Dying for Love
I was 18 when I sang on my own at school. At that moment I knew the feeling of that song all to well and meant every worth I sang. It made me think about the story and about Eponine as a character. And I asked myself the question: "If she knew that Marius didn't love her back, why didn't her eye found Enjolras, who was maybe even more like her than she knew?" I kept on asking this question and tried to explore this in a story. The outcome might be surprising, but I can ensure you it's not a choppy lovestory like I usually write...but never underestimate the power of love.
He felt himself reacting before he realised what exactly happened. His finger pulled the trigger and he saw relieved how his shot killed it’s goal right in time
“What the hell were you doing?”
“They were trying to kill him!”
“They are trying to kill him all day already. That’s what happens on a barricade.”
“It’s what happens on YOUR barricade because you had no idea what you were facing. You think you’re the French revolution? They would be ashamed by this!”
Enjolras was shocked. He wasn’t used to someone doubting him so openly. Someone telling him that he was unprepared and that he didn’t know what he actually did. He wasn’t unprepared and he did know what he did. He just overestimated the people of Paris. He thought they would pick their side. He thought they would fight along. He thought they would want to die for their freedom, too
“You know where they would be ashamed off? The fact that they fought so hard and that it was all thrown away. What was their sacrifice worth? What did they reach? We don’t have it any better than they had. We have to prove that they didn’t die for nothing. We have to prove that we too are willing to fight for our country and our people!”
“And how exactly are you gonna prove that? By dying with a bunch of schoolboys and by being forgotten when they wash your blood away and continue their miserable lives without the smallest change?”
Enjolras didn’t blink and showed her a sarcastic smile.
“And what exactly were you trying to prove by dying in his place?"
He pointed towards Marius who still didn’t even notice the girl on the barricade who was willing to die in his place
“Some things are worth it to die for.”
Enjolras shook his head and laughed
“Of course. His life is worth dying for but France isn’t. Makes sense.”
She started to look angry and he had to admit that it was kind of amusing. Most girls he knew were scared and prayed for a better future instead of fighting for it. She seemed different. She had a passion and a fire he recognised all too well. He just didn’t understand how someone could be so blinded by something stupid like love to be willing to die for him or her. Love was overrated. Love was selfish. The only people benefit from it were the two lovebirds. It didn’t feed the hungry people, it didn’t create work or money for the poor. It didn’t make a change. It was pointless and overrated.
“If I die for him, I safe his life. If you die for France, nothing changes.”
He shook his head and offered the girl his hand to stand up. She pushed his hand away and raised, trying to hide that she fell and hurt herself. He wasn’t blind and saw how she forced herself to smile, but had to fight the tears in her eyes
“How did you actually get here? I mean, you’re a....a....girl."
“Woman and it seems you’re not as smart as you think cause you didn’t notice until a few minutes ago."
Enjolras stared at her while she put her cap back on and hid her long hair under it. She really looked like a boy and he couldn’t blame himself for missing her. He had to compliment her determination to get here. To die for him. It still sounded silly, but maybe she was right and maybe he wasn’t any better. Maybe they had more in common than he thought
“I assume I can’t make you leave?”
She smiled and shook her head
“I assume I can’t make you stop this useless fight?”
He smiled back and shook his head and held out his hand. She straightened her back and shook his hand with more power than he expected.
“Enjolras”
“Eponine”
He had to admit she was somehow fascinating. The flames in her eyes, the strength of her voice, her determination, her fierceness. He never met a girl willing to die for something in such a literal way as she just tried to prove. He even had to think if he ever met a boy, besides himself, who was willing to die for something he believed in. People were willing to fight, but people weren’t ready to die. Most people didn’t believe in something enough to die for it. Most people didn’t love something enough to die for it. He did. She did.
“Well, if you’re not going to leave....”
“Not as long as you’re making him fight for you."
“I don’t make him fight for me, he wants it himself."
“Because he’s lovesick and thinks he’ll never see her again...”
Enjolras didn’t want to hear it, because he knew it was true. Marius wasn’t here to die for France, he was here because he didn’t have a reason to live anymore and didn’t care about his own life anymore. Marius was here because he was rather death than alive at the moment. Love makes people do silly things.
“That makes three of us willing to die for love. He wants to die because he loves her. You want to die because you love him and I want to die because I love France.”
“And in the end we will all die a useless, pointless death which is worth nothing at all.”
Enjolras nodded. And in the end they would all die a useless, pointless death without anything changed. Marius won’t find his love back. Eponine won’t be loved by Marius and France would suffer on. Useless, pointless and overrated. But if he would quit now. If he would say it had been enough. If he would state that he shouldn’t have risked his friends lives. Would that change anything?
“France is worth it.”
“I think Marius is too.”
Enjolras knew he wouldn’t be able to change her mind with words. Just like her words couldn’t change his mind. Maybe time would do the job for them both. Maybe time would kill them. Maybe time would bring them reason
“If you’re gonna stay to fight....”
He grabbed his pistol and pressed it in her hands
“You’re gonna need a weapon.”
“I don’t know how to handle it..."
He looked at her hands and saw the wounds on her fingers and knuckles. She was used to fight with her bare hands. If she could come this far with just her bare hands. What kind of a warrior could she become with a good weapon?
“I’ll teach you how to use it. It’s a lot stronger than fighting with your bare hands.”
He saw a smile on her face and felt himself smiling along
“Never underestimate the power of love.”
“I don’t.”
