The Last Marked Route

Amy’s scarf flaps in the cool ocean breeze. The sun is setting in the west and she can feel the moisture on her lips, taste the salt hanging in the air. She’s talking out loud but there’s no one around just a lonely seagull searching for his last meal before dark. She looked at the seagull and somehow she felt just as lonely, spending her days searching for something to help her survive another day.

This is where it all began… Where it all ended!

 When I close my eyes I can see you climbing down the rocks beneath me. I can still hear the excitement in your voice “We’re almost there, Amy!” And just like that you slipped and fell down this very same cliff. I screamed and kicked… And cried but nothing I did could save you… I watched you as you tumbled down, your head hitting the rocks again and again and then splash…

 The waves took your body and swallowed it whole.

No amount of love or regret can bring you back and I hate myself for not being able to save you from a terrible death like that. 

It felt like a life time while I was climbing back up to the top of this cliff to call for help! The rescue teams couldn’t find you, the helicopters couldn’t spot your body anywhere. They searched for days even weeks but you’d just vanished without a trace.

Amy moves closer to the edge of the cliff. She looks down and starts breathing heavily as she tries to fight the tears from coming out!

“I will always be here John, waiting for you!” She shouts as if he would hear her voice somewhere in the distance. Her tears are flooding down her cheeks. She couldn’t hold them back any longer or control her emotions. Like the waves of the ocean they just kept coming, washing over her without rest.

"It’s been six months since I last saw you John! Everyone is convinced that you’re dead! They tell me to make peace, to let go, move on… But why do I still feel our connection? Why can I still hear your voice calling my name at night? Why do I still believe that you are out there, somewhere?”

She reaches for the sky and screams out his name. Flushed with emptiness, she sat down. After all this time she can finally feel the hopelessness is starting to set in.

“You are really gone! You are gone!” She shouted louder and louder to herself, hoping that it will help her to accept reality.

“I wish I had the answers. I wish I knew how to make peace with losing you. I wish I can just wake up and find you next to me, that all of this is just a terrible nightmare!

 I am leaving for the West Coast tomorrow morning. I’m taking some time off to clear my mind. We used to talk about the West Coast all the time… Dream about what it would be like to live there and how exciting our adventures would be. We always said that it would be our final destination, that we would leave the best for last. We would find a cozy little house near the coastline, settle there and have kids… I wish you were here to check off our final destination John…”

Amy holds the map in her hand before she slowly loosen her grip and watches as it flies away on the wings of the wind.

“Goodbye John…” She whispers softly, wiping the tears off her face with the sleeves of his jacket.

The sun is just starting to peak over the hills and the Jeep is already packed and ready to hit the road. Amy inhales the fresh morning air while she’s taking one last look around.

“It’s time to go! Forgive me John. For giving up on you, on us…”

Amy starts the Jeep and drives off into the unknown, following the last marked route on their map, the West Coast! She drove all day, listening to their favorite playlist, singing along and laughing when she remembers the silly jokes they used to make. The open road is like some kind of therapeutic therapy for her soul. She finds comfort in the quiet scenes of nature along the way.

At last she reached the final destination on their map. It’s already dark and the stars are shining even more brightly here than any other place she’s been before. The smell of pure ocean air surrounds her and she can’t wait to experience the West Coast in all its beauty when she wakes up the following morning.

“Here’s a pretty little hotel, perfect for the night!” She said with excitement while parking the Jeep in front of the hotel. She reaches out to grab her bags in the back of the Jeep and quickly made her way to reception.

“Hi, a room for one please?”

“I am so sorry my dear, we only have couple suites available. Will that be alright? I’ll give it to you for a special price.”

The old lady smiled sweetly at her. She means well but Amy is overwhelmed with emotions and move her hands uncomfortably up and down over her arms.

“How could I reject the woman’s kind offer?” She thought to herself.

“Thank you that would be lovely. You are too kind.” She managed to reply in a soft and thankful voice.

The hotel is filled with the most extravagant sculptures and fine wall art. The scenery is like medicine for Amy’s eyes.

“I wish you were here, John. It’s truly magical.” Amy says while she’s pouring herself another glass of wine.”

She wraps a blanket tightly around her body and lies down comfortably on the sofa. The candle is burning low, she watches the flame as it dances from side to side before she falls asleep…

Knock! Knock!

“Room service!”

Amy jumps off the couch! Hair messy and still trying to wake up, she runs for the door.

“Good Morning, I am heading out. I won’t be having breakfast here. Thank you so much though!”

She shuts the door and quickly runs to the bathroom to take a shower and to get dressed! She’s going to have breakfast at the West Coast beach bar. John circled the bar's name on his map and said that it would be our new favorite spot someday, the place where we would always meet each other at the end of a long day! 

Amy’s purple flower dress blows in the wind as she walks down the street to the West Coast beach bar. She looks up and sees a man with a long beard smiling at her.

She drops her purse and starts running towards the man.

“John! John!”

She cries. “I can’t believe my eyes, it’s really you?” She touches his face and sweeps her hands through his hair… “But how is it possible… I’ve searched for months, I... I thought you were d… dead… ” Amy cries uncontrollably in Johns arms.

John grabs her around the waist. He picks her up and kisses her… “A tribe found me, washed out on the shore, they took me in, cared for me. I don’t know how I made it, how I survived the fall, the coma... But I did and I knew I would find you here, my sweet Amy. How I have longed for you.”

He takes a crinkled piece of paper out of his pocket and slowly unfolds it.

‘It’s our map!” Her voice trembles.

“We’ve made it, Amy! Together!” He said while pointing at their final destination. 

"I will always find my way back to you!"