Old Man

"Go to the Old Man. Find him and you will find me." These words were whispered hurriedly, and urgently into her ear before he ran.

"Wait!" She called after him. "What old man? Who? How do I find him?"

"Find him!" The words were faint, and the figure was rapidly disappearing.

'How am I to find him when I don't know which old man to look for. There are millions of old men in the world.'

*****

Anna had been lithe and beautiful when her search had started. At times she had wanted to give up. She had looked up every old man that she could think that Thomas knew. She had not found him. Now she was pale, a shadow of her former self. Still she continued to search.
****

Anna was old, it was hard for her to continue; she hardly remembered now why she should, why it mattered. The only thing that kept her going was the fact that she had not found the old man. She didn't think the old man existed anymore, but her love's command that she find the old man still rang in her mind.

Anna lowered her aching body beside a great tree, leaning against the rough bark. It was harsh against her paper thin skin.

"Anna, you made it." The voice seemed to come from the tree itself, ancient and woody.

"Thomas." Anna sighed, closing here eyes for the last time.

Thomas stepped from within the confines of the tree, and looked at his love, Tenderly he reached out and grasped her cooling hand. Pulling gently he drew her young soul towards him.

Leaving her body behind he bore her towards a new life; with him at her side. Forever.