Never Again – 1

 

(The first part of the story of Joseph Moncure are based on the life of my ancestor, John Moncure Daniel, editor of the Richmond Examiner

The details of Joseph's life in 1860s Richmond closely follow those of John Moncure Daniel's – with a few exceptions.

FYI – this was previously published in 2013 by a now defunct publisher.)

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"Joseph, you cannot continue like this. For one thing it is quite unhealthy and…"

Joseph rounded on his sister, eyes blazing in anger. "You do not tell me what I can and cannot do." He returned his gaze to the wooden coffin that held the remains of the man he had loved with all his heart and soul.

"I warned you. Didn't I warn you? Never fall in love with a human. It can only end one way. They are fragile. They die. Naturally or unnaturally, they die and leave us behind to grieve."

Now, his look baleful, he returned his attention to her. "How does one stop one's heart from loving, Elizabeth?"

Seeing the pain he was in even though she couldn't understand it, she said gently, "You don't place yourself in the position to meet anyone who is not"—she spread her hands, searching for the right words—"who would not be right for you."

He scrubbed a hand over his face to wipe away the tears. "Would you have me live in seclusion? I doubt that is possible with the war being waged around us. The humans are everywhere. Besides, my job…"—he ran his fingers over the coffin—"my job requires me to interact with the humans."

"By all that's holy, Joseph, sell the damned paper. There are more than enough people who would love to own it, to use it to follow their own agendas for reporting the war."

"Precisely. Their own agendas. I make certain it tells the whole story, the true story of the war." He bowed his head over the coffin, whispering, "I promised him I would, just as he promised he'd…"—a sob wracked Joseph's body—"he promised he'd return. I should never have allowed him to cover that battle. I should have… have sent someone else. Anyone else but him."

Elizabeth stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "He would have hated you for doing that—for trying to protect him." She pressed a kiss to his temple. "For a human, he was insanely daring."

"He was," Joseph whispered. "It was one of the reasons I loved him. He would dare anything. He dared to be with me, to love me, in spite of what I am."