Monday, April 27, 2009

All that is precious, can be held in a bell

As promised, here is my short story I've been working on. Mind you, if you're used to my normal style of short story, this one is longer then those.


All that is precious can be held in a bell
The young man couldn’t believe the stranger when he had made him an offer on a night at his lowest. A chance to leave, leave without anyone important remembering anything important about you. The young man felt he had no one like that anyways, but gave the old man consent to do as he wished. A list was handed to the old man before he left the window ceil, gleefully laughing into the darkest night. The young man packed some things into a bag, and prepared to leave in the morning before the sun had risen, he didn’t want his mother and father to freak out over a stranger in their house, if they did in fact lose their memory of him. He planned his trip accordingly, marking places he would travel, things he wanted to see all in a notebook he stashed in the bag. Upon the hour of the young man’s leaving, the old man returned to the window ceil, with seven jingling bells in his hand.
“With this, you can leave without any regrets, no one on your list will know who you are, or that you’ve existed at all. You’re free to leave” The old man said cheerfully as he handed me the bells. I could feel the warmth in the small metal, like a living beating heart.
“These are the holders of the memories of your family, your friends, and the girl you love. They will return if they hold them respectively, and disappear forever if they’re lost. You can turn back, or press on forwards, it’s your choice.” The old man smiled as he suddenly disappeared from the ceil. The young man slowly trekked down the steps of the quiet house, being careful not to wake the residents. He placed the bells in his old cabinet, all lined in a row, with a note to each person, in case they were to find them. The young man didn’t want the bells to become lost, or destroyed, but hopefully left un-found in room that no longer belonged to him. The young man let himself out the back and stepped into the cold air of the night and began to walk down the street towards the direction of the airport.

Three weeks later, much of the family and friends had not changed. They had some mysterious and strange questions pertaining to a young man they didn’t know, but other than that, they just continued on as if nothing happened. They often passed by a room they knew to be unoccupied, but felt as if they shouldn’t open the door to. They sat and had dinner every night, wondering if something felt off, but quickly chocked it up to a lack of dessert. The young man’s presence and memories went forgotten as they continued the first month since his absence.

On the same token, the young man’s friends went about their daily lives, unaware of his absence. Their heads always turned as they laughed at jokes they didn’t know the origin of, or when talked of subjects they hadn’t known they were taught. They laughed openly into the preceding months as if nothing had ever gone missing.

The girl whom the young man had fallen in love with hadn’t changed much either. She hadn’t really loved him in the first place. She often looked distant, as if pondering about the empty spot on the field as she turned back to have a Frisbee fly over her head. She kept expecting to see something or someone lying in the open sun, resting before he jumped back into the game. She figured after a while, that it must be her imagination, and she resumed her focus as she swatted the point shot away.

The young man smiled as he found himself in an apartment in the country of Japan. His job was steady, he had a place to live, and he was close to the country side where he would often take walks, soaking in the colors and the long hills that flowed like the ocean. The young man found himself to be happy, he carried the burden of the memories of what he had left behind, but he found his way to something that could make him smile. He wondered if anyone had found the bells in the cabinet back at home, but quickly shook away the thoughts as he sat down to eat dinner before retiring to bed.

Two years passed by like this, life flowing in the usual manner, and many of the questions that had confused the mother and father and the sister had been forgotten. The mother and father had grown slightly older, and the sister had graduated, now starting the first years of college. She was packing her bags to move into the dorms when she realized she couldn’t find something. She tore up most of the house looking for her plushy she wanted to bring with her. Walking up the stairs, she stopped in front of the unoccupied room, and stared at the white door. She felt as if she shouldn’t go in, but as she cracked open the handle, the door popped open. She entered the room a saw the dust gathering on everything in the room. Her eyes skimmed over the bed and the dressers, the T.V and the mini-fridge, pausing just long enough to ask herself who the owner was. She searched high and low for her missing plushy before pausing in front of a cabinet. She pried it open and peeked inside. Finding it bare except for seven bells and seven pieces of paper, her eyes quickly darted to the one labeled with her name. It stated to touch her bell before continuing to read this page. Her hand slowly reached out to the metallic object, before lightly touching it with her fingertips. Suddenly, she felt electrified, her head suddenly burned with the images of a young man with a sad smile, a young man that had accompanied her from the beginning of her life, to the recent years of her high school career, and then disappeared. She gripped her head as she picked herself off of the floor, grabbing the letter and continuing to read her brother’s last message before he left.

