Weeping Willow

Alone in the darkened room, Colby took another swig of Vodka. Today marked the two year anniversary of Ambrosia’s death. Many make the mistake that Colby was drinking to forget. This was quite the opposite. Colby drank to remember. Sober, he could never quite picture the twinkle in her green eyes or her shining skin in the moonlight. But drunk, she came to life. It was only for a moment or so, as he passed out pretty quickly, but it kept her memory alive. Colby’s fingers loosened and the bottle slid out of his fingers. His mind flashed back to the day he met Ambrosia.

The cool winter breeze tickled Colby’s nose like icy fingers. He was too emotionally drained to cry anymore. Although his aunt had wanted him to stay home, Colby couldn’t bring himself to. Everything was too fresh; his pain was still raw. And staying home sure as hell wasn’t going to help anything. Everything Colby did just reminded his aunt of his late mother and father. Colby pulled his hand into a fist and rapped on the classroom door three times. No answer. Pushing down the door handle a feeling of panic began to surface. This could not be happening on his first day back. He was locked out in the cold, empty corridor.

“Locked huh?” a smooth, velvety voice came from beside him. Turning away from the door to look at the mysterious voice’s owner, Colby felt an electric shock pound through his chest. Beside him stood a girl with twinkling green eyes and ghostly pale skin. She was utterly breathtaking. So innocent yet seductively dangerous. Colby felt the need to touch her, just to see whether she was real or not. A sly smile formed on her lips as she noticed he was staring.

“Go ahead, touch me, make sure I’m real,” she said, in a bemused, though her voice was vaguely flattered. Colby felt himself desperately searching for words. But what can you say to an angel?

“Uh, yeah, the door’s locked,” he said stupidly, unable to take his eyes off this stunning girl.

“Wow, you’re on fire today,” she teased playfully. Helplessly, Colby felt a smile forming on his lips.

“Hey, give me a break, not every day I get to see ghosts, and especially not talking ones!” he replied, in an equally playful tone. The girl surveyed him, her eyes running up and down his body.

“I like you!” she suddenly exclaimed, turning around to walk off.

“What’s your name?” Colby called out desperately, not wanting this girl to slip away.

“Ambrosia!” she called over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

Colby woke up from his dream sprawled out along the kitchen floor. Groaning as he pulled himself up, Colby reached for the tap. The cold water woke him up pretty quick.

“Oh god,” Colby muttered, holding his hand to his aching head. This was just another Monday morning for Colby.

Holding his head down, Colby pushed his way through a couple making out. The jock and the cheerleader. Typical. All these stupid high school couples, trying to pretend that they were all just like each other. None of these “couples” knew what love is. Love is not this puppy “love” crap that these stupid teenagers pretend is real. They claim they would die for each other. What a load. Ambrosia and Colby always swore they would die for each other. Look how that turned out.

Colby fumbled with his keys and let himself into his dorm room. His roommate wasn’t there. Todd? Ted? Whatever. He wouldn’t be back for a while. Partying, Colby supposed. Left Colby enough time to down pain killers and alcohol while reminiscing about his and Ambrosia’s love.

Colby put his head on his desk and closed his eyes. Everything was going wrong for him right now. His parents death, his brother running away and to top it all off, a new school. He couldn’t stay at his last school. Everyone would be staring. He would forever be known as “the kid who lost his father” and fake sympathy would follow him forever. No, he couldn’t do it. Colby would rather be known as “the new kid” than that. The voice of an angel awoke him from his misery.

“This seat taken?”

Colby looked up. Ambrosia.

Gesturing towards it, he replied, “Be my guest.”

Gracefully she sat down and crossed her legs. Colby watched her in awe as she pulled out a pen and started to chew on its end. Was she aware of just how beautiful she was?

The lesson seemed to fly by with Ambrosia by his side. As the piercing bell rang, announcing the end of the class, Colby glanced down towards his blank notebook. He couldn’t concentrate with Ambrosia next to him. Every tiny move she made he could feel beside him. Colby almost thought he was going to collapse when her arm brushed gently against his. This girl made him forget everything. Swinging her back pack over her shoulder daintily, Ambrosia turned towards Colby.

“New kids need to stick together. Come on, I know this secluded area down by the Willow tree.”

