I was asked to talk to you kids about what I know and what I have seen in my lifetime. I suppose it’s to give you something to think about and maybe help you understand that all of us old folks were your age once.

I come from a mining town in western Pennsylvania. A city called Monongahela. It’s a place with a lot of hillsides and a lot of green trees and good, hardworking people.

I was one of seven children born in a three-room housing unit. Yes, just three rooms. Back when I was small, my folks couldn’t afford to buy a house. My Daddy worked hard in the mines for $5.00 a week back then. And back then that was good money. My Momma worked hard, too. Besides raising four girl and three boys, she hired herself out to do other people’s laundry. She brought in as much as Daddy did, so in a sense, we were living high on the hog. Excuse me, I meant to say we were doing just fine.

The first World War was over when I was born, so I can’t tell you much about that, but when the depression hit; it hit everyone hard. People were scrimping and saving as best they could. Food lines were long, and as a little boy them lines seemed to stretch from one side of the world to the other.

Then Roosevelt came along and kinda just put his hand out to everyone and slowly pulled us out of a bad situation. Things started getting better. Daddy and Momma were back doing what they do, and my older brothers up and join the Army. Three of my sister got married, and the other, well, she passed on. Momma told me she had a bad heart and went back home to God.

Then came World War Two, and I was old enough to enlist, but let me tell you something—war ain’t no joke. I saw more death and destruction in four years I ever care to see again. Lost a lot of good friends, and, two of my brothers. My other brother was injured some, but he made do. It was a heck of a time, kids. My advice is when you get old enough, avoid wars. They just cause a heap of grief.

After the war though, I came back home, found me a sweetheart and six months later we were married. Had me a job in a factory as a mechanic for all the machines used for packing clothing, boots and coats and that to be shipped off to different stores to be sold. Stayed with them close to forty years before I retired.

The wife and me, we had five children and watched them grow up and be something better than what we had. My four sons were too young for Korea, which is a blessing. But when they got old enough they enlisted about two years after President Kennedy was assassinated and that was a terrible day.

None of us knew about until after my daughter’s wedding was over, and that put a damper on the whole thing. But she married a fine man and they moved away to the other side of the country to Oregon. He had himself a Manager’s job for some place called Toys R’ Us, which made no sense to me at the time. But they did right well.

My sons, all but one because he was still too young to enlist; they ended up in Vietnam, and sad to say, they all died there. That’s one reason I tell you kids to avoid wars if you can. War ain’t nothing more than about dying. Because it sure ain’t living.

Seen one thing though I never thought the day would come, but by God, I got to see the first man on the moon. What a sight that was. Of course some people said no such thing happened. Those are the people that hide under a rock when they say stupid stuff like that.

Seen other things too. Saw a wall come down that a lot of folks thought would be there forever. Saw a thing called the Cold War end. To me, all that meant was that James Bond was out of a job. Yep, the day of secret spies and things were at an end, although, truth be told, wouldn’t surprise me none if it’s still going on … just no one will dare admit it is that works for the government here or anyplace else.

Long about 1996, my wife passed away from Breast Cancer. It’s a terrible thing for a woman to have, let me tell you. But back then, the advances in medicines and treatment wasn’t like it is today, but you girls out there, pay attention and when you get old enough, keep getting those checkups.

My one son, who by the way, became a minister, died of heart failure, pretty much the same way my sister did. So trust this, kids, keep after your health. You ain’t got but one body and you better respect it. Ain’t no place to take it to and trade for a new one.

Then came the day of the Twin Towers. Not since way back with Pearl Harbor, which by the way, set America off in joining the war; has there been so much devastation in one place. It was in one of them two buildings my daughter was in. She and her husband both. Some kind of corporate meeting or something like that. On that same day, the Pentagon was damaged, and a bunch of brave people gave up their life in an airplane to save God only knows what from happening. But that day marked a turning point on how things are done today.

I know a lot of this sounds bad, that’s because it is. But there’s a lot of good out there that’s been done. You kids probably have your favorite super-hero’s you read about or when one of them movies come out, but the real heroes are your parents and your teachers.

I say that because your parents take care of you and tend to you’re needs and care for you when your sick, and they give you love. And that’s important. Your teachers guide you through education so when you get older, you can make better choices for yourself. Without any education at all these days, it’s mighty hard to get ahead.

Okay, if you don’t mind, I think I’m going to stop. I know I probably left out a right amount of stuff or just plain forgot. So I’ll leave you with this.

