The Last Letter

by Welch, WB

I owe you a debt, Laura. You trusted me, and I let you down. I don’t know how much life I have left, but I intend to spend the rest of it trying to make that up to you. I know you wouldn’t want me to crawl into a hole and disappear; you would want me to push forward and find others. I’ll do my best, and I hope to be of service along the way. You have been my reason for hope. I can’t tell you how lost I am right now…

  I found your last letter. Defeat like I’d never known sunk in when I read your last words. I just sat there and cried until I fell asleep. When I woke, I decided you needed an ending, an explanation.

  One tiny scratch.

  I’ll never forgive myself. I know you would want me to, but I won’t. It should be me lying there dead. It should be you writing the last letter. You should be packing a bag and preparing to get to the boat. You should be rolling a couple joints to smoke on the river, “Just because. It’s the apocalypse. Why not?” You should be sliding on your untied shoes and slicking back your hair. You should be the one to survive. Not me.

  I feel so cheated not getting to say goodbye. To have so much hope, only to lose it all in an instant.

  I guess it’s time to wrap this up. I’m getting ready to run. It’ll be dark soon, but I know where I’m headed. I found the boat keys. I found your shoe in the hallway, too. I pulled the shoelace from its rivets, then tied it around my wrist as a reminder. Any time I feel like I can’t make it, I’m going to pretend like you’re right there, telling me I have to.

  I’ll miss you more than you could possibly know.

  Goodbye Laura,

  Morrigan

  * * *

  WB Welch often focuses on the darker side of human emotions, striving to write honest fiction with texture. Publishing credits include Blood Drops, Brenna’s Wing, and “Baby Muncher” in Thrice Fiction. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University.

  You can learn more about WB at wbwelch.com.

  Tory Hunter has evolved as a symbol in the Twitter writing community. She is quick-witted and a ball of energy, but she is also a storyline ninja with over twenty years in the writing industry. This is her debut title under this pseudonym, and it sets the tone for the kind of work we can expect to see from her.

  You can learn more about Tory at toryhunterbooks.com.

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