to recognize one another—glimpse past, before she could speak—before she could even acknowledge their déjà vu moment, she watches the life flutter out of his body through his eyes.
Again she was alone. How many more have to die—why does she feel bad about this one? She did all she could.
Tears fill her eyes as she mourns the death of this man she’d never known with loud sobs. Watching him die felt like watching a part of herself die too. The pain cuts dagger deep into her heart. Hands covered in blood, she rips the dog tags from his neck and puts them in her pocket. Sign of the cross—prayer for the dead; she moves on to the next injured soldier lying helpless on the field.
***
First eyes meet in a sea of people surrounding. Despite the masses, their gaze remains constant and certain. He’s playing guitar in a circle of people but keeps looking her way; she’s pushing past people singing and smoking nearing him. People part like leaves of trees or Moses at the red sea. Inches apart, he stands up above her, smiling. Coyly, she cozies up to his shoulder and whispers in his ear.
“I’m Sativa.”
The guy looks down at Sativa and embraces her body against his—lips touch, suck; release. Hands holding her head on either side, her gives her a quick peck.
“I’m Skye—are you a drug? Because I swear I could be on you all night.”
Sativa blushes. “It’s just a name.”
Skye picks up his guitar and plays it standing in front of Sativa. “Want to smoke this with me?” He’s holding a joint between his thumb, pointer, and middle fingers.
“How could I refuse an offer like that?”
“You can’t. Do you play?” Skye pointed to the guitar.
“A little.”
“Do you ever get the feeling we’ve done this before?”
“Done what?”
“This—us. I feel like I already know you.”
“Maybe you do,” she says speaking through a permanent smile.
“I would remember meeting you,”
“Must have been in another life then.”
“Must have been.”
Lying down in the grass, Sativa stumbles over Skye as she sits down excitedly next to him.
“Try this with me.”
“What is it?”
“It’s called LSD.”
“What’s it do?”
“Makes you see the world behind this one.”
“Let’s do it.”
Sativa has two pills in her hand—Skye takes one. They lay back down in the grass and their thoughts start to drift. Further away from reality they gravitate until they lost all sense of it—hearts stop.