29-07-2023, 06:58 PM
Broken. Beyond repair.
Evelyn used to believe everything could be fixed if you tried hard enough. But life had taught her otherwise. Sometimes something is rotten, unfixable. Sometimes something doesn’t want to be fixed. Someone, in this case.
She had tried so hard to pick up the pieces and glue them back together with all her might. That love could have that kind of power. But no matter how hard she tried, the pieces refused to stick together. They had grown apart, estranged from each other. The bond that was once so strong had shattered and disappeared into nothingness.
She had denied it.
She refused to believe it whenever she had been told by those around her. Or by the voices inside her head. She even tried to ignore them and continue as though nothing was wrong. But she knew it, all this time. But she never thought she’d actually see it break. She couldn’t even remember at what point they had started to slip. They simply had.
The war deployment had made it worse. It had broken her. Evelyn saw it every time she looked into her eyes. She had changed for the worse. Maybe it would make her stronger, Evelyn hoped for her sake that it would. But the last time Evelyn had seen her she hadn’t been strong. She had been a weak, terrified girl that refused to take her hand. Evelyn would have been there for her. Like she always had. Like they always had been for each other. But she had refused her aid.
Her hand clenched together with anger and frustration at the mere thought of their last interaction and she felt something sharp. Not only mentally, but also physically. It pulled her out of her train of thoughts. With a deep breath she opened her hand and looked down at the cause of the pain. There it lay. The ring that she had been given as a promise. Promises were meaningless without true intent. Another lesson she had learned from this. Words are meaningless without actions to back them up. So many meaningless words and promises had come out of her mouth. Maybe Evelyn had been a fool to believe her. Or maybe it was true what they said, maybe love does make blind. Perhaps she had been foolish. Delusional. Naive.
Whatever it was, that was over now. She had ended it. She had made up her mind, she was better off on her own. She had watched the love of her life walk away from her and she had done nothing to stop her. She would have begged her to do something, to say something. But Evelyn had simply stood there and watched her walk away from everything they had. But in truth, everything had been so little. Nothing.
Evelyn glanced down at the ring again. It had a tiny, red stone fixed into the top of it. Evelyn had always thought it was glass, not a real gem. Something that’s easily broken. Evelyn tilted her head with curiosity. She figured that it was time to put it to the test. Without a moment of hesitation and with a single motion Evelyn turned her hand around and she forcefully slammed the ring onto the table. She heard a loud, cracking sound and she pulled her hand away, letting the ring slip from her fingers.
She saw that the glass stone had shattered into a hundred small pieces under the pressure. She simply stared at it. Evelyn knew she should have felt more. She should have been upset that it was broken, or maybe even angry. Anything. But her feelings were dulled with one single emotion. She felt relieved. Finally, it was all over. Evelyn gave another look at the remains of the ring. The stone had been crushed and the ring itself was bent. It was destroyed beyond repair. Much like they had been, she thought cynically to herself. They had been crushed and broken.
"Broken. Maybe that’s all we ever were, ki aki." She shook her head and her lips curled up ever so slightly at the use of those last words. "Broken, perhaps. But at least I am free now."
Evelyn used to believe everything could be fixed if you tried hard enough. But life had taught her otherwise. Sometimes something is rotten, unfixable. Sometimes something doesn’t want to be fixed. Someone, in this case.
She had tried so hard to pick up the pieces and glue them back together with all her might. That love could have that kind of power. But no matter how hard she tried, the pieces refused to stick together. They had grown apart, estranged from each other. The bond that was once so strong had shattered and disappeared into nothingness.
She had denied it.
She refused to believe it whenever she had been told by those around her. Or by the voices inside her head. She even tried to ignore them and continue as though nothing was wrong. But she knew it, all this time. But she never thought she’d actually see it break. She couldn’t even remember at what point they had started to slip. They simply had.
The war deployment had made it worse. It had broken her. Evelyn saw it every time she looked into her eyes. She had changed for the worse. Maybe it would make her stronger, Evelyn hoped for her sake that it would. But the last time Evelyn had seen her she hadn’t been strong. She had been a weak, terrified girl that refused to take her hand. Evelyn would have been there for her. Like she always had. Like they always had been for each other. But she had refused her aid.
Her hand clenched together with anger and frustration at the mere thought of their last interaction and she felt something sharp. Not only mentally, but also physically. It pulled her out of her train of thoughts. With a deep breath she opened her hand and looked down at the cause of the pain. There it lay. The ring that she had been given as a promise. Promises were meaningless without true intent. Another lesson she had learned from this. Words are meaningless without actions to back them up. So many meaningless words and promises had come out of her mouth. Maybe Evelyn had been a fool to believe her. Or maybe it was true what they said, maybe love does make blind. Perhaps she had been foolish. Delusional. Naive.
Whatever it was, that was over now. She had ended it. She had made up her mind, she was better off on her own. She had watched the love of her life walk away from her and she had done nothing to stop her. She would have begged her to do something, to say something. But Evelyn had simply stood there and watched her walk away from everything they had. But in truth, everything had been so little. Nothing.
Evelyn glanced down at the ring again. It had a tiny, red stone fixed into the top of it. Evelyn had always thought it was glass, not a real gem. Something that’s easily broken. Evelyn tilted her head with curiosity. She figured that it was time to put it to the test. Without a moment of hesitation and with a single motion Evelyn turned her hand around and she forcefully slammed the ring onto the table. She heard a loud, cracking sound and she pulled her hand away, letting the ring slip from her fingers.
She saw that the glass stone had shattered into a hundred small pieces under the pressure. She simply stared at it. Evelyn knew she should have felt more. She should have been upset that it was broken, or maybe even angry. Anything. But her feelings were dulled with one single emotion. She felt relieved. Finally, it was all over. Evelyn gave another look at the remains of the ring. The stone had been crushed and the ring itself was bent. It was destroyed beyond repair. Much like they had been, she thought cynically to herself. They had been crushed and broken.
"Broken. Maybe that’s all we ever were, ki aki." She shook her head and her lips curled up ever so slightly at the use of those last words. "Broken, perhaps. But at least I am free now."