Death, Of Course, Should Not Be Feared,

I Have Listened To Many Tales In My Life, And Told A Few Of My Own. If This Has Taught Me Anything, It Is That There Are Some Occurrences That Change The Course Of Things, That Make An Alteration Far Beyond Their Own Apparent Magnitude. It Is Like The Throwing Of A Tiny Pebble Into A Pool, How It Makes An Ever-expanding Circle Of Ripples, Spreading Right Across The Water's Surface.

I Had Learned How It Felt To Want More Than The Sweet Touch Of Hand To Cheek Or Lips To Palm, More Than A Kiss, More Than An Embrace. I Was Starting To Discover That It Is Not Only The Mind That Understands Love, But Also The Body.

Perhaps He Could Still Weave Together The Broken Threads Of His Life. And Yet, I Wanted Him Here Now. I Needed Him Here. In The Darkness, If I Sat Very Still, I Could Almost Feel His Presence By Me, Quite Near, But Not Too Near. Didn't I Promise To Keep You Safe, He Would Say Softly. I Have Never Broken A Promise. Don't Look So Worried, Jenny. And Yet, He Would Be Careful. Careful Not To Move Too Close. Careful Not To Frighten Me. Waiting Still. I Am Your Shelter. Don't Be Afraid.

He Was Sitting Not Far Away, Watching Me, And I Surprised A Smile On His Face, The First Real Smile I Had Ever Seen Him Give, A Smile That Curved And Softened The Tight Mouth, And Warmed The Ice-cool Eyes; A Smile That Brought The Blood To My Face And Made My Heart Turn Over.

You Know Not, Yet, The Sort Of Love That Strikes Like A Lightning Bolt; That Clutches Hold Of You By The Heart, As Irrevocably As Death; That Becomes The Lodestar By Which You Steer The Rest Of Your Life. I Would Not Wish Such A Love On Anyone, Man Or Woman, For It Can Make Your Life A Paradise, Or It Can Destroy You Utterly.