Empathy (One Post OC Snapshot)

It?s amazing how a little stress can inspire you to write. Or rather, release your frustrations using your characters. I was almost done with it yesterday so I finished it up today at work. No computer with Microsoft Word, be darned!!

Anyway, it?s a short piece that I just wanted to write. It concerns events that lead up to Joon?s first long story, ?The Wrong Reason.?

Please note: The excerpts in the second half of this as shown in italics were taken from various snapshots and stories that Jedi Joon wrote over the last year.

*******************

Empathy

He had been close to avoiding the funeral.

Later, he would come to hate himself for even entertaining such an idea, but when secluded in the comforting darkness of his own apartment, he had wanted to just stay there and not come out for at least a week. But he knew he was expected. Not going would have caused more unwanted attention. And in the end, that was what had pushed Lewix Winchard to go to his best friend?s funeral.

He had stood amongst the large crowd of his peers who came for the sad event. He had kept his eyes focused on the back of whoever was in front of him, his eyes somehow paralyzed, refusing to look up and see the body lying on the pyre. Master Searcher was standing somewhere near his left, though he made no movement to speak to Lewix. The young knight did not mind, concentrating only on blank brown clothed back in front of him.

You need to look up. You need to look up and see him before he?s gone, a voice pressed to him.

He?s already gone, Lewix reminded himself.

And yet, if he did not look up, if he did not see the body, could he maybe fool himself into thinking later that Damaeo was still alive?

He had not seen his friend in nearly three months. Having gone from mission to mission, barely stopping for more than a few days, Lewix had done an exemplary job of avoiding Damaeo. Could he just not continue to go from mission to mission and pretend Damaeo was still alive, still at the Temple?.and just never see him?

What are you, crazy? Do you want to go crazy? questioned the little voice. Do you want to end up like Healer Tolm?

Shut up. Be quiet.

There was something being lit. A torch. From the corner of his eye, Lewix could make out the orange glare of the flames.

You have to look up now. Look up and say goodbye.

I?I can?t.

The orange glare was moving, shifting even more forward toward the pyre.

Last chance.

And then he looked up.

Strangely, his first glance fell on a young, dark-haired girl. In her hand was the blazing flame, bathing her pale face in an eerie glow. Lewix frowned for a moment, wondering who she was before realizing that she must be the padawan. The padawan. Damaeo?s padawan. Neela Halcouri.

He had never met her. Damaeo had never introduced him to her. And how Damaeo was dead.

He thought this as his dark eyes fell on the body stretched out on the pyre. Everything about the corpse suggested death. Anyone who had ever told him anything about a dead person looking like he or she was just sleeping had been lying to him. Damaeo was dead. There was no mistaking it now as he looked at the still form.

The red hair that acted like a shining beacon to herald Damaeo?s approach was now dulled, the skin was too pale, the limbs too still like a statues. Even asleep, Damaeo?s body always looked vibrant, like he would move any second or shift at any moment. No, he was not peacefully asleep. He was dead.

And now he would burn.

Lewix took his eyes away from the pyre just before Neela touched the fire to the cloth that wrapped her master?s body. Lewix did not stay until the fire was out as was customary.

+++++++++++++++

An hour later, Lewix was back where he started: in his apartment, at his desk, in the dark, staring at nothing.

"You are a genius then, aren't you?"

Damaeo had been the only one to ever believe his propensity for causing trouble was the reason why he w

 

Very sad! I liked the way Lewix was thinking that whoever had said that the dead merely looked like they were asleep had been lying, because Damaeo just looked plain dead. That seemed so realistic and true somehow. I also liked the way that Lewix finally looked up at the funeral, but instead of seeing a blue ghost, he saw Neela. Very nicely done!

 

excellent, HAL!

Thanks for the heads up!

 

Thanks Jane and juwanna!

 

YOu just looovvee to write sad stuff don't you!

Rather ironic how both Lewix and Neela were at the depths of their despair at the same time...and funny how later they end up falling for each other.

Great post HAL, though sad

 

Wow, very sad post Lina! I'm growing rather attached to Lewix now You definitely seem to like sad scenes... and you do them well. I can't wait... and am a little worried to see what you write next

 

It may be sad, but you do a wonderful job with it.

 

A beatiful snapshot and extremely well intertwined with Joon's writing.

I just want to give them all a big hug!

I agree with everyone else, you're extremely good at the sad and reflective type of post.

 

Well, as JKOW will tell you, I tend to specialize in sad writing.

 

Yes, yes she does....where do you think I get such...inspiration!

 

It's all so clear to me now