My Immortal

On the four year anniversary of the love of his life, Smithy receives a visit from someone he knows to be gone.

It was the 21st of October 2008 - the day of Kerry Young’s four year anniversary. At Sun Hill’s Cemetery, Dale Smith carried a large bouquet of white lilies and walked to the grave with the headstone that read in gold text:

In Loving Memory Of

Kerry Young

1981 - 2004

Beloved Daughter, Friend and Colleague

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

It was a very sad time for Smithy - Kerry was the love of his life, but she had been snatched away from him by an evil, twisted man who had destroyed her. He knelt down by the grave and laid down the flowers. Looking at the headstone and the picture of Kerry, the painful memory of her death flashed before him. It was when she had just told him she loved him that their life together was cut short by the bullet of a sniper’s rifle, fired by Gabriel Kent. Smithy couldn’t help cry at not knowing what he and Kerry could’ve had if she had not died.

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

He felt wrecked with guilt about his other relationships; relationships with ones who had meant nowhere near as much to him as Kerry did. But his guilt was revealed to be greater than he thought when a teenage girl named Laura Young was revealed to be Kerry’s long-lost half sister. Laura had personally accused him of betraying Kerry, which made his guilt all the worst. He had even tried to take his own life out of his grief and guilt, but was saved and managed to bond with Laura over Kerry’s memory while he was recovering in hospital from his wounds. They were both now very good friends and he loved her like a sister. Laura loved him like a brother and even called him her ‘brother-in-law’. Smithy reached out his hand and touched the headstone, running his fingers over Kerry’s name and her picture.

“I wasn’t strong enough to remain faithful to you Kerry,” he said softly as tears fell from his eyes. “I wasn’t strong enough. But I promise, I won’t fail you again. I love you.”

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

Later that day, Smithy sat alone on the sofa in his apartment looking at photos of Kerry. He came across a photo of him and Kerry together and sat back on the sofa staring at how happy they both looked. Tears began to fill up his eyes again as he smiled, when a soft familiar voice spoke out.

“Smithy.”

You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me

Smithy raised his head and turned around. There at the window stood a beautiful young blonde woman smiling at him. Smithy stared at her and stood up off the sofa, his intense green eyes widened at the sight of her.

“Hello Smithy.” She said smiling.

He began walking towards her slowly.

“Kerry!” He gasped.

“It’s alright,” Kerry said walking towards him. “It’s just me.”

Smithy reached out his hand, not knowing what to think. Kerry took his hand and he saw that her touch was real - he wasn’t dreaming. He smiled and pulled her into his embrace, largely ignoring the fact that he knew her to be gone. He had visited her grave earlier that day and she was there with him in his arms.

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

They broke apart and gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Kerry! It’s really you!” Smithy gasped while looking into her bright blue eyes. “But… how?”

“I felt I had to come Smithy,” Kerry told him. “I wanted to after everything that’s happened with you and Laura to make sure that you’re OK. And now I’m here.”

“I’ve been waiting for this moment since I lost you!”

“I know, so have I.”

Smithy leaned in and kissed her passionately.

“I’ve missed you so much!” He said as they pulled away.

“I’ve missed you too!”

The smile on Smithy’s face began to fade away.

“So… you know about everything that happened with me and Laura?”

“Yeah,” Kerry replied. “I’ve been watching you both. I’m sorry I never told you about her.”

“No, no It’s alright. I know why you didn’t and I understand that. She’s a good kid Kerry, I’m happy to have met her.”

“She’s happy she met you. And Smithy, she was going through a tough time - I know she didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Oh I, I know. I do forgive her… but she’s right Kerry.”

“Smithy…”

“No Kerry no. I did betray you and she was right to tell me that. Even though I already knew how guilty I felt and still feel.”

Tears began to fall from his eyes.

“I’m sorry Kerry, can you forgive me?”

“Smithy…”

“Please forgive me. I didn’t really love them, I thought I did - well one of them - but I didn’t. They were both just substitutes and what I did to you was wrong. You’re my soul mate, no one can ever replace you. So please forgive me!”

Kerry’s eyes were filled with tears, but she smiled and touched his face, wiping away his tears.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

“I do forgive you.”

“You do?”

“What makes you think I wouldn’t? Do you not remember how much you mean to me?” She gently touched his face. “You’re my knight in shining armour.”

Smithy smiled when he heard Kerry say those words - he had longed to hear her say them herself, but she never got the chance to and he had to hear them from her father Graham after she died.

“You always have been, you always will be.” She said as tears fell from her eyes. “No matter what you do or what you’ve done, that’ll never change. I love you so much Smithy.”

“I love you too Kerry. And I always will.”

They embraced each other with a tender kiss and hug.

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along

As they broke apart, Smithy noticed something about how Kerry was looking at him.

“No, don’t go please.” He said softly.

“I have to Smithy.” Kerry replied with tears pouring down her face.

“No Kerry please!” He begged her as his own tears fell from his eyes. “Don’t go, stay - stay with me! I can’t lose you again, I need you!”

“To stay with you Smithy is all I want, but I can’t.”

Smithy shook his head in disbelief and looked at the floor.

“Hey, look at me.” Kerry lifted his chin so he was looking at her as she smiled at him. “Smithy, don’t be afraid because I’m always watching over you. I’m always thinking of you and I’m waiting for you. And I’ll always be with you because part of me has always been in here.” She placed her hand on his heart. “Just like part of you has always been in my heart too.”

“You’re my guardian angel.” He said smiling.

“Yeah, I always have been.”

Kerry and Smithy shared another passionate kiss and it was a kiss that neither of them would ever forget.

“Kerry, wait… where are you going?”

“Where I can watch over you until we’re together again.”

“I can’t wait for that day!”

“Nor can I. Remember, I’ll be waiting for you and I’ll always be with you.”

She kissed him one last time.

“I love you Kerry.”

“I love you too Smithy.”

Then Kerry slipped from Smithy’s arms and as he watched her, she disappeared into a bright light.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

Smithy sat down on the sofa again and felt the pain inside him grow stronger. Kerry the woman he loved had come back, but then she was gone again. But as he looked at their photograph, he knew that her visit had made him realise that where she was now, she was watching over him and still loving him, despite everything that had happened after he lost her. She truly was his guardian angel and his soul mate and he had always known that he had held her in his heart. A smile lit up Smithy’s face, for he knew for sure that Kerry still loved him, he was still her knight in shining armour, she would always be watching over him, she would always be with him and that one day, they would be together again.

The End