“I—I can’t stop it. I’m sorry...” she whispered, desperately pushing as hard as she could on the gaping wound on her side.    

            My feet pounded on the hard pavement below, echoing through the lamp-lit alley. The alley that I promised her would be safe. The alley that we had gone down more times than I could count. The alley that just this once held a drunk psychopath just waiting for his next victims. I rushed over to her motionless body, guilt seeping into my blood and bones. I lowered myself down beside her, pulling her head into my lap. I had left her here laying on the cold sidewalk, alone, while I chased after the person who had done this to her. I left my beautiful Kath alone to bleed out to death.     

            “It’s okay, it’s okay. Just breathe,” I choked out. Tears had begun to gather in the corners of my eyes. “You don’t have to be sorry for anything. I’ve got you.”          

            I laid my hands on top of hers to help apply pressure. The beautiful yellow dress that she had put on for today was quickly becoming soaked in blood. Her blood. What have I done? 

            I lifted my blood soaked hands off her side and ran it through her hair, across her cheek, and then back down to her side. Her face was now streaked with tears and blood, but neither of us cared.    

            “Jake… I’m scared,” her voiced trembled, fingers curling around mine.     

            I thought back to the guy I had passed and yelled at to call 911. I prayed with everything in me that he had. I prayed that an ambulance would show up at any minute. I gazed into Kath’s usually bright green eyes to find them lifeless and dull. I choked back the sob that threatened to spilled past my lips. You have to stay strong for her.     

            “It’s okay, Kath.” I hugged her tighter to me. “Everything is going to be okay.” It was a lie, but it was a lie that I wished more than anything could be true.     

            “Jake… what’s going to happen to me?” Her frightened gaze bore into me. I wished more than anything right then to make all her pain stop. To take it all for myself. Someone as precious and as good as her didn't deserve pain like this.

            I shook my head unable to get the words out. I gazed up above my head to see the stars looking down at me. I lifted my hand and pointed upward. Kath’s gaze followed my finger.   

            “Just focus up there while I tell you a story, but you have to keep your eyes open. Can you do that for me, babe?” I asked, while I pressed a kiss to her ice cold forehead.     

            A weak nod was all I got, but it was all that I needed. I cleared my throat and started.    “Once upon a time…”     

            “That’s the cheesiest beginning you’ve told me yet.” Her gaze briefly flicked over to mine before returning to the stars.     

            I shook my head and smiled weakly before continuing. “Once upon a time there lived a warrior. And this warrior wanted nothing more to prove his strength. What he didn’t realize was that he already had. At least, he did to the only person that mattered, his soul mate. She begged and pleaded with him to simply live with her but he claimed his battle wasn’t done yet.”       

            “Why do I feel like I’m not going to like this story?” Kath questioned softly.       

            Without answering her I continued. “When the next war rolled around, the warrior was quick to join the fighting. What he didn’t know what that his soul mate— who knew nothing about fighting— joined the war as well.” I could feel Kath shudder beneath me. I resisted the urge to pick her up off the pavement, knowing that would only make things worse. So I continued again.      

            “During the fighting the warrior had felt something off. When he scanned the field he saw his lovers familiar eyes pinned beneath the tip of a sword. With a scream in panic and rage he flung herself towards his lover's attacker. The duel between the two seemed to have been going well, but the warrior was tired and his strength was starting to fail. He felt his foot slide and it was only a small misstep, but it was all the attacker needed. He drove his sword downward but before it pierced his skin, his soul mate leaped in front of him.”      

            “I told you I wasn’t going to like this story,” Kath whispered, her own strength waning as she spoke.      

            A tear slipped down my cheek. There was no way I could hold them in any longer. I cleared my throat, forcing myself to swallow around the lump growing in my throat.     

            “The warrior took his sword and killed the attacker. He grabbed his beloved and asked her why she would be so foolish and rash? She smiled and simply answered because I love you. With that she closed her eyes and took her last breath.” I glanced at Kath to make sure her eyes were still open and focused on the stars. Relief flooded through me when I looked down to find them open, but it was a brief, fleeting feeling that left as soon as it came. “The warrior wept and the gods took pity on him. They granted him the one wish that he never realized he wanted. A life, a home, a family with his soul mate. The gods gave the warrior his soul mate her life back and he vowed that the only battles he would ever fight again would be for his family.” With that I ended the story. It wasn’t the ending my mom told me when I was younger, but sometimes endings need to change.    

            I looked down at Kath. She had a delirious smile on her face and was as pale as snow. She was still looking at the stars and was clearly focusing on taking as many breaths as possible. My ears perked up at the sound of sirens in the distant. ‘Please God, help me save her.’    

            “Hey, Kath, you hear that? Help is on its way okay. Just hold on,” I told her, pressing a soft kiss to her icy lips.    

            “Jake…” she whispered, almost too quietly for me to hear.    

            “Yeah?” Her eyelids we’re halfway closed as she peered up at me.     

            “I love you,” she murmured.          

            A quick sob escaped my lips. I gulped in a breath of air past the lump that now occupied the space in my throat. The tears flowed freely down my face now, staining it a streaky red like the blood that coated the side of Kath's face, our hands and her dress. 'Please, I can't lose her. Not her. Please.'

            "I love you too," I said between heartbreaking breaths for air.

            The sirens were close now. So close. Just a little further. My eyes refused to look up and search for it however. They were plastered firmly on Kath. On her chocolate brown hair, her beautiful green eyes, her pale face, even the blood that had yet to stop flowing between our intertwined fingers.   

            I watched her firmly— tears streaming down my face, uncontrollable sobs racking through my body, words begging her to stay— I watched as her eyes closed and watched as she drew in her last ragged breath. I watched helpless as she died in my arms. As her fingers that were laced with mine released and loosened. I watched and screamed in agony. I watched as a minute later the ambulance pulled into my view.

            "Kath!" I screamed. "C'mon Kath, you're okay. Breathe. Just breath for me." I shook her shoulders. "Open your eyes. Come back. It's okay. It's over now. The ambulance is here." I kissed her lifeless lips. "You're okay. Wake up, baby. Please wake up." I sobbed and screamed at the paramedics to move their asses. I shook Kath again and again, sobbing into her hair uncontrollably. "Don't do this to me, Kath. I need you. I love you so much. Come back. Come back to me," I sobbed harder.

            But there was no coming back from something like that. That was my beautiful Kath's end... and that was only the beginning of my story.