Life ain’t easy. You’ll probably at some point in your life heard about the road you will walk. And that road will have dips, cracks and holes in them. There there for a reason. To make you stumble, even fall. When you do, you get three choices. Forget walking forward and go back to where you started and keep living the way you were, or just sit where you fell and don’t make no more choices for yourself. But the third thing—get up, brush off the dust and dirt and keep moving ahead. When you get to where you’re going, you’ll know right then and there it was the best decision you ever made.

Katie’s eyes slowly opened, and she sat up in bed. The world was still dark outside her windows, but she knew that soon, light would be streaming through them. She ran a hand over her bald head and climbed out of bed as fast as her cancer ridden legs allowed her too. Katie knelt beside the bed and said a quick prayer. She glanced over at the wheelchair in the corner and shook her head. She then pulled on a shirt and shorts and slowly hobbled out the door to the front porch. Dylann would be along soon.

Two years she thought as she waited for him to arrive. Two years I’ve had this dreaded cancer.

Katie was twelve when she found out she had cancer. She had been at a friend’s birthday party when she suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. They ran all sorts of scans on her and finally found what the problem was. They started chemotherapy right away, but she was already into the third stage of cancer. Shortly after, she entered the fourth stage and the doctors gave her three months to live.

“It’s been three months to the day,” she whispered to herself. The grass was still wet from the midnight dew and Katie knew that when the sun started to rise, it would dry quickly. Every morning at six, she would awaken and go outside to watch the sun rise. Her friend, Dylann, would sometimes join her. They’d been doing this for about two years, ever since the beginning.

“Hey Kay,” Dylann sat down next to her on the bench. “How ya feeling?”

“Okay,” she wrung her hands together, trying to decide whether to tell him or not. “It’s been three months.” she finally said it and instantly wished she hadn’t.

“That was just an estimate,” he sighed and ran a hand through his mousy blonde hair.

“They weren’t for certain.”

“I know.”

“Last day of school was yesterday for me,” he changed the subject and Katie was relieved.

“You got the whole summer free now,” she said. He nodded.

The sun was slowly rising, casting rays of sunlight in every direction. Wet blades of grass glistened, and the leaves of the old oak tree shown with the brilliance of it all. A bird stirred from its nest, flying and chirping the whole time.

“This never gets old,” Dylann said after a while.

“Yeah,” she agreed. She heard a creak of movement in the house and knew that her mom was awake. Katie smiled as the smell of waffles, bacon, and eggs, tickled her nose.

“You staying for breakfast?” Katie asked him, every muscle in her body willing him to say yes. Dylann and her had been friends for as long as she could remember. Even before the whole cancer thing, he’d been her best friend. When all of her other friends left, he stayed by her side through the hardest times.

“Sure, why not?” they stood up and he helped her inside. Her mom turned around and smiled at them and pulled out a seat for Katie.

“Good morning, Dylann,” she said.

“Good morning, Mrs. Edwards,” he returned. “Anything I can help you with?”

“Could you set the table please?” Dylann had been coming here for over two years so he knew where everything was and what to do. He pulled out the napkins and started folding them. When he was done, he placed a fork on each one with a knife on the other side.

“Thank you,” she said when he was done. She placed a plate filled with waffles and bacon in his spot and moved onto Katie’s plate.

“Do you have school today?” Mrs. Edwards asked.

“Last day was yesterday.” he ate a piece of bacon before continuing. ’I have the whole summer free.”

“That’s nice,” it had a forced cheerfulness. He glanced over at her and realized that her eyes were glistening with tears. He knew what she was thinking. Katie would have been done school also, but she hadn’t been doing school for a long time.

Katie looked at him. She raised her eyebrows, a sign they had come up with as little kids to tell if their mom was upset. Dylann gave a slight nod and she looked back down at her plate.

“I’m feeling better today, Mom,” she was trying to bring some happiness back into the bleak conversation.

“That’s good!” It was a sincere smile this time. She put the plate down in front of her and sat down with hers.

They ate the rest of the meal in silence except for asking for some syrup.

Dylann helped Mrs. Edwards clean up as Katie went and sat in the living room. She had pulled out her sketch pad and had started to draw when Dylann came in and sat down.

“Are you really feeling better or did you just say that to make your mom happy?” he asked.

“I’m feeling better,” she lied.

“I gotta go, your mom says you need your rest,” he stood up and looked at her. “See ya Kay.”

“Wait,” she stood up. “If I, you know, die, please look in the top right drawer of the writing desk in my bedroom. Please?” There was something in her eyes, something that told him she was certain that she was going to die. Maybe she could feel it in her bones or something.

“I promise,” he drew a cross over his heart. He pulled her into a hug and felt tears spring to his eyes. He kissed her forehead and then headed out the door, back to his house.

