His Body

Gloria went to Hank's bedside after she heard he was terminally ill. She had not seen him for years and her worst fears were realized when she saw his wasted and emaciated body. They chatted for a few minutes, then fell silent.

She started to cry.

"Please, don't die," she said.

He responded by dying shortly after the words were spoken.

Several weeks later she thought of him, or rather his ashes which had been scattered to the wind. She imagined every dead person she had known as inhabiting some other space, but not him. He was merely his body turned to ash.