My Sanctuary

I walked into my room, cobwebs clung to the crates, the smell of a fire long burnt out hung in the air. As I climbed over ruined bookshelves, toppled desks the ash clung to my clothes. I looked down at my soot covered hands. What I saw in that blackness shook me to my bones.

The ruins of my family, all the joy fallen and burnt into nothing. The distant echoes of children playing, The smell perfume filled my nose. The smooth feeling of hair ran through my hand, and through the darkness a light shone. I opened my eyes to find her there, sun dancing through her hair she tilts her head up and we kiss.

I remember this day, the sun rising in our window the smell of her hair. This was a good day. Later in the day we would walk through the woods, as the leaves blew in the wind we placed our dreams in the others hands. A picnic on the forest floor and as the sun forced its way through the trees above it seems as though my wife had become an angel. As she smiled my weight was lifted, and my heart filled with hope.

I tried to hold on to that moment, to keep it close. But the cracks shone through and the darkness returned. until her eyes finally faded from my sight and all I'm left with is the shattered room. The last sanctuary from my war. Even here the fires had burned. I turned over another bookshelf in my anger, and the sound of metal caught my attention, as I raised my lamp I saw it. A faint glimmer of a chain.

I reached into the pile of rubble and pulled on the chain, at the end there hung a pocket watch. I opened it the had long since been smashed and it was missing the hour hand. But the inscription was still there on the inner lid. Tears filled my eyes as I read the words, "I love you." I could still hear the church bells if i closed my eyes.

She glided up the isle the gown flowing all around her. Flowers in her hand and In her hair. I turn to my brothers and they smile. The room grows silent as she draws near. The music turns into a choir as the gods sing her praises. The room fades out of focus and she glows with such beauty. As we look into each other's eyes the only words we can muster are, "I do."

Wiping the tears from my eyes I put the watch into my pocket. Looking down at the remains of my library, I can see my past littering the floor. Nothing remained in that chaos, the fires had done too much. Why did my enemy have to come here? It was all I had left of those days. The ashes of my life clung to me as I went through those photos torn from their bindings. We were so happy, why had this happened?

"Don't turn your back on me." the words tore my sorrow and left anger. I grabbed a book and in one movement turned to my enemy the missile sailed through the air. My Enemy snatched the charred book from the air and opened it. "She was beautiful, I'm sorry this had to happen." the words crept out from underneath his hood like poison, "Your work is not done."

"Will it ever be? You haunt me at every turn." I spoke the sound of gallows in my voice. He merely chuckled, "Do you not remember father? This was my purpose. You are to blame. Is it any surprise that your first born would be the strongest?" I teared up again at the memories of my children's funerals. "You used them to fight me their blood is on your hands."

"My son." I forced through my anguish setting the lamp down and open my arms to embrace. He steps forward through the ashes, ready to take the acceptance he never had. "I am sorry my son, forgive me." I say as the pain cuts through my spine and i sink my brothers dagger into his. We collapsed there together shattering the lamp. The fires would visit my life once more. And as the flames engulfed us, I see her face smiling down on me.

I look down and see her face smiling up at me as we lay in our bed, the rising sun dancing through her hair. This light would not fade, Here I would stay.