Alleyway Chronicle excert- The Last Night

BEFORE YOU READ: This is an excerpt. Emmy has cancer, and is not able to afford treatment. As a result, she has a few months left to live when she meets Johnnyday (J Day). So that's all you really need to know for now, this story is about her last night to live after four months of being with J Day. I suggest listening to "Little Victories" by Matt Nathanson while reading.1

***2

Emmy threw her head up to the sky and spread out her arms, spinning around underneath the stars. 3

“What are you doing?” Johnnyday laughed. 4

“This is my last night! I want to be under the stars,” she rang, a smile seeping across her face. The moon was radiating waves of pale silver light across the grass, the fireflies dancing in her hair. 5

“The stars are pretty Johnnyday, don’t you think that they’re just beautiful?”6

“I don’t know Emmy, you kind of dull them by comparison.”7

“You’re so corny, I love it,” she laughed. Johnnyday fidgeted with the end of his sleeve, embarrassed. The small building next to them began to play a slow, pretty song called "Aubrey". How ironic was it that they would play just the right song at just the right time? Emmy kept spinning in circles until she ran into Johnnyday; and they began to dance. 8

“I like this song,” she said cheerfully, looking into his deep green eyes. He grinned and spun her around, wanting nothing more than to hold onto her hand longer. She came back a little clumsy and fell into him. J Day never stood a chance; so they kissed. It was like it was a habit, like you see couples do when they say good-bye after a short date. Then it stopped, and feeling crept back into the night. Emmy smiled and ran away from him.9

“What are you doing now?”10

“I’m lying in the road!” she chimed, “I’ve always wanted to.” Silence. “Come, lie next to me.”11

Johnnyday did as he was told, twitching nervously whenever the sound of a car would fly by in the distance.12

“I’m not going to be around anymore. You know that don’t you, Johnnyday?” Emmy inquired, not sounding anywhere close to sad.13

“Yeah, I know.”14

“Well, I want you to have this,” she said, placing the heart-shaped stone in his hand. He stared at her incredulously, pressing his fingers over it.15

“I’ll be right beside you always. You know that too, right?”16

He looked away from her, towards the stars.17

“Even if you can’t hear my voice. Even if you can’t see me, I’ll be here for you. You need to promise though, you need to promise me that you’ll remember that, okay?”18

“I promise.” 19

There was a long silence, in which they stared in awe at the twinkling lights in the sky, the peace and quiet warming them like a fire in the winter.20

“I think I’m ready for it, Johnnyday, I think I’m ready to go to heaven,” she whispered, staring at the endless night sky. “J Day? “21

“Hm?“22

“Maybe it would be easier if you would take my hand.”23

He looked next to him and saw her hand, palm-up, inviting him in. He took it, feeling her chilly fingers clasp around his.24

“Anything you’d like me to tell Jesus for you when I get to meet him?” she asked, smiling.25

“Tell him he’s a lucky guy for getting you all of eternity.”26

Emmy sighed; “It’s not just some race against the clock J Day. I’ll see you again.”27

Five minutes passed; neither of them said anything. Her hand grew colder.28

“Emmy?”29

“Yeah?”30

“I think…I think I love you,” J Day stuttered. 31

She grinned and snuggled up to his side. “We’ll see each other again.” 32

Emmy took a deep breath and let out a sigh. She didn’t breath again.33

Silence.34

“Good-bye Emmy,” Johnnyday whimpered quietly, squeezing the stone in one hand and her lifeless fingers in the other. Every star seemed to go out except for one, which shot across the sky; a trail of orange sparks glittering behind it. Emmy Gold had gone to heaven.

Author notes

this story is my gem because it's my most personal story that i've been able to write on the computer, save for maybe a poem or two. this story for me is like when an artist steps back from their painting for the first time and is imediatly captivated with it. i want everyone to read it that can because it is my masterpiece and i love it

A contest entry

heyyy, previews are fun :) coommmment

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Comments

1 - 21 of 21

  • Yeshua
    January 9

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    Delicious

    Thank you so much for your entry into "My Little Gem" Due to the VAST QUANTITY of entries, I can not give critique comment on all entries (sorry). Good luck with this piece, and I hpoe it keeps getting recognized! God bless you and all of your writing endeavors!
    Yeshua!


  • Reaver Greeters member
    September 20, 2008

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    Sorry, gotta d/q you cause the rule of contest was 200 words or less...but this was really great. thanks for entering. rian.


