Echoes of endless cries echoed in the midst of the remote forest. The world seemed to stop when Armando confirmed that his beloved Hale was now equal with the ground.
On a piece of paper he held, it slowly dissolved with each drop of his tears. With every breath, there was an equivalent squeeze in his dying chest. His trembling hands caressed the bloody and burnt face of his partner. He no longer cared if his finger touched the lifeless body, he wanted to make the most of his remaining time to hold it tightly.
He couldn't help but cough uncontrollably. It felt like he was being deprived of breath. A howl seemed to be coming out of his mouth.
"Hale, why did you leave me? Wh-Why?"
"W-W-Didn't we promise each other to be together through thick and thin?"
"You're so cunning, Hale! Why did you give up the fight? We were supposed to be together to seek revenge. But now, everything has turned to ashes, carried away by the wind, all our plans."
"W-W-"
He just closed his eyes and brought his face closer to the head of the deceased. He ran out of strength to shout everything he wanted to convey. There was nothing he could do even if he vomited a piano. The agreed promises and plans fell to the ground. He was left alone, with no one to accompany him in seeking justice for their debtors.
When he grew tired of crying and his tears dried up, he decided to move the body he had mourned. He endured the foul smell while tirelessly carrying it up the steep hill.
On his first attempt, his patience was tested. He slipped and rolled down along with what he was carrying. He apologized to the dead for what happened, he didn't mean for that to happen either.
His knees were now as weak as jelly. He struggled to catch his breath from the extreme exhaustion he endured. As time went on, he frowned and slowly lost hope.
Even though he was a tough guy, he was still human. He got tired, weakened, gasped for breath, and above all - surrendered when he couldn't take it anymore. Despite trying everything he could think of just to get through, none of them were successful. He gave up on climbing and carrying, he was running out of energy.
"If you're here, I hope you whisper to me where you are. If I happen to take my last breath here, I hope you come and take my soul. If we can't be together again here on earth, I hope to be with you in the clouds."
His tears started to flow again. His chest tightened once more. He could feel his heartbeat slowing down.
After a few seconds, his whole body suddenly stiffened. His breathing accelerated as if he was having an asthma attack. His eyes started to turn white until his vision darkened.
Before he completely blacked out, he repeatedly uttered the words 'I love you, Hale!'
~~~
No one can compare to the size of Allena's smile and the strength of her laughter. This might be the happiest day of her life, to have leisure time.
She watched her favorite talk show on TV. Since childhood, she had been following it every day during her rest time. She even sang along with the guests whenever they performed. She never missed the commercials that came out, she also danced whenever she heard happy music.
But all of that was replaced by a shocking tragedy. It reached a point where a flash news was shown on television about her family.
[A car accident occurred at the edge of the road; a transgender corpse named Hale was found with his male friend.]
Allena stopped breathing, she was like a statue that didn't move. She let go of the remote control she was holding, which she used as a microphone. Her legs trembled until her knees weakened. She fell to the floor and took a deep breath.
Her chest tightened and she struggled to breathe. Her throat felt dry and she screamed without a voice.
"My child... My child! H-H-Hale..."
Her husband caught her crying. He dropped the food packages he was carrying and quickly ran to her.
"What's happening?" he asked her directly.
Allena looked at her husband, unable to express her expression on her face. "O-Our child... Our child! Hale has passed away!"
He was suddenly struck by a panic attack when he mentioned the heavy news. He couldn't handle it anymore, his body gave up and fell silent, his eyes closed. Although he was still alive, it felt like he had been killed by what happened to his child.
Jack was in a state of panic after witnessing it. He quickly took out his cellphone from his pocket to call for an ambulance.
He couldn't say anything on the line. The agent could only hear pure crying, a message that conveyed a tragedy in need of immediate help.
The other line kept asking repeatedly what was happening around him. They helped him calm down so that their conversation would be clear.
After just a minute, Jack mustered the courage to explain what he wanted to convey. He successfully reported to the agent, but couldn't help but sob while speaking.
Soon, the children started coming to the house one by one. They were startled when they saw the uncertain situation. They wondered why their father's cries sounded different.
Until they learned the whole story about what was shown on the flash news earlier. They watched the news without blinking. They wanted to know the truth no matter how painful it may be for them.
And the expected reaction happened. The house was filled with deafening cries. It caught the attention of the neighbors on both sides.
People gradually gathered at the entrance of their house. The gossipmongers gathered and eagerly asked the people there about the spreading news.
"My son Hale is gone, he has been completely erased from this world by heartless animals," declared Jack.
He whispered to himself. "I will avenge you, my child. I will personally find a way to bring justice to your death. I will strike them from behind! I will bring them down!"
~~~
Hale suddenly woke up after feeling like he was being choked in his dream. His mind was filled with thoughts of his boyfriend, Armando. He longed for his presence now. He felt incomplete without him or without him by his side.
He stretched his legs and decided to get out of bed. He walked downstairs to look for Madam Zorraida. Coincidentally, his companions at the dining table were busy eating.
"How are you, Hale?" Madam Zorraida asked him.
He bit his lip and looked down. "I want you to bring my boyfriend to me. I need his warm embrace, just to kiss him again and I'll be complete. So I'm begging you, Ma; please help me bring the person who can make me happy here."
Madam Zorraida couldn't speak. She looked at her cellphone to see if the news about the body she found in the ravine had spread.
Hale wondered why his mother suddenly became speechless. He asked if there was something he needed to know and if there was something he still didn't know that she was deliberately keeping from him.
"I'm asking you, Ma. I repeat, do you have something to tell me? Why are you silent?"
Madam Zorraida didn't beat around the bush. "I'm sorry, Hale; you can no longer be with your boyfriend."
"What?" His eyes widened. "I really don't understand you. W-Why? Why did you say that? Did something bad happen? Is he dead?"
"You're mistaken, Hale. What you're thinking is the opposite of what really happened." She handed him the cellphone with a news article open on a website.
He looked at the content of the news. Even just from the headline, his blood boiled. It felt like someone was playing with his emotions.
"Is this journalist fooling me? I'm dead? I'm still alive! Armando, I'm not dead yet! I'm not dead yet! No! No! Nooo!"
Unfortunately, the wind suddenly changed. Poor Hale lost his sanity. He went straight to the door and tried to open it, but they wouldn't let him out.
He kept screaming. "Armando, I'm still alive! Just wait for me, I'll come back! I'll run to you!"
His companions forcefully removed his stubborn hand from the doorknob.
"Let go of me! Let me go to him and tell him everything! I want to visit him so bad to show that I am still alive! Please! Please, let me do what I want! I'm begging you! Arrrgghhh! Arrrgghhh!"
He knelt down and cried. "P-P-Please... Let me run to catch up with her. Please?"
His two companions looked at each other. They thought about it and discussed whether they would grant his request.
"Alright, stand up there. We will go to the wake, but you must not show yourself to anyone. Clear?" said Madam Zorraida.
Hale immediately stood up and gave her a tight hug. "Thank you very much, Ma. Somehow, I will also see my family."