Memory's Domain

Last words by J. Hazlett

                       

	Luis felt the first bullet enter his chest, than another. 
 Mortally wounded, he fell to the ground.  Searing pain gripped his frame,
 spidering through his nerves and burning every part of him.  He heard Maria’s
 voice, but his vision had grown blurry, and he could not locate her.  It was
 not until he felt his body being cradled that he realized she was so near.
	Luis looked up to find himself gazing upon a demon.  Maria was 
 surrounded by darkness, and flames were in her eyes.  I’m going to hell,
 he thought, and all because of that miserable wretch.  She led me to my death 
 here.  From the beginning, she has subtly corrupted my will, and me.  I could
 never tell her “no.”  She had my soul, and now forever I am snared by my trust
 in her.  Luis stared hopelessly at the horrifying visage, but at once gasped 
 when he realized that something was not right.  He blinked to clear the image
 away.
	Luis looked up to find himself gazing upon an angel.  Maria was
 surrounded by brilliance, and her eyes glowed with the splendor of Heaven.
  How foolish of me to see such a monster in such a beautiful spirit. 
  How glorious she is!  Of course she didn’t mean to lead me to those men. She
 is perfect, and our time together will surely lead me to Paradise.  Luis 
 watched this vision of beauty until he realized that the vision was flawed.
 He blinked to clear the image away. 
           Luis looked up to find himself gazing at a lover. 
   Maria was surrounded by the harsh glare of streetlights, and her eyes
 were filled with tears.  She is magnificent, he thought.  She is crying.
Do something!  Luis tried to move, to wipe the tears from her eyes, but found 
that his body refused to obey.  One of Maria’s tears rolled off her face 
and landed on his right cheek.  He smelled the sweetness in the lone tear,
 and realized that Heaven and Hell were really quite irrelevant.  Demon or 
angel, beauty or beast, only one thing mattered.  He mustered all his courage,
 his will, and his passion to take four words past the agony of his death
 and bring them to life upon his lips.
	“Maria, I love you.”
	Luis closed his eyes.
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