortex of blinding, white light.

[L.A.C.R.I.M.O.S.A]

((Cont'd...))

I sat up in my bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes wearily. Yawning and stretching briefly, I sleepily turned to look over my shoulder at the neon numbers of my alarm clock. 8:00 AM. Great. Time for work…Reluctantly escaping the warm comfort of my bed, I carried out my usual routine of getting a shower, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed. All the while, I was trying my very hardest to recall the peculiar dream of last night but to no avail. I rubbed the back of my neck in frustration and stood before the mirror to behold my reflection. While in the midst of straightening my tie, a faint glimmer out of the corner of my eye caught my gaze. I tentatively advanced on the nightstand that stood just beside my bed, and I stooped to pick up the unusual object with perplexed fingers. Slowly and incredulously, I tenderly fingered the ivory-colored rose in the palm of my hand.

By: Andrea