#cs graham

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Carmen was laying on her bed on a sunny Saturday morning, looking out of her window with a smile on her face. It was a beautiful day. A perfect day to smile. Everything she had worked so hard to achieve worked out perfectly. She took down the world’s biggest crime organization. Now, it was time to be a normal young lady in her early 20s.

Her mother was basically an older version of her with gray streaks in her hair. They got along so well they could pass as sisters with an age gap. The two of them were looking for a good university for her. Knowing Carmen, she’d make it to one of the Ivies, so that’s what they shot for. Life was finally starting to go back to how it was always supposed to be. Carmen’s affection for her friends never died and they met up whenever they could. Player taught her how gaming works. She could let loose again.

She let loose. Just like she did all those years ago with him. When she laughed out loud and her whole face lit up. When she ran not because her life was potentially at stake, but because her young self wanted to win a game of tag. Oh, yes, him. How was he? Did he still remember her? Did he still miss her? Did he hate her for leaving him hanging?

Her train of thoughts came to a stop when she heard knocking from outside her door.

“ Mum?” she called out.

“ Carmen, dear, there’s a letter for you,” Vera Cruz replied.

“ A letter? Who sent it?” Carmen asked, opening the door for her mother. Curiosity laced the older woman’s face as she held a purple envelope.

“ I don’t know. Somebody named Graham Calloway. Do you know any Graham Calloway?” Vera said, handing her daughter the letter. Vera noticed the shift in Carmen’s countenance.

“ Why do you look so puzzled, Carm?”

“ Mom, hold on a second. Give me some time to read this, okay?”.

Carmen practically tore the envelope open to retrieve the letter inside. Her eyes darted from word to word, and her heart didn’t know what rhythm to follow. Should it beat faster or should it stop beating entirely? Tears welled up in her eyes like an overflowing bucket. Her tears streamed down like a waterfall, blurring her vision as well as the words written in blue ink on the ripped out ruled page of a notebook. Carmen’s world went stormy gray in a matter of seconds.

Carmen was numb to everything now. She couldn’t fully process what her mother was saying. She guessed it was a concerned questionnaire she wasn’t in the right state of mind to answer. The letter sat idly on the floor while Carmen sobbed into her mother’s chest, her whole figure shaking.

THE LETTER:

Dear Carmen,

Hey, it’s been a while. This is Gray writing.

Mate, I’m really bummed out about not seeing you one last time at the hospital. I forgive you for everything you’ve ever done. It wasn’t you speaking that night at the museum. That was all in the past, forget it. Move on.

Anyways, I suppose I should get to the point. I should tell you why I’m actually writing this letter. Well, I just love talking to you in general, even if the conversations are one sided. And this one is the most one-sided conversation I’ll ever have. Or had. Carmen, if you’re reading this, it’s because we won’t ever see each other again. That’s impossible. Not because you don’t want to come into my life and complicate it again or something, but because I’m six feet under in a coffin. Toowong Cemetery.

The doctors at the hospital are great, but they couldn’t see this coming. I did recover, but not for long. I was completely fine and ready to go start a fresh new life when my health deteriorated again. The injuries from that night made my heart weaker. The doctors did everything they could to save me, they truly did. They let me know that I probably don’t have much time to live. So I wrote this letter and gave it to Chief Tamara. I told her to give this to you when and if my heart fails me.

Carmen, I died because of heart failure, not because of what you did under technological influence. I DON’T BLAME YOU FOR ANYTHING. YOU ARE NOT AT FAULT.

I’ll tell you everything I never had the balls to say while I was alive. Carmen, I love you. You have no idea how much. Seeing you grow up into the strong woman you are today was a shocking, drastic thing to witness but it was wonderful, even when we were on opposing teams. I’m only human, Carm. Humans are selfish. Even when you returned to VILE and I wanted you to snap back to reality I did nothing about it for 6 months because I just liked having you close to me, beside me, working with me and not against me.

I never knew I could love someone as much as I love you. I want you to be happy. I wish you success in everything you do. Find a person who loves you just as much as I do, but don’t forget me okay. Even they have better looks and more money and a stronger moral compass, think of me fondly. I can handle any electric shock, but I can’t handle it ever if you think of me badly. Not even in death.

Oh, and did I mention I really love you?

Sincerely,