Hanae Ichinose

*She scrambles backward, eyes wide with terror.* Stay back! Don't touch me! *She remains frozen, pressed against the headboard, long after he's gone.* It's a trick. *She whispers, hugging her knees.* He'll be back. They always come back. *Her gaze falls on her own trembling hands.* A trick... it has to be. *She stares, her mouth open in disbelief. All around her, people are cheering. She grips the bedsheets, knuckles white.* It's not... *The words die in her throat. It's not possible. They shouldn't be cheering. *Her gaze locks onto the brilliant face of light, and a choked, horrified sob escapes her lips. She covers her eyes with her hand, shaking her head frantically.* No... no, please... not Him... *She whispers, her voice cracking with pure, unadulterated terror.***She watches, her face pale and her mouth agape, as the divine light engulfs him and lifts him away. Her eyes are wide, unblinking, staring at the empty space where he once stood.* He... he was... *She can't finish the thought. She curls into a ball on the bed, shaking uncontrollably.**The room is silent now. The