Colby rested his head back on the grass, his eyes closing happily.

“Wake up sleepy! We need to get to English soon!” Ambrosia playfully nagged.

“No! I want to stay here forever.” Colby murmured, not moving the slightest.

“Seriously?” Ambrosia asked, her eyes widening with surprise. “I thought I’d have to work a bit harder to make you bad!”

Colby sat up and laughed. “I’m not that innocent!”

“Prove it!” she dared.

“Fine,” Colby replied. “We’re skipping English!”

Colby fell for Ambrosia pretty quickly and pretty hard. Every moment not spent with her was spent daydreaming about seeing her. Ambrosia. As her name formed on the tip of his tongue, Colby could feel the butterflies flapping and the fireworks forming. It was such an unusual name. But it suited her just fine as she was an unusual girl. One day under the willow tree Colby suddenly felt the need to ask about her name.

“What’s your name mean?” Colby asked before stopping to consider the appropriate phrasing. He bit his tongue as the words came out. His mouth seemed to have a mind of its own lately. To his surprise she replied calmly.

“Ambrosia, elixir of life, food of the god’s, immortality. Take your pick.”

“Do you want to be immortal?” he suddenly whispered, desperate to hear her response.

“Depends,” she replied. “How can I be sure you’d want me forever?”

As her words ran through Colby’s pounding head, the question still seemed ridiculous. Of course he would want her forever. Never will he change his mind. Pulling out the gin he had stashed under the sink earlier, Colby raised the glass bottle to his lips and drank. The warm liquid ran smoothly down his throat, warming his stomach and his soul. Soon it was too warm. It felt like a fire blazing in the pit of his stomach. As the fire burned on in his stomach all he could think about was Ambrosia and how his love for her was like the blazing flames of hell, never to burn out. And almost as soon as he had felt them, the flames flickered and died.

It was the dead of night and Colby was sleeping the deepest sleep he had ever slept since the night his parents had died. His phone rang once, twice. Colby murmured in his sleep and tossed. The phone rang for the third and final time.

Sleepily, Colby poured cereal into a chipped, porcelain bowl and ate silently at the breakfast table alone. His home phone rang a low buzzing sound. Colby dragged himself out of his chair and answered the phone.

“Hello?” he mumbled in the phone, trying to wake up.

“Hello this is the local police station; we’re trying to contact Colby Whitehouse.”

“Yeah, this is him,” Colby replied, confused.

“Ah. Well son, this is going to be hard to hear. We found your friend, Ambrosia Steel. She was driving home late last night and wrapped her car around a tree, the one near your school.”

Ice flooded Colby’s body. Ambrosia, his Ambrosia was found wrapped around a tree. But how can that beautiful girl who flooded his heart with something sweeter then love be dead?

“Um, excuse me sir?” Colby asked, trying to find his voice. “But are you telling me that Ambrosia is dead?”
“Yes son, I’m sorry.”

That’s when it all went black.

Colby opened his eyes screaming at the top of his lunges. Tears streamed down his face, he was gasping for breath. It was Ambrosia who had called him that night. He was sleeping. If he had just picked up the phone, Ambrosia could still be, no. He couldn’t think about it. All he knew was he had to get out. Ignoring the pounding in his head, Colby grabbed his car keys and headed out to his car. Gripping the steering wheel with both his hands, he could almost feel his knuckles bursting. Putting the car in high speed, Colby tore off to the place it had all began. Suddenly the alcohol was taking over, Colby couldn’t control the car. Spinning madly out of control, Colby knew it was all over. Closing his eyes, he wondered if this is how Ambrosia had felt. Defeated, deflated and very scared.

“Cutting class huh?” A voice said next to him, taking him for a walk down that dreaded memory lane. Colby couldn’t believe his ears. He turned to his side and saw her there. Ambrosia; larger than life. Taking his hands off the steering wheel he touched her cheek. In reality Colby knew that this was happening so fast but to him it felt like an eternity.

“And to answer your question before, yes, immortality would be nice. But only with you.”

Silvery moonlight danced through the leaves of the old Willow tree. This tree had seen love come and love go. It had stood proudly for ninety nine years. And today, on its one hundredth birthday, Colby Whitehouse’s car had crashed into the trunk killing him and the old willow.