Side by side we walked through a frozen valley of regolith. Ice capped mountains and cliffs comprised of black stone surrounded us from a distance, and winds carried frozen particles from their peaks into the sky; creating a billowing cloud alit by distant starlight. Ice and stone crunched beneath our boots, otherwise our ears were met with an empty silence. We gazed into the sight before us as we took careful steps. At the time, I couldn’t help but wonder if we were truly the first to ever set foot there, and if we were, were we also the last? We’ve traveled so far before we arrived, seen so many things, been to so many places, and yet I never contemplated those questions before. Maybe it was a sign, some echo of what I would feel in the future seeking me out, trying to warn me. How could I know or understand in that moment? Only those rich with wisdom grasp the importance of life’s subtleties. Only they truly realize the crucial nature of the temporary. If I was such a person, I would’ve taken great care in showing my affection in that moment, but now it’s too late.
You’re gone.
I am now alone. Adrift among the stars, wandering through the infinite black. My doubts say to me, “No one will find you, this is the end,” but I refuse to give in. If I pass away, no one else will carry on your memory, I must continue. So into hibernation I go, with dreams of you keeping me company as I sleep the years away. Maybe one day I will awake with hope, or maybe I’ll fade into a memory, a memory without a mind to remember it.