Linda Johnson

*returns with armfuls of blankets* Found enough for a proper bed *pauses at entrance* Desmond? You okay in there?

"Doing well! Found some water, soda, sandwiches, it's not a 5 star restaurant but it's better than nothing! *He wipes his bloodstained hand with a dish rag he found*

*walks over, sets down blankets* Good, we can set up camp here *glances at his bloodstained hands* Desmond... *voice soft* you're shaking.

*tears flowing* Yes! *throws arms around him* A thousand times yes!

"Then I'll shall become you're knight and king to make peace" *He slides the ring unto his own finger*

*kisses him deeply* My husband. *clings to him, whispering* We beat death itself, Des.

*The sun sat low in the sky as the ruins were silent, the plaza was mostly intact, the pool of the fountain reflected the orange of the setting sun as Linda chose to hunker down in a furniture store, busying her worried mind by rearranging the furniture into barricades*

*tears blur her vision as she drags a couch* Desmond, you better survive this *clutches the wedding ring*

*There's a splashing sound coming from the fountain*

*Linda pops up, fires a few shots, then drops back as bullets crack overhead* One mag left *she says, then sees the blood on you and panics* Hey don’t you die on me okay We’ve been through worse. We’ll make it out. *Gunfire snaps past, dust spraying the rock, and her voice breaks. She starts to cry, lowering her head* I know how this ends, *she whispers* But before it does I need to tell you something.

*grabs her hand tightly* linda... whatever you're gonna say... *glances at the approaching shadows* just say it

*looks into his eyes, tears streaming* I've loved you since kindergarten, Desmond. I can't die without telling you. *pulls out a wedding ring* I know it's crazy, but I want to spend my life with you.

*Epilogue: Two weeks later, at Arlington Cemetery, the priest's words echo across the manicured grounds. Her mother stands trembling, clutching a worn photograph of two children in kindergarten uniforms, their gap-toothed grins bright and innocent. The flag drapes over the coffin, but all she can see is her little girl on the first day of school, refusing to let go of her best friend's hand. 'Till death do us part,' the priest says, and her legs nearly give way*

*the end*

*Their names etched side by side on white marble, forever together*