Work Text:
Stone Angels. Prompt 5
The stone angels watched as the hole was made.
Perfectly six feet deep and six feet long.
They watched as the grave stone was fixed into place, their stone eyes read the name, saw the date and they wept their stony tears. As it was their job to look out over the dead. They listened to the preacher speak of a man who was a hero, they listened to his friends and family crying, watched as another man stood so still and quiet amongst the mourners.
It amazed them as they watched this human made of stone, his arm placed along the shoulders of a younger man. A man whose glasses was long forgotten in his lap as he leaned into the dark skinned man. A blonde woman had the other side of the young man, she too weeped.
Someone who was loved was coming to rest here in their graveyard. As they watched the guns fired over head, the dark skinned man held his friends tighter as if to protect them from the very sounds of the guns. It was so quiet afterwards, always so quiet, as if every single person and living thing was holding their/it's breath.
There were words spoken about the man named “Jack” that let the Angels know that he was brave, he was strong, he loved those he had with him in his life. There were words that brought laughter, there were words that brought just more tears. Then there were words that just meant “good-bye”. The blonde woman stood and spoke her voice shaking about the man she called friend. Yet, the two others never said word. The younger man too lost in tears and the larger man so quiet it and still as if he himself was just another stone angle.
Like always the box was lowered deep into the welcoming arms of the earth so that the man could rest.
People got up and left, leaving behind their friend to head to some other place that the Angels didn't know of. They did not know where humans went when they weren't here burring or being buried.
The box was covered by dirt the flowers was placed over it to please the spirit of the fallen hero. The Angels watched as the three came back the day after, the large man knelt next to the grave and it was the blonde and the younger man that held him as he sang words that broken the stone Angels' hearts.
The three sat there next to the grave bottles in their hands and one placed in the midst of the flowers. Told stories of the stars, of things aliens and things that no one else knew about their friend. They opened their hearts to each other. Talking to their friend as if he was still there. When they were done the sun had already fallen from the sky and they left together. Leaving the beer bottles like with flowers like an offering .
The graveyard was quiet, souls resting, Stone Angels watching over the fallen.