  • brittie
    July 5, 2008
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    hey, i was just wondering what song this related to on the list I posted.


  • Seachelle
    March 14, 2008

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    Gosh dangit... Everytime I read this I cry... But they are happy tears This is so beautifully written.. You have only made my contest harder to judge. I'm actually crying right now. What an amazingly emotional piece. This is probably the only story on this site that stirs this side of me.. And I thank you for that. I honestly don't know what to say.. You should get this published, I'm serious. In like, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" or something. I love your detail, that it isn't too much and it doesn't lack anything. Wow... I envy you.. SO much... Good luck in the contest!
    Ana

    • happy go lucky13
      March 14, 2008
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      ohh, thank you so muchhhh. i cant get it published yet, since its an excert its gotta wait until its time in the series for it to appear, and its not until the later books but thanks so much for your support and compliments, they really are super sweet


  • beezy92
    March 13, 2008
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    Well. As you know...I absolutely LOVE this piece. But you already got gold for it in my last contest. It's not fair to keep giving you gold just cause I love it! But finalist list nonetheless. Thanks for sharing again! (=

    It was different reading it this time...it made me want to cry. The description you use is great...it was original. The smile "seeping" across her face instead of creeping and things like that. I'm always trying to find new words but I always wind up reverting to the thesaurus. Anyway, like I said, I love this! (=


  • Taylor Renee
    February 16, 2008

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    Wow, Linds!

    This is absolutely beautiful.

    You are so talented, you know that!

    I'm really wishing I had read this sooner! It's a great story - plot line, grammer, dialogue....everything!

    It seemed almost flawless

    You really did a great job writing it!

    I'd love to read the others like this I saw on your page when I get the chance

    And congrads on the trophies!

    Great work here, Lindsay, though. Wonderful!

    Keep it up.

    xooxo
    -♥-
    Tay


  • tabbykat92
    February 4, 2008
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    This is just an excerpt?!

    If that's all it is, I can't wait to read the whole thing! Good luck in the contest!

    • happy go lucky13
      February 4, 2008
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      thanks unfortunetly, its an excerpt from one of the last books in the series, so it wont b published for a while. but ill let u know when the first book gets published. there's an excerpt from it on here too, called Chronicles of Alleyways Excert- Happiness. book 2's is the one called The Bridge Scene.


  • This Will Hurt
    January 16, 2008

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    That was definitely one of the most beautiful peices that I have ever read! I thank you so so sooo much for entering, I enjoyed reading it very much! It was very sad and I even had a little tear action going in my eyes. *sniffle* Good luck!


  • Prodigious.Mirth
    January 9, 2008

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    *Sobs* That was so beautifull, I had tears in my eyes wonderfull job !!!

    Blair


  • Ayesha Raees
    December 30, 2007
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    it can be better you know!
    you could have atleast told what was wrong with the girl... that she just died LIKE THAT!
    it shows that dying is so easy.
    though i like it a lot because it slightly make me sniff and wonder what would happen the guy.

    good job


  • DarkOneShadow
    December 29, 2007

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    Tragic and Tender

    Ah, what we would do on our final day. I think that you showed this very well, gave me a feeling when I watched the movie "A Walk to Remember" with Mandy Moore... exactly the same kind of story. Well done!

    DarkOne


  • LostSoulOfRage
    December 24, 2007

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    tnx for entering the contest.
    wow this is really good. i liked it a lot. i could feel the emotions in this peice. i love the names you used. they were very unusual. this is a very wonderful peice.
    but you didnt put why you thought this was one of your best stories. you have until the end of this contest to do that or you wont be able to be a finalist.
    other than that this was a really great story. good luck and keep it up. amazing work.

    -LostSoul

  • Seachelle
    December 21, 2007
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    This is... Brilliant! After reading this, I seriously felt chills run up and down my spine, and yes, even a tear was present. In so many ways, this piece is beautiful, the beginning, the middle, the end, it's all so wonderful, touching, and unbelievably sad all at once. I hope you understand your talent (and that I'm jealous AND happy for you! ) It truly takes someone special to write something this well God Bless,

    Ana

    P.S.- There aren't enough applauses to give you...

  • beezy92
    December 21, 2007

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    yay!!

    This is exactly what I wanted!! I loved it, every bit of it. It was so sweet and sad but not overdone or cheesy like love and death usually are (at least in fiction). *dances around happily* Ok. Finalist list for you! (=

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