Eulogy Of Dying River Novels & Stories

Now the two were enjoying a late dinner at the dining table, talking about River. "Died for what?" she asked. "His mother died in an accident, while his father had a heart attack," Sean replied. Sean's face turned sad as he added, "After his mother died, River's father moved to a small house and lived alone. He often asked River to visit because he was lonely, but River couldn't because he was too busy after filling the void left by his father who didn't want to work anymore after his wife's death. And when he finally has time to visit his father, River finds him dead on the bathroom floor. His body had started to decompose, probably had died 5 days before."

The river had me, and it wasn't letting go. I hit something hard enough to see stars. My vision went white, then red, then black. Water filled my lungs. I was drowning. Actually drowning. This was how I died—not in Julian's dungeon or Malachi's rejection, but in a river that didn't care who I was or what I'd survived. *The pup,* Nyx whimpered, her voice fading. *Protect the pup...* I tried to curl around my stomach, to shield the tiny life inside me from the battering, but the current was too strong. It pulled me straight, slammed me against another rock, sent me tumbling through rapids that felt like being inside a washing machine made of knives.

My heart immediately dropped to the floor. The sight before me was nothing short of terrifying. An angry torrent of water churned angrily between jagged rocks, the current moving so fast it blurred. Sharp stones jutted from beneath the surface, and the air was thick with the scent of what was about to happen. The older people call it “The River of Souls.” It takes more than your body—it takes a piece of your soul, the elders would say and now I see why.

She gave me a tired look. “ That is why we are craving for a home. I use to think we're existing because we are here to live and die later. But I realized, living while dying is possible. No one seems to understand us the way we understand ourselves. It's crazy to think we can give comforts to others we wish we could give to ourselves.”

Only a breath, only for now. The river whispered one final word: Remember. Then stilled, its surface as calm as death. At dawn, the valley’s edges stirred with uneasy portent. Farmers watched their reflection ripple in puddles, only to see eyes blink where none should have been. Witches peered into scrying bowls and saw not futures, but drowned souls peering back. In Sirelia’s war camp, a priest of the old rites fell to his knees in terror, screaming: “The river speaks her name!”

River led the way, his mind focused on the mission, blocking out everything else. It looked like Alexander was having some kind of house party. River's temple throbbed. A party. Ellie died during a party too. Now, it was Alexander's turn.

That was before everything changed though. River sits in a bar trying to pass sometime, as she really doesn’t want to go home. Everything has changed now. Her mother died suddenly in a hiking accident, when she was in the last year of high school. Her mother had loved the outdoors and it came as a great shock to River, that her mother died in this way. As she knew how to watch out for the dangers, one can come across while in mountains.

He asked the people around and laughed. RIVER IS STANDING inside the balcony of the hall while watching the dark sky full of stars, his eyes teared up he is listening to his brother and his step-father conversations. “A person like you should not be dying, you deserve to suffer for a long time paying for all the things you did.” He said. “It’s a shame that I became related to you even just for once, it’s disgusting that once called you dad. It’s a shame that you existed in my life in our life.” He said and tears fell from his eyes.

Seated on a mat by the river, we listened as a pandit chanted mantras from the sacred scriptures. As we stood by the riverbank, Aarya’s hands trembled slightly while she held the small urns. Taking a deep breath, she opened the lids, allowing their earthly remnants to be released into the river’s gentle current. Tears streamed down her face as the ashes mingled with the water, flowing downstream towards the horizon. Aarya closed her eyes and whispered a prayer, her voice carried away by the wind. And just like that, our loved ones became one with the river, forever intertwined with the ebb and flow of nature.

‘Come. ‘Come with me.’ The river was constantly calling out to Lyla, seducing her to the deepest parts of the river one step at a time. Lyla had lost her mind. She felt unending turmoil. Perhaps only death could bring her peace and harmony. Rather than living in pain, it was better to die happily. She continued walking toward the deep part of the river. The river was getting more and more turbulent. If Lyla went further, her weak body would definitely be washed away by the river, and all that awaited her was death.