Into the Woods

“Thomas?”

Molly giggled, as she peeked up at the gnarled branches of the apple tree above her, hoping to spy a glimpse of her betrothed in his favorite tree. She saw the bottom of his muddied boots dangling in the air, signifying he was indeed perched at his favorite spot. Molly knew Thomas was up there and was merely teasing her by hiding.

The bright morning sunlight streamed past the branches. Delicate white petals fell in a silent waltz on the wind. The ground around Molly’s feet was covered in so many of the apple blossoms that it appeared like a blanket of fresh snow.

“Thomas, I’m waiting. Come down.”

Molly gasped. Thomas’s coarse stubble brushed against her neck in a sensual way she wasn’t used to experiencing as he stood behind her. How had he moved so quickly from the tree to the ground without her noticing? It didn’t matter to her as he wrapped his arms around his lover’s waist. Still, Molly could not see him. Should they be caught in such a pose, what a scandal…

“Well, my fair Molly, I did promise you I’d meet you here, didn’t I?”

Thomas’s voice cooed into Molly’s ear.

“I’ve waited so long for you to come back to me.”

Even as she uttered the words, her heart began to break. This place. This time. No, it wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. He wasn’t with her. She wasn’t with him. This was a half-truth. A memory borne of sadness and a future that could never become true. A wish that could never be granted. A hope that was long dead. This was merely a dream. Yet, she couldn’t let go because Thomas still lived in her dreams and only came to her when there were her troubles to be solved. She had so much to tell him.

Thomas moved carefully in front of her, standing tall, in an image so clearly, more real than Molly had ever been able to remember in the years since they’d last met. He looked just as she recalled before he left for the war, dressed in his gray soldier’s uniform.

He was neat as a pin with his sharp scabbard at his side. His icy blue eyes shone against the sunlight. Molly wondered if he was storing a piece of heaven in those eyes. His smile could set the world on fire. He hadn’t aged a bit, while time had cruelly marched on for Molly. Thomas didn’t seem to care. But, again, Molly knew this was only a pleasant fiction of her imagination.

“Will you still have me as a husband, Molly? I kept my word. I came back for you.”

Molly was becoming more aware this was only a dream as Thomas took her delicate hands into his own.

The apple blossoms tinged pink.

“I will always love you,” Molly sighed.

She knew this would all end.

The blossoms tinged darker to crimson, as sudden twilight descended around the long-lost lovers.

Molly closed her eyes, desperate to stay with Thomas. For a brief second, Thomas’s lips brushed against her own. Then, the heat of his lips lingered once again on her neck. As she opened her eyes to savor the moment, thunder boomed. Thomas’s face split apart in a cascade of blood.