The Journey

In the vast ocean of space, there was a feeling of peace and tranquility. At least, that's what Michael felt as he stared out at the stars from the cockpit. Like fireflies, the stars twinkled. Looking down at the monitors, Michael checked his trajectory along with his routine system check.

So far, he found no error and no sign of danger detected. Before he could do anything else, Michael stopped as he looked at the photo of his late wife, Anna, resting next to the radar. He placed his finger onto the photo and gently stroked it as if he were stroking her long dark hair. He missed her terribly after her death two years before he began his journey.

Her warm smile always gave him comfort, even while he was alone. He longed to hear her voice once more. But sadly, that will never come to be. He felt alone.

Suddenly, the alarms sounded as the red lights began flashing, drawing his attention back to the scanners. A large object was detected ahead of his ship and it was approaching. Michael looked up to see an asteroid.

Without hesitation, he grabbed his helmet and fastened it before he buckled in and grabbed the handles. He tried to maneuver his way around it but for some reason, his ship won't move. It was as if some invisible force grabbed ahold and was pulling him in. He activated the thrusters but that only boosted him towards the asteroid.

As he drew closer, he noticed a large opening. The thrusters powered down on their own just moments before Michael's ship entered the asteroid. Michael looked at the rocky walls inside the asteroid and he noticed tiny crystals covering them, twinkling like the stars outside.

He looked at his monitors to get a bearing on his location. He found that he was drawing closer to the heart of the asteroid before the monitors flickered off. It was dark inside the ship before the light began to appear.

When Michael reached the end of the tunnel, he was greeted with lights and a gentle hum emitting from giant glowing crystals that covered the inside entirely. Michael's ship came to a stop at the center.

Mesmerized by the beauty, Michael looked at the crystals. Then he started hearing something he hadn't heard in two years; Anna's voice. Just then, he began to see glimpses of her. He began to realize he was seeing memories of all the times he shared with her.

He saw the times they went to the park back on Earth laughing. Then the memories changed to when they shared a passionate kiss in the rain despite the fact they were drenched. Then came in the memories of when he would sneak into the bathroom while she was fixing her hair and would playfully scare her, prompting her to chase him with the hair dryer.

Michael's heart sank as the memories then drifted to the final days. They were in the hospital. Anna was lying on the bed with him knelt beside her, his hand holding hers. The doctor, an android, spoke with them. Anna was terminally ill and she didn't have much time left.

Michael lay on the bed with her and held her. Tears were streaming from their eyes. As he stroked her hair, Anna rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It wasn't fair. She raised her head to look at him. "I need you to promise me something," she said.

"Anything."

"Promise me you will be happy, that you will cherish the memories we made together." Michael remained silent. He didn't want to lose her. He felt more at peace when he was with her. Now she was being taken from him. Anna held him tightly.

"Please promise me," she said. He stroked her hair once more. Michael mouthed out the words as he watched this memory; "I promise."

The heart monitor began to slow down before it completely flatlined. Suddenly, the memories disappeared into the light. Then sparks began to fly off the crystals like fireflies and floated before Michael's ship.

They began to take the form of a woman. As they began to solidify, Michael began to recognize the woman. The dark hair, the toned skin, the gentle smile... it was Anna. She gave out an angelic glow. She smiled and reached out to him.

The cockpit opened and his seatbelts unfastened themselves. Upon release, Michael floated out of the ship and moved towards Anna. When he approached her, her hands phased through his suit but he can feel that gentle touch he missed.

She embraced him for she too missed him as well. It felt like an eternity but Michael didn't care. He was reunited with his wife once more. When he looked at her, she gave a sad smile. "I am only here for a small period. Then I must go." When he heard that, his heart sank again. "No..." he began, "No. I don't want to lose you again."

She reached through his helmet and touched his face. "You will never lose me, my love," she assured him, "For I am always with you. If not in person, then in there." She pointed to his chest.

He took her hand. "I missed you so much. I want to stay here with you."

As much as she liked that, Anna knew it would never happen. "And I miss you, Michael. I miss you every day. I would love for you to be with me... but that cannot be done. I don't like seeing you suffering like this."

"But you're here. We can--" Anna put her finger to his mouth. "I came so I can tell you that you are never alone. I know you've been in pain for a long time. I came to ease that pain and to tell you that I am always watching over you."

Michael lowered his head but then she touched his chin. "Remember the promise you made to me? I still want you to keep to it. We will be reunited again one day. You are the love of my life."

Michael stroked her hair. "I will always love you," he said. They slowly moved towards a passionate kiss. As soon as their lips touched, light exploded. When the light faded, Michael was back in his ship. The asteroid, the crystals, Anna... they were all gone. Was he imagining it?

He then realized his helmet and buckles were still fastened. No... he didn't. It was real. Michael looked to the stars. "I promise."