Dear sister,
I’m counting on the fact that you won’t find this, but if you do, touch the bell I’ve left in front of this note. If the old man was correct, then you should have the memories you’ve forgotten, memories you didn’t need. To be honest, I really wanted to see you grown up into a young bustling college student, and congratulate you as you carried your diploma. But I now realize that I’ve been quite the hindrance to the family and to you. I wish that these bells could have remained forgotten, but if you’re now burdened by the memory of me, then at least know that I’m not there to plague you further. Live a happy life, be prosperous. This is your chance in life to obtain happiness, so don’t stop running towards your goal! I know you can do it.

-Best wishes


She sank to her knees as her memories flashed in her mind, up until the very last question she received, inquiring to the status of her brother. Her eyes overflowed as she curled up on the floor, overwhelmed by her forgotten brother.

The mother and father found the sister soon after she regained her memories. She refused to go to the college she had planned to travel to earlier, and settled for a college that was closer to home. She handed the letters and the bells to her mother and father, and soon they understood why. Memories of their forgotten son, memories that made every object in their house make sense. All of the books, the games, the clothes that had no origin, suddenly told their story to them. The empty seat at dinner suddenly couldn’t be filled with dessert, and they sat in silence in the young man’s room, looking out his window at the sky.

Upon the finding of the bells, they compared letters and found out that only the “correct owners” could activate the memories stored in them. Each letter was handed to the young man’s friends soon after finding their location. They had long since split up, colleges driving them to far lengths across the state. Each person upon touching the bell regained their memories of the young man, before realizing how much time had passed by since his leaving. It had been almost three years since he had left, leaving a gap in their memories wider than any distance that had separated them. They set about in a frenzy, tears steaming along their paths as they rushed to find any clues as to his whereabouts.

Word eventually got to the young man’s love, whom was also a friend of his sister. The sister was torn as to what she should do. Even she didn’t know the woman’s feelings for her brother. The woman hadn’t fallen in love with anyone in the past 3 years, for reasons even she didn’t understand herself. She was often found lying out in an open field, staring at an open skyline. She couldn’t quite place it, but she felt as if something was still missing. The sister walked up to the woman and handed her the note, but withheld the bell before asking her a question.
“Do you love anyone?” She murmured, clutching the bell to her chest, savoring the soft click it made.
“If you mean right now, then no, I can’t speak about the past, because I just can’t remember” She says out right, thinking back to the strange feeling.
The sister hands her the bell, her face hidden behind her bangs. The woman took it in her palm, and soon followed the images and the memories. She gazed back at the now empty field she was on, and recalled the games they used to play. She became painfully aware of the memories of the games that had passed without him trotting on the field. She had to admit, that she hadn’t “loved” him at the time of his leaving, but rather felt he would always be there. Suddenly, the woman glanced at the spot she had inhabited on the field, tracing his favorite spot, which surprisingly enough, had become hers as well.

A few more years pass, and the young man finds himself back in his home town, gazing at the places he had left behind. Shops had changed, or stayed the same and the buildings that he had left unfinished, now stood tall and proud amongst the landscape. He sat down in a familiar mall, with a soda in hand, and gazed at people passing by. He spied many people from his school days, and he smiled as they toted small children behind them. He places his cap on before continuing to his journey. Upon reaching the parking lot, he catches a familiar scent, as he walks by a woman his age. His eyes water at his remembrance of his first love, and he quickly adjusts his ball cap to hide his tears. He glances back as he continues to walk, with his eyes in shock. It was the one he had left behind, the one without memories of him. Figuring she was still without, he turned and continued his walk towards his car.

