Chapter Text
7th October 18-- to the very end
7th October, 18--
Dear God,
Arjen,
I do not know what to say. Is there even anything so say in this hour of pain that will ease it instead of deepening the trench? Know that, if it was not for this wretched state of emergency, I would have been by your side the very second your letter has reached me, no, before you even thought to take up the pen.
Now, confined by nature and the borders of my country, bound to my family by blood, I can do nothing more than offer you my sincerest condolences. Arjen, I am so sorry. I am deeply, truly sorry.
Across the lands, I am with you in mind and heart, always. I regret that I cannot be with you in body, but as soon as the earth quiets down, I shall be. Until then – and I do hope so this letter will reach you at the earliest – I can only give you this piece of paper. It has lived with me through one night and one day and is sure to have my scent, if it shall give you comfort.
Stay save.
Christian Østergaard
11th October, 18--
My dear friend,
Despite the dire situation, my family and I remain safe in our homes. As if a living thing, the tremors have moved inwards to the very core of our kingdom, and left us, lucky border-dwellers me way be, relatively unharmed. The sun remains unforgiving, and travel by daylight is becoming more and more dangerous by the week. Our woods are still burning.
This is why I am writing to you yet again so soon. I have no means of knowing how long my messages will still be able to reach you; postal workers travel doubly dangerous, and many have taken to bringing their families to supposed safety in the north instead of risking their lives on the daily.
That is why I, in deepest consideration of your feelings, beg of you to send me a letter in return, detailing in as many words as you can that you remain safe and sound and of the circumstances you are currently in.
Please understand I mean you no harm, nor disrespect.
Yours in these dire times and ever thereafter,
Christian Østergaard
15th October, 18--
Christian,
My physical form remains intact and well, without a scratch. My mind… is recovering, if slowly. My business is beginning to break into shambles. Without the important pillar of support that my brother provided as business partner and trusted ally, structurally as emotionally, nothing is as it was before. My sister’s and my own forced leave of absence have further worsened the already rotten situation, as several of our most vital trading routes have been destroyed or declared inaccessible, as too dangerous.
I am quite aware of the situation and all its implications.
Signed faithfully,
Arjen De Vries
P.S.: Do not worry too much. Knowing of your caring presence is enough.
20th October, 18--
My dear friend!!
I sincerely hope you will excuse this abuse of exclamation marks, but I am overjoyed to hear that you are alive and well! Nothing but bad news grace my ears and eyes these days (I have lost two dear cousins to the quakes last week, God bless their souls.) it is nothing if not near a miracle to hear that you, at least, remain physically intact as you so eloquently put it.
Especially now that the situation is worsening. Whatever the world has against us, our crimes, our ignorance or both must surely have been deep and terrifying for it to try to purge itself from us. I can come to no other conclusion when looking upon the ashes filling the air and ground, when I feel the earth underneath me shake desperately and open itself up to take as many of us as it can.
In the wake of the recent deaths in the family, we have decided to pack up and move up north, where it is still colder and the forests have not caught on fire yet. We will travel alongside the ocean, steering clear of the wild and unpredictable focal points of nature’s wrath. I will not be able to reach you via letter in this time, but shall let you know of my wellbeing whenever I come across a telegraph station still in operation.
The new address is that of my grandmother’s house, which I have invited you to the year we first met.
Stay safe, and I beg of you, forgo your love of the monetary and sacrifice your financial security before the security of your very own life.
My thoughts and my heart shall be with you on my journey.
Christian Østergaard
23rd October 18--, 5:36 p.m.
FIRST MARK ON THE ROAD PASSED STOP NO INCIDENT STOP AM WELL AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE CHRISTIAN
25th October 18--, 9:25 a.m.
TWO DAY HOLD STOP BLOCKAGE ON ROAD STOP STILL SAVE CHRISTIAN
25th October 18--, 8:24 p.m.
SAFE AS WELL STOP STAYING IN SHELTER STOP WISH YOU THE BEST DE VRIES
5th November 18--, 8:36 p.m.
FEWER IN NUMBERS STOP TRAVEL IS BECOMING HARSHER STOP GLAD TO HEAR OF YOUR WELLBEING CHRISTIAN
12th November 18--, 6:33 a.m.
WILL REACH DESTINATION SHORTLY STOP THREE MORE DAYS ACROSS HILLS STOP SUN IS STARTING TO FORGIVE AND EARTH IS STARTING TO FORGET CHRISTIAN
22nd November, 18--, 5:33 p.m.
HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU IN DAYS STOP PLEASE CONFIRM YOU ARE ALIVE AND WELL DE VRIES
24th November, 18--, 5:35 p.m.
TREMORS ARE LESS SEVERE STOP SUN LESS SCORCHING STOP THIS WILL END DE VRIES
30th November, 18--, 5:38 p.m.
DENMARKS POSTAL SERVICES STILL OPERATIONAL STOP DO NOT MOCK ME NOW DE VRIES
4th December 18--, 8: 48 a.m.
CHRISTIAN PLEASE I BEG OF YOU STOP RESPOND AT THE SOONEST DE VRIES
21st December, 18--
My dearest friend,
I fear the world is ending. Yet, I cannot find horror or sadness at that thought within myself, not in the deepest, darkest parts of myself, the innermost windings of my soul. The horror that is consuming me is of another nature in itself, a strange horror tearing at the seams of my being.
It is a horror I refuse to accept, for you cannot have left me as well. I cannot allow it, Christian. Under no circumstances. A mere force of nature could not have been enough to rob you from life, Christian, have you not promised me so yourself? You were always a man who stayed true to his promises.
Do not fail me now.
Not now, when we can finally walk our paths again without constant, screaming fear of the ground reclaiming our bodies years before we are ready to. Not now that the sun you love so much is finally shining upon us again not with hatred but warmth, you cannot fail me now.
Please do not mock me, Christian; for I know I am being foolish. In my head I already know what my heart cannot yet accept. Understand, if I were to admit it to myself, the sad horror tearing me apart, I would sacrifice the last rock I have left and drift apart.
So please, allow me to deny your soul the well-deserved rest a little while longer with my childish refusal, my screaming and tearing and forgive me if it is all in vain. I cannot lay you to rest, not now. Not you. Please honor this, my one request.
Remember, if you will, the last time we saw each other face to face. I did not smile then, but you did enough for us both. This moment will not let go of me, no matter how hard I try. And more are latching onto me second by second, a life of friendship flashing by every waking moment as if it was my life that had ended and not yours.
There is so much that I would hate to regret never having told you. Worse yet, so much that I have not yet told you enough.
I have loved you with all of my heart.
Yours, for the rest of my life and ever thereafter,
Your trusted friend,
Arjen De Vries