The Rotting Moon

Today is the seventeenth year since we met.

The seventh year since we ended our friendship.

The sixth year since you got married.

The first year since you died.

The last day I’ll fight for you.

I’m in court, fighting a battle I’m destined to lose for you.

And just as I expected, I lost.

You got what you deserved.

I should have slapped you awake at your wedding,

then taken your hand and run as fast as we could.

We would have crushed the church petals beneath our feet,

passed through the diverging roads that had converged again,

and waded across the surging undercurrents,

back to that boisterous midsummer filled with the chirping of insects.

Under the starry sky at seventeen, we would have looked at each other in silence.

Reader’s Guide:

1. A friendship told from the first-person perspective.

2. A thoroughly tragic ending, from life and death to feelings.

3. Both protagonists have flaws in their personalities and how they handle their emotions.

Theme: Pay attention to mental health