The woman found her way to the mall. Since she had recovered her memories, she had spent the last few years waiting for his return. The information his friends found showed his family and anyone else, that he had made several plane ticket purchases in his absence. He had traveled the world, from Europe to Australia, and settled in Japan, before dropping off of their map for 3 years. But yesterday, they received an update, stating that he had purchased a ticket headed home. They devised to have everyone split up to places that he would likely be or visit. The woman walked around the mall for a few hours, remembering trips to it with him in tow. She couldn’t believe that he would just up and visit home like that. She remembered his letter to her, and the time she spent reading it, over and over till the sun disappeared. She unfolded it from her the inside of her purse, and gazed at the lines on the page that had been engraved in her mind.

To you, whom I hold the dearest,
I know you won’t be reading this, just like I know you don’t share my feelings. I wanted so badly for you to see me for me, to love me. But I don’t think fate had it written out for us to live happily ever after. I couldn’t make you smile, or give you a laugh, or give you anything worthwhile. You probably have met someone worth something to you; someone you can love freely, for thinking of you happy is the only way I could leave. I truly hope that you’ve finally become who you want to be, with who you want to be with. Your happiness is my own, I don’t need anything else. I just wanted to thank you for the memories, for all of the smiles, I know you don’t remember them, but I hold them close to my heart, and they keep me alive during these grey, grey days. I pray for your eternal happiness.

-Good bye


Her eyes watered like always, before folding up the note and placing it back in its proper place. She had cursed him at first for leaving such a selfish note, not knowing whether to cry because she had forgotten him, or because he had done all of this because of her. But she understood why he had stood complacent at the time she had seen him last. He had confessed once before, but she turned him down. She had a funny feeling, being confessed to by a guy, and had settled it to “friends”. She hadn’t realized that he still loved her, or how deep it really ran. She sighed as she checked her watch before deciding it was time to make another round around the mall before calling to check in.

The young man had finished touring the high school he had at one time attended. He smiled as he stepped into the band class he had loved so much, and had grown so attached to. He left as the afternoon bell tolled the completion of another period of arduous studies. He traveled to the only spot he had yet to visit; the old Frisbee field. Upon his arrival, he gazed out onto the large field, smiling as he felt a warm breeze pass by. He had to admit, although the Japanese had a large variety of thing that America didn’t, they didn’t have the Frisbee he had grown to love. He flopped back onto the grass like he used to, staring off into the sky. He didn’t really have a place to return to, unless you count the hotel room he rented, and staying here seemed more appealing.

It grew dark, and one by one, the shops in the mall began to close, and slowly empty out as its resident’s headed home. Deciding to do the same, the woman retreated to her car, deciding on her next destination. She found that she couldn’t sleep when she arrived home, knowing that he was somewhere close. She got up and walked to his house, and gazed at the window to his room almost wishing him to appear like some kind of reverse Romeo and Juliet. She laughed a little when she realized that she herself did not possess as many memories of him as she thought. Memories of short days hanging out with him, or random and funny conversations, and Frisbee games were all that occupied his part of her mind. “Such a short list, a short time together” a dry laugh escaped, her head sank down into her chest. She spotted his car, dormant on the driveway, collecting dust from the inactivity of its master. Rides to nowhere, and rides to distant places with her in the passenger seat glowed in the back of her mind. Maybe she didn’t need a lot of memories, just the one that meant the world to her.

Almost five years of absence, and time had felt frozen here in his home town. Morning came, and he found himself walking along the paths around his old college. With a cap to hide his eyes, he wandered around taking in the sights, and the people. It was a strange love story, the boy who fell for a girl, only to have it end in pain. He wanted to start new, but maybe things hadn’t changed so much. The young man had met and seen wonderful people, young women of incredible beauty. But his own memories always haunted him, kept him from being anything more than friends.

