Sunrise
Stay with me as the sun goes down
Ray roamed around the house. Where could she be? She shouldn’t be up, she has to rest. That’s what the doctor said. But Ashley was as stubborn as a mule. It was like 7 am and she was nowhere to be found. Ray was thinking the worst he could think: something happened to her. His mind was a twist of painful thoughts since she got sick. Which was her sickness? No one could say it in simple words, but all they have to say was “there’s nothing we can do to save her” to turn Ray and Ashley’s world up side down. Neither could believe it. But there it was and she’d consume to death. Somehow she accepted her condition and refused to die in a hospital. Ray took care of her since, even when she begged him to leave her. He couldn’t do that, he loved her way too much and he didn’t care how much it would hurt, he had to be there for her like she was there for him every time he needed it.
As much as he roamed the house calling for her, she didn’t answer back. That just make him go more nervous, make him roam even faster calling her louder. Then it hit him: The rooftop. He got to the backyard, the sun was weakly coming up behind the clouds of last night storm. Somehow, the storm and the sunrise had something to do with everything…
Ray looked up at the roof and there she was, staring at the sky, watching the sunrise. He smiled and climbed the wall, walking to her and sitting by her side. Ashley seemed to not notice him and she just wrapped the blanket tighter around her. Ray gazed her and saw a tear rolling down her face: her now pale and thin face. Once she had a light glowing, now that light was gone and both knew there was nothing that could bring it back. Her orange eyes would never do more than cry dry tears, they’d never shine again, they’d never talk again… they were as silent as Ashley was. Ray had his hands tied and that hurted him more than any other thing, the only thing he could do was just sitting there staring at her while he knew she had an inside battle. He cursed himself so much… he cried a lot too, he cried himself to sleep. He never said a word to Ashley bout that, but she knew.
A cold wind made their bodies shiver and it took away a tear. Ashley sobbed and Ray hugged her. She relayed against him and sighed.
“I thought I could do this, now I know I can’t.” Ashley whispered.
“You’re not alone, baby… I’m here--” Ray started, but he was interrupted.
“Sometimes I wish you not to be here… you’re dealing with so much because of me. I just can’t do that to you.”
“Ashley, I won’t leave you…”
“But I will.” She turned her head and stared into his eyes as another tear rolled down her cheek. Ray wiped it away with his thumb.
“No you won’t. You’ll always be here, somehow, I know that.” He leaned in and kissed her. They stayed there watching the sun battle against the clouds, giving a white light to the gray sky above. But the clouds and the wind were stronger and soon the sun was covered again.
“See? Not even the sun can win against the storm…” She said quietly. “I’m so tired, Ray. Let’s go to the room again, it’s getting cold…” It wasn’t getting cold, the warm wind announced another storm coming. And for him, it would be the worst he ever had to live. He helped her to make her way off the roof and into their room again. Ashley got into bed and Ray covered her, although she kept shivering. Her little cold hand clinged his hand. “Don’t go anywhere… please… just stay here, ok?” Ashley closed her eyes.
“Ashley, look at me. I won’t go anywhere, but please look at me.” He caressed her hair and her face. “Ashley…” She opened her eyes again and stared at him.
“I’m sorry, Ray…”
“You have nothing to be sorry of.”
“Yeah I do. I’m tired now… I wanna sleep.” She closed her eyes.
“Please, Ashley… look at me.” Ray fought against his tears, knowing what was about to happen. “Open your eyes, please…”
“I can’t…” She whispered. “I’m exhausted…” Ray closed his eyes and a tear came out. He dug his head on the bed beside her and took her hands between his. He felt her chest going up and down with each breath, but it was going slower every time.
“Ray…” He raised his head.
“Yeah?”
“I love you…”
“I love you too…” He kissed her mouth and found out she was asleep. He started to cry and got up going out of the bedroom. “She’s just asleep, she’s just asleep…” He repeated over and over while he walked to the phone to call the hospital.
As much as he roamed the house calling for her, she didn’t answer back. That just make him go more nervous, make him roam even faster calling her louder. Then it hit him: The rooftop. He got to the backyard, the sun was weakly coming up behind the clouds of last night storm. Somehow, the storm and the sunrise had something to do with everything…
Ray looked up at the roof and there she was, staring at the sky, watching the sunrise. He smiled and climbed the wall, walking to her and sitting by her side. Ashley seemed to not notice him and she just wrapped the blanket tighter around her. Ray gazed her and saw a tear rolling down her face: her now pale and thin face. Once she had a light glowing, now that light was gone and both knew there was nothing that could bring it back. Her orange eyes would never do more than cry dry tears, they’d never shine again, they’d never talk again… they were as silent as Ashley was. Ray had his hands tied and that hurted him more than any other thing, the only thing he could do was just sitting there staring at her while he knew she had an inside battle. He cursed himself so much… he cried a lot too, he cried himself to sleep. He never said a word to Ashley bout that, but she knew.
A cold wind made their bodies shiver and it took away a tear. Ashley sobbed and Ray hugged her. She relayed against him and sighed.
“I thought I could do this, now I know I can’t.” Ashley whispered.
“You’re not alone, baby… I’m here--” Ray started, but he was interrupted.
“Sometimes I wish you not to be here… you’re dealing with so much because of me. I just can’t do that to you.”
“Ashley, I won’t leave you…”
“But I will.” She turned her head and stared into his eyes as another tear rolled down her cheek. Ray wiped it away with his thumb.
“No you won’t. You’ll always be here, somehow, I know that.” He leaned in and kissed her. They stayed there watching the sun battle against the clouds, giving a white light to the gray sky above. But the clouds and the wind were stronger and soon the sun was covered again.
“See? Not even the sun can win against the storm…” She said quietly. “I’m so tired, Ray. Let’s go to the room again, it’s getting cold…” It wasn’t getting cold, the warm wind announced another storm coming. And for him, it would be the worst he ever had to live. He helped her to make her way off the roof and into their room again. Ashley got into bed and Ray covered her, although she kept shivering. Her little cold hand clinged his hand. “Don’t go anywhere… please… just stay here, ok?” Ashley closed her eyes.
“Ashley, look at me. I won’t go anywhere, but please look at me.” He caressed her hair and her face. “Ashley…” She opened her eyes again and stared at him.
“I’m sorry, Ray…”
“You have nothing to be sorry of.”
“Yeah I do. I’m tired now… I wanna sleep.” She closed her eyes.
“Please, Ashley… look at me.” Ray fought against his tears, knowing what was about to happen. “Open your eyes, please…”
“I can’t…” She whispered. “I’m exhausted…” Ray closed his eyes and a tear came out. He dug his head on the bed beside her and took her hands between his. He felt her chest going up and down with each breath, but it was going slower every time.
“Ray…” He raised his head.
“Yeah?”
“I love you…”
“I love you too…” He kissed her mouth and found out she was asleep. He started to cry and got up going out of the bedroom. “She’s just asleep, she’s just asleep…” He repeated over and over while he walked to the phone to call the hospital.