Katie wiped a tear away and hobbled to her room. She pulled out the chair from her writing desk, sat down and started to write.

***

Katie braced her hands on the desk and pushed up into a standing position. Her neck screamed from being bent over for so long. She twisted it right and left, loosening the stiff joints. She grabbed the letters she had just finished off the desk and slid them into envelopes.

One for Mom and Dad, the other, for Dylann.

She placed one on her nightstand and the other in the top right drawer of her writing desk. She slid into bed, her whole body burning. Tears pricked her eyes and she buried her face in the pillows.

I will not cry she told herself. She bit her lip to keep from sobbing. She finally calmed her worried mind and drifted off to sleep.

Katie awoke with a start, sitting up in bed. Her heart was racing, and she was sweating like crazy. Her bed sheets were a tangled mess and all her pillows were on the floor. She glanced at the window. It was dark outside.

Night time she thought. She untangled herself from the sheets and shakily climbed out of bed. She bent over to grab her pillows but instead she toppled. She landed with a thud. The world started to spin.

“This is it,” she whimpered. The world went in and out of focus. Darkness crept at the edges of her vision. It creeped closer until finally it had taken over her whole line of sight. She let out one last peaceful breath before she sank into oblivion.

****

Dylann sat on the bench, waiting for Katie to join him and watch the sun rise. She had been asleep already when he had come back to watch the sun set. The front door of the house opened but instead of Katie it was Mrs. Edwards.

“Hello Dylann,” her eyes were bloodshot, almost as if she had been crying. “Katie passed away last night.”

His stomach flipped. Bile rose in the back of his throat. She had been right.

“Can I see her room, please?” he asked, tears slipping down his cheeks. “She wanted me to get something.”

“That’s fine,” she opened the door and Dylann followed her in. He walked toward Katie’s room and he felt like he was entering a sacred tomb. He placed his hand on the door knob and slowly twisted it, opening the door.

Her bed was neatly made, and everything was in order. The wheelchair sat empty that morning. He pulled open the top right drawer of the writing desk and pulled out and envelope with his name on it. Sorrow washed through him as he ran his hand over the edges of it. He turned and headed back out to the bench.

Dylann opened the envelope and started to read the letter.

Dear Dylann,

Thanks for being my friend when others wouldn’t. You’re the best, I just want you to know that. You always managed to make my day brighter and you gave me enough strength to hang on a little longer.

This morning when I woke up, I could feel the cancer racing through my body and I knew that today was the day that I went home. But I wanted just a little more time to say goodbye, just one more time; so I prayed to God and I believe that He has answered my prayer.

My lungs have grown tired of bringing in air and my heart has wearied of pumping blood and I can feel it. I will go to sleep after I finish this letter and will drift off peacefully. I hope.

Have you ever heard the stories of how people have met angels and they helped and/or saved them? I’ve met my angel. You. Whether you know it or not, you are. You’ve helped me through the hardest times and you’ve saved me so many times! You’re an angel without wings, the best kind. Goodbye old friend.

Love your friend forever,

Katie.

P.S. You’ve been my guardian angel for so long I think it’s time I became yours. Just remember that no matter how far you go or how fast you run, I will always be right next to you.

He looked up from the letter, tears cascading down his face. He was just in time to see the sunrise one last time.

The Rune Bears are guides and guardians. They are sent by the Ancients to guide young travelers. The Rune Bears have the ability to change their shape and appearance; however, they are traditionally comprable in size to polar bears with a bluish white fur covered in pure white symbols and runes (hence the name).

They primarily guide lost travelers in snowstorms to safety. The following is an excerpt from Garl Thur’s diary In Winter’s Grip, where he mentions, only briefly, his interaction with a Rune Bear.

With the blizzard finally gone, I ventured out with the bow in hopes of finding small game. The snow thatI saw two weeks earlier had frozen, drifted, piled, and blown into new shapes. I barely recognized any of the trees and the small wood-shed to the East of the cabin had been miraculously freed from snow. (Before I had had to dig a good four feet deep just to reach the outlying pieces of wood.)

After travelling for two hours with nothing in sight but snow and trees, I decided to return to the cabin. Halfway back I saw movement in a clearing to my left. I crept closer, wary of mountain lions. There I saw a beast like none other. It looked like a bear but was far to big. It knew I was there, I am sure of it, but it made no movement towards me and I did not approach it. After a short pause, it moved on. I have no knowledge of what that creature was, nor have I seen anything like it since.

Of the few people I have told this too, many assume I never left the cabin at all that winter and was simply delirious with fever. I know I was not.