the desert air was dry,
scratching his throat.
he stood at the end
of the road,
squinting in the sun.
he saw red in the distance;
the color of his lover.
he closed his eyes
and held out his hands,
waiting.

his lover pushed back
his red hair out of his face.
he came up to the ghoul
and wrapped his arms around him,
whispering to him that—
that this time was the end,
that this time...
he wouldn’t be able
to follow him.
he brought his hands
up to the ghoul’s face,
and kissed him hard.
a kiss of poison;
a kiss of goodbye.

and then the ghoul
was left...
standing alone
under the sunshine.