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"A Redeeming Hope" I laid in bed, gazing at the ceiling. What was the point? Ever since she died, I couldn't face life with the same enthusiasm that I used to. Everything I did, I did without her. Everywhere I went, I went without her. In the short time I'd known her, Rei had become an integral part of my life, the key to any lasting happiness. And now she's gone. Never again would I watch her as she tended to the garden, reviving the plants with that gentility and care that was her trademark. She had been a pillar of strength and kindness in a world slowly losing both. These were but a few of the thoughts that consumed the sleepless nights that I had lain there, wishing that it had all been a bad dream and that any minute now, I would wake up with her smile to greet me. It had only been a week since her death, each one winding on to infinity, my life draining away at an imperceptible rate. My life without Rei. Again I asked, what was the point? Bleary had told me that you had to finish grieving before the healing could start. I had no reason to doubt him, but even a blind man could tell I was far from done. Still, anything I did could only dull the pain, it would never really vanish. Even through the grief, I could see the sadness in my friends' eyes, the sorrow of losing someone close and the fear of losing another. Those first few days, I was never alone, always attended by at least one of my well-meaning comrades. I would be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind. After all, what was the point? Rei had given her life as the ultimate proof of her love. What had I done? I had simply cried, doing nothing to save her. What could I have done? Nothing, my friends had argued. No matter how hard I could have tried, my intentions wouldn't have made one damn difference. Death was death, unavoidable and irrevocably permanent. I let out a ragged sigh. Reality made a poor salve for the soul. As my mind wandered further, I was vaguely aware of a persistent pounding. In my mind, the pounding resolved itself into knocking. I blew it off, if it was important they'd just open the door. It's not like I locked it anymore or anything. Light flooded into the room as my visitor entered. I listened to sounds of him making his way to my room. I didn't have to look up to know it was Moldun, who else could be the owner of those loud foot falls. Besides, he paid me a visit every Wednesday. I had thought today was Tuesday, but, then again, my internal clock had been askew ever since that day. "Hey, Moldun," I muttered, my voice hoarse from disuse. He shuffled his feet, "Hey... I've got some good news." A grin split my face. What could possibly constitute good news to a man that had lost the only woman he'd ever loved? I decided to humor him. "Yes," I asked quietly. Once again, he nervously shifted his feet. "Well, I may know of a way to...," Moldun said, hesitating near the end. My limited patience was wearing thin. "Spit it out," I said, hoping to prod him to do just that. "Well, I may have found a way to," he paused a second before finishing, "bring Rei back." I was up in a shot, "Ok, I'm ready. Let's go."
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