She looked out upon what his friend had said to be their old campus. He had gone to park the car, dropping her off to look around. It was quite small for a college, but it felt like home. She wandered, slowly drawing in everything that had made the young man who he was. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, she spied some kind of commotion happening in the corner near the parking lot.

The young man had been enjoying the old life he had left behind, slowly getting ready for his departure. Suddenly a warm breeze caught him and brought about that familiar scent that cause him to cry so much. He drops to his knees as the tears start to fall, and he hugs his arms to his chest, if only trying to grasp that fleeting breeze. He shakes himself off, and wipes the warm tears from his eyes and glances towards the road ahead. To his surprise, through the shadows and the parted crowd, a wavering dress, and a bright smile fill his vision. The crowd gathered around the both of them, and the young man slowly got up from his position on the ground to face the woman he had left. She was smiling, with tears slowly falling down her face, with a look that had said it all.
“You don’t remember anything. Please tell me you don’t remember…” The young man’s voice stuttered out.
“You don’t want me to remember? It’s hard to believe I forgot at all, but you’re the one responsible for it right?” she murmured as she wiped her eyes.
“I just didn’t…” the young man started
She silently placed a finger on his lips, killing anything he could think of.
“You said what you needed to say in my letter didn’t you? Let me make up for all of the time and the words that I couldn’t find…”
The breeze blows fiercely, scattering his thoughts like the leaves upon the ground, that ever so familiar scent causing his heart to race. Through the crowd they met face to face, the one who started it all, the fool who fell in love, the perfect woman, the most imperfect man, the beauty, and the crying beast.

As always, Happy reading!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I lied about the short story

I was listening to some rather inspiring music lately, and I felt like doing some poetry again. I know I said I'd do a short story, but I lied... Sorry, I've been busy doing school work and setting up my next classes, so I haven't found any time to sit down and write anything more than poetry. Anyways, here's some poetry as a sorry for lying.

Pacing, Pacing, Pacing
An unknowing pawn in life
Marching to the tune of the Maestro
Singing like he was taught
Loud in this soul-less spiral
From the day he was conceived
To the day he became aware
His memories and his music betrayed him
He knew no better
He cried no harder
He drowned no faster
Lost in the current of time
His story hasn’t reached the end
He wanders farther into the world of truth
Fighting the urge of existing monotony
His cry reaches the corners of the globe
Falling to the floor
His shoulders heaving like those of a child
Sobs painting the darkened sky around him
Comfort falling from the sky
A shower of meteors
Wishes upon the falling tears in the sky
Sympathizing heavens send their blessings
Lost, but born anew
Hurt but never gone
He trudges on to his own beat
Drifting farther into the abyss

---------------------------------------------

Bound by the memories of our past
Chained to our hearts
I’m grasping the chain
Trying to find you, draw you closer
But our memories are thinning
Your love is running low
My love is killing me
I’m frantically swimming in this blanket of cold
Just wanting your warmth
I’m drawing ever closer to the end of the chain
Memories still fresh in my mind
And it suddenly slackens in my grip
And I’m left with nothing but the empty end of a cold chain
Weeping softly
Bound to the chain ever so heavy
I march off into the cold night alone



Happy Reading!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Some poetry this time

I've had a hard time writing lately, finding ideas, inspiration to put something down on paper. I'm in the middle of writing another short story, but I'm getting some serious writer's block, so I'll post it next time. But I have some poetry today, something a little more modern and rough, so I warn you, the style isn't typical. But I hope you enjoy reading it.

Dang
Got my heart goin' again
Unpredictability is the only thing predictable
And my heart beating
Is such dangerous game
A time bomb in my chest
Shouting it's mind to the world
To diffuse or not
Is it really a question?
After all
I don't want to hurt you
I'm a time bomb
And these feelings will die alone

One more!

