love IS a temple Day 13 part 3

Anne tries to be funny, she wipes her tears from her cheek recollecting stories of her brother and her torturing their parents. She talks to her mom and starts every sentence with 'remember that time...' laughing and crying at the same time, she says she refuses to be mad at this situation, that its shown her life is precious and she'll haunt them all if they spend more than a week of grieving for her. She barely acknowledges where she is and what is about to happen other than she mentions two people. She talks about Liz, and if they get a chance to meet her when all this is done that they must. That the two of them became instant friends she says 'remember how I used to pretend I was playing with my imaginary sister, talking to her about boys, and school and stuff, Liz did the same things, so I'm pretty sure we were just talking to each other even though we were miles apart.'

She tells them about a man named Ross. She says if you meet him you'll think he's just this big teddy bear of a guy, the joking goof ball that could make Darth Vader laugh, but the truth is he's this gentle soul. He cared for her and he barely knew her. They didn't meet under the best circumstances nor did she look at her best, but she felt every time he looked at her she still should blush because he looked at her with such wonder and awe that he made each day of the past two weeks just a little bit bearable. She told her family they needed to find the two of them after this was over and welcome them in their home, they were family, and will always be in her heart.

Ross walks up to the monitor nervously as his turn arrives, the woman before him was a mess, crying and screaming so sure she was doomed. He looks into the camera and says "So a hundred people walk into a room...." he grabs the mic "Is this thing on?" he chuckles and timidly runs his hands through his messy mane of hair. He says good bye to his Mom, thanks her for putting up with him and doing the best she could with what she had. He thanks his Dad for the times they were together, and he tells him he hates the times they were apart. He tells his siblings that he wishes he had been a bigger part of their lives. That he thanks them for putting up with his quirky, he thanks his older brother for introducing him to The Beatles, and how he's felt that their isn't anything they've ever sang that anyone anywhere hasn't felt. With that he says "To my family" and his voice becomes a soft song, "close your eyes and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you, remember I'll always be true. And then while I'm away I'll think of home every day and I send all my loving to you."

He composes himself. Sniffles and wipes the tears away from his face so hard it makes his cheeks red. Then he starts up, "There's one more person I want to say good bye to. Anne." he straightens himself up and shakes his head as if to clear the cobwebs and sadness. "Anne, thank you. Thank you for taking the time to get to know me, to talk to me, to be someone who listened to the things I said. Its been only two weeks but I felt I've known you forever. Its not natural, not to me at least, so therefore I expose you, that's right, I'm calling you out and asking you to tell the world what is your power. Whatever it is, its...its...the best word I can think of is bewitching, you bewitched me. There are times I've been sitting next to you and your talking and I can't help but notice the part of your face, just below your eyes, the path that runs from your chin along side your nose and I think...I think wow.

Then I think to myself what guy looks at a woman and sees the part of her face along her nose and near her mouth and thinks wow, who finds that spot attractive? Who sees it and thinks, her skin is so smooth, tender yet strong and at that moment I just want to lean in and place the most delicate kiss on that spot. I want my lips to just gently touch it, its just a small kiss, not a peck, not like you're my grandma, I mean the most gentle of kisses to be placed on that spot, that spot that is golden and so sweet it glows. If you watch this Anne, know that I longed to do that so many times. God I sound like the biggest creeper right now. Crap. Well...anyway, Anne, for you I have..." his voice again turns to a soft melody. "Yeah you, you got that something, I hope you understand. When I see that something, I want to hold your hand. I want to hold your hand, I wanna hold your hand." his voice trails off.

The group behind him stands quiet, their own tears gone for a moment, they're replaced with his, as he stand there, adjusts his shirt and raises his head high and walks away from the altar. The rest of the groups give their speeches, Dalton, Jim, Scott, and the others all speak and each enter the rooms they've gone too. Now they wait, they sit in the rooms with the dim lights and they wait to find out which room or rooms will be executed, which will be ending the expedition, which group just said their final good byes.

End part 3