Someday, Harland will go back to his friend's house. He will feel a phantom glow and know she's there, in her cottage, with its beautiful garden and stunning horizon. But at the moment, it's as though the membrane between them is as fragile as a thin layer of moss. She'll let him in, and he'll feel the warmth of her arm against his and smell the sweet intoxicating scent of her skin. She will tell him he's her friend, and she'll remind him that they're going to get through this and that he has to heal his senses: his sense of smell, his sense of sound, his sense of touch, his sense of taste, and his sense of love.
He'll make it through.
He can feel her breath on his shoulder. It's still warm, and it still smells sweet and thick. He can taste the blood on his lips. He will get through this; he'll keep digging and continue to break himself openly until he can take those foundations of his fragile mind apart and scatter them in the wind like they meant nothing. Like they never existed.
With the room now completely dark and silent, Harland staggers inside. He wonders if he can take much more before completely breaking down and imagines he can still smell her body against his cheek.
The door opens slowly.
Harland reminisces about how much he cherished Kali's home and her bedroom. He would spend hours on end in her bed, just lying there and listening to her talk about her work. She would gush about how happy they were and how full of life they felt, and he would listen until he fell into a deep sleep.
He'll keep falling into the darkness, remembering how his body got tired in her bedroom, and he'll stop sleeping in her bed. He'll remember he was never supposed to fall in love and wonder why he even wants to get through this pain. He'll make it through the night, but his chest will still feel heavy.
Now lost, thinking about how he loved her more than anything. The door will open, and he'll feel Kali's arms around him, smell her breath, and fall back into darkness.
He'll keep falling.
She'll let him get close. He'll know she's there, in his arms, keeping him close to her heart, but her heart is breaking.
Harland can feel her breath on his shoulder, the warmth of her arm against his, and she'll remind him that they're going to get through this. He'll feel it when her heart breaks again, and he will fall a little further down.
He'll make it through.
He can feel her breath on his shoulder. It's still warm, and it still smells sweet and thick. He can taste the blood on his lips. He will get through this; he'll keep digging and continue to break himself openly until he can take those foundations of his fragile mind apart and scatter them in the wind like they meant nothing. Like they never existed.
With the room now completely dark and silent, Harland staggers inside. He wonders if he can take much more before completely breaking down and imagines he can still smell her body against his cheek.
The door opens slowly.
Harland reminisces about how much he cherished Kali's home and her bedroom. He would spend hours on end in her bed, just lying there and listening to her talk about her work. She would gush about how happy they were and how full of life they felt, and he would listen until he fell into a deep sleep.
He'll keep falling into the darkness, remembering how his body got tired in her bedroom, and he'll stop sleeping in her bed. He'll remember he was never supposed to fall in love and wonder why he even wants to get through this pain. He'll make it through the night, but his chest will still feel heavy.
Now lost, thinking about how he loved her more than anything. The door will open, and he'll feel Kali's arms around him, smell her breath, and fall back into darkness.
He'll keep falling.
She'll let him get close. He'll know she's there, in his arms, keeping him close to her heart, but her heart is breaking.
Harland can feel her breath on his shoulder, the warmth of her arm against his, and she'll remind him that they're going to get through this. He'll feel it when her heart breaks again, and he will fall a little further down.
