I remember hearing the sounds. The sounds of the shattering of wood and of bone.
I looked in the direction of the sound, already realizing what had happened before my eyes registered the scene.
I watched you fall from the sky and I screamed your name.
I felt the wind blow, and I worried that the it might catch hold of your broken wings and sweep you away from me.
But it didn't. Instead, you fell hard toward the ground.
I believe that was your last flight.
I ran to you. He ran to you. He got to you first, and caught you just before you truly hit the ground.
When you landed, it was as if the world had truly come to a pause. I heard nothing. Saw nothing. Except for the light slowly fading from your eyes.
Even at that time I wondered, “were you really leaving me?”
Truthfully, deep down, I already knew you were gone.
But he didn't believe it. He begged for help from the medics. He pleaded to every god for mercy — to spare you. “Why you,” I remember him asking. The only real words I could understand.
You were always so strong. Built to withstand any storm — despite the wind gusts, you always made it through.
But this time you didn't. Why?
I’ve now asked myself this question more times than I can count.
And he held you close, begging you to fight. But you finally gave up. Thinking on it now, I believe you had given up a long time ago. Why?
And the last words that came out of your mouth had a double meaning that no one but me will ever understand. You looked me in the eye as you said them, and every word became imprinted onto my heart.
My heart that was slowly breaking with every word.
You looked at me and me only as the light faded from your eyes. I remember the smile on your lips.
And as the light faded, I could have sworn the world got a little darker with you. It hasn’t been any brighter since.
And when he finally let go, I grabbed you. I wanted to feel the warmth of your body. The steady beating of your heart. Find that you were still with me.
If you were, next time…no, forever after, I would fly with you. You would never be alone.
But I heard no heartbeat. I felt no warmth. You had truly left me.
Amongst shattered pieces of wood and bone, with a shattered heart that will never be whole again.