[Capt Jack]

the quiet hung over the house like a thick fog. nearly deafening. suffocating at times. everything in this old house was so still and unendingly silent, it was enough to shake a mans concept of reality.

however reality in all its forms was all that remained of what was once his life. he'd seen it coming. they both had, but neither they. nor a dozen doctors, scientists or clergy had been able to turn fates hand away. like a runaway train flying down lifes tracks headed straight for the two of them, they stood there hand in hand, oblivious...no, not oblivious....ignoring the danger that once creeped in their direction, now powering its fateful way towards them.

fates train was now long gone into the horizon of yesterday. taking with it, the only life he'd ever known. the only life he thought he'd ever need, leaving him standing alone. truly alone for the first time in his life.

he'd often had to face death. his parents, now both gone. hers too. his friends, associates and coworkers. he'd done so, so many times over the years. accepting it was the key. yeah, that was it. accepting that once theyre gone, theyre gone. all the want and tears, wishes and begging sent flowing into the universe couldnt undo one single second.

whats done, is done.


yeah, he'd seen it before. none of that mattered now. the life that ended was now half his own. 'two halves of the same person' was how they were once described. they'd grown together from adolecent love to a marriage that, even with its pitfalls, pains, eruptions of fury and banality, happiness and fear. it was all he knew. over half his life had been spent joined to her. everything built and held dear was for the two of them. none of that seemed to matter anymore.

was it empty hearts or an empty heads that left them there, standing in fates path? maybe a simple case of 'nah, it cant happen here' was to blame. the point was moot now. once again, he'd watched the life ebb from someone he loved. powerless to stem the changes barrelling down on him...on them.

she was gone. for everything he'd always been able to fix, this was beyond anyones undoing.

"dont blame yourself" seemed to be the phrase he heard more than anything other than, "Im so sorry". blame too was now a pointless excercise. one had paid the price for insensitive ignorance. a high price indeed. now only one remained to remember. to blame.