If he would have said that a few minutes ago it would have been a lie. Right now, he wasn’t that sure anymore. Maybe the power of love was bigger than he ever thought. Maybe the power of love was even strong enough to eventually break even his pride.
Maybe...if time wouldn’t kill them.
He felt himself reacting before he realised what exactly happened. His finger pulled the trigger and he saw relieved how his shot killed it’s goal right in time
“What the hell were you doing?”
“They were trying to kill him!”
“They are trying to kill him all day already. That’s what happens on a barricade.”
“It’s what happens on YOUR barricade because you had no idea what you were facing. You think you’re the French revolution? They would be ashamed by this!”
Enjolras was shocked. He wasn’t used to someone doubting him so openly. Someone telling him that he was unprepared and that he didn’t know what he actually did. He wasn’t unprepared and he did know what he did. He just overestimated the people of Paris. He thought they would pick their side. He thought they would fight along. He thought they would want to die for their freedom, too
“You know where they would be ashamed off? The fact that they fought so hard and that it was all thrown away. What was their sacrifice worth? What did they reach? We don’t have it any better than they had. We have to prove that they didn’t die for nothing. We have to prove that we too are willing to fight for our country and our people!”
“And how exactly are you gonna prove that? By dying with a bunch of schoolboys and by being forgotten when they wash your blood away and continue their miserable lives without the smallest change?”
Enjolras didn’t blink and showed her a sarcastic smile.
“And what exactly were you trying to prove by dying in his place?"
He pointed towards Marius who still didn’t even notice the girl on the barricade who was willing to die in his place
“Some things are worth it to die for.”
Enjolras shook his head and laughed
“Of course. His life is worth dying for but France isn’t. Makes sense.”
She started to look angry and he had to admit that it was kind of amusing. Most girls he knew were scared and prayed for a better future instead of fighting for it. She seemed different. She had a passion and a fire he recognised all too well. He just didn’t understand how someone could be so blinded by something stupid like love to be willing to die for him or her. Love was overrated. Love was selfish. The only people benefit from it were the two lovebirds. It didn’t feed the hungry people, it didn’t create work or money for the poor. It didn’t make a change. It was pointless and overrated.
“If I die for him, I safe his life. If you die for France, nothing changes.”
He shook his head and offered the girl his hand to stand up. She pushed his hand away and raised, trying to hide that she fell and hurt herself. He wasn’t blind and saw how she forced herself to smile, but had to fight the tears in her eyes
“How did you actually get here? I mean, you’re a....a....girl."
“Woman and it seems you’re not as smart as you think cause you didn’t notice until a few minutes ago."
Enjolras stared at her while she put her cap back on and hid her long hair under it. She really looked like a boy and he couldn’t blame himself for missing her. He had to compliment her determination to get here. To die for him. It still sounded silly, but maybe she was right and maybe he wasn’t any better. Maybe they had more in common than he thought
“I assume I can’t make you leave?”
She smiled and shook her head
“I assume I can’t make you stop this useless fight?”
He smiled back and shook his head and held out his hand. She straightened her back and shook his hand with more power than he expected.
“Enjolras”
“Eponine”
He had to admit she was somehow fascinating. The flames in her eyes, the strength of her voice, her determination, her fierceness. He never met a girl willing to die for something in such a literal way as she just tried to prove. He even had to think if he ever met a boy, besides himself, who was willing to die for something he believed in. People were willing to fight, but people weren’t ready to die. Most people didn’t believe in something enough to die for it. Most people didn’t love something enough to die for it. He did. She did.
“Well, if you’re not going to leave....”
“Not as long as you’re making him fight for you."
“I don’t make him fight for me, he wants it himself."
“Because he’s lovesick and thinks he’ll never see her again...”
Enjolras didn’t want to hear it, because he knew it was true. Marius wasn’t here to die for France, he was here because he didn’t have a reason to live anymore and didn’t care about his own life anymore. Marius was here because he was rather death than alive at the moment. Love makes people do silly things.
“That makes three of us willing to die for love. He wants to die because he loves her. You want to die because you love him and I want to die because I love France.”
“And in the end we will all die a useless, pointless death which is worth nothing at all.”
Enjolras nodded. And in the end they would all die a useless, pointless death without anything changed. Marius won’t find his love back. Eponine won’t be loved by Marius and France would suffer on. Useless, pointless and overrated. But if he would quit now. If he would say it had been enough. If he would state that he shouldn’t have risked his friends lives. Would that change anything?
“France is worth it.”
“I think Marius is too.”
Enjolras knew he wouldn’t be able to change her mind with words. Just like her words couldn’t change his mind. Maybe time would do the job for them both. Maybe time would kill them. Maybe time would bring them reason
“If you’re gonna stay to fight....”
He grabbed his pistol and pressed it in her hands
“You’re gonna need a weapon.”
“I don’t know how to handle it..."
He looked at her hands and saw the wounds on her fingers and knuckles. She was used to fight with her bare hands. If she could come this far with just her bare hands. What kind of a warrior could she become with a good weapon?
“I’ll teach you how to use it. It’s a lot stronger than fighting with your bare hands.”
He saw a smile on her face and felt himself smiling along
“Never underestimate the power of love.”
“I don’t.”
If he would have said that a few minutes ago it would have been a lie. Right now, he wasn’t that sure anymore. Maybe the power of love was bigger than he ever thought. Maybe the power of love was even strong enough to eventually break even his pride.
Maybe...if time wouldn’t kill them.