A young man brushes by me

Wrapping his arms around a woman in the crowd

A car breezes through them and off into the sunset

Wings in the air

Birds on the ground

A drummer throwing bomb through a window

And the sun you saw so high in the sky

Is now settling into night

As your eyes catch the young couple

On a park bench doing goodness know what

I blink before continuing to walk

Shielding my eyes from the blazing sun

And cranking the volume on my Ipod

We only exist in this song

Disappearing with each verse

Our story etched into the BGM of your life


The first poem is pretty straight forwards, so I won't go into it. But the second poem is a little obscure, so I'll explain and try to revise it later and re-post so it makes more sense.

I usually stare off when I listen to music, because I like to visualize what's going on in the music as if it's real life. So it's like a movie playing in my head as the music goes on and the characters act out the lyrics. But as I thought more about it, I felt kind of sad. Each person, each character is like a story, a character given life for one moment in each lyric or sentence. But I guess that's like our lives right? We're given moments to live in the small amount of time we have in our conscious lives, and after it disappears, we're left with the memories we've kept in our hearts, playing over and over like the lyrics in a song, or the scene from a love story. Anyways, if it makes sense to you, then I hope you try it, it gives life to the music you listen to everyday. Happy Reading!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

New short story

I don't know, I guess I've been in the mood for short stories. I want to spend time to write a novel, but I wouldn't know where to put it for people to read... So I think it's easier and more convenient to write short stories. Here it is!


It's an old love story, one that kept on playing, even into the late hours of the night. A young man, unable to sleep, wishes that the world around him would crumble. His "I need you" and his "Please don't leave me" are drowned out as the god's answer his wishes, and the young man is thrown into a displaced void. With the peace of mind he's only dreamed of, the young man finally set's his weary eyes to rest. After all he knows that even in this void, the woman he loves cannot possibly exist, and that all he once knew has come to an end, he finally had his peace. Suddenly the black world around him shrinks and it's replaced with a hospital room he's unfamiliar with. He's surrounded by people he could call his friends, and people he can call family. They're all weeping around a bed with someone whom he cannot see. He draws closer to the bed to see his own body lying amongst the rumpled sheets. Dazed and confused, the young man tries to shake his father, hug his mother only to have them slip through his fingers. The young man slumps to the floor, unable to do anything but let his world become as unstable as before. As the people leave, and his parents return home, he's left alone in a room with his body, and the soft beeping of his slow pulse on the machine next to its bed. The young man screams as the night begins to set in and sobs as he slides down the wall in a helpless lump. After all, no one cared when he was alive, he couldn't reach the cold hearts of his "friends" nor come to understanding with his "family", and the only one he had loved didn’t, no he wouldn't go there. His moment is interrupted by someone entering the room, `Must be a nurse` he thought as he sat in the corner. He's disrupted by a strong voice, one that filled his ears to the brim, causing him to cringe for a second. The voice tells him to look twice at the one who entered his room, for sometimes his mistakes can cause him to become blind to the truth. He looks disbelievingly towards the bed at the young woman next to his body. Even he cannot hide the surprise behind his depression as he recognizes his first and last love. She pulled up the chair his mother had been sitting in at the time of her visit and sits next to his body. He sees the confusion on her face, her gaze locked on his face. She begins to speak, softly as not to alert the nurses of her presence this late at night.


“I don’t exactly know why I couldn’t visit you earlier, when I got a phone message saying that you were in a coma in the hospital, with unknown causes on top of that, I just couldn’t believe it, my mind just kept telling me that… it just couldn’t be you” she whispered as she drew closer to the bed.



“You know, I’ve had people I liked before, people I felt I couldn’t live without, people that my heart grew attached to before I knew what was going on. I couldn’t, at the time of your confession, say the same about you, the way you made me feel, the things you said to me, all of it was so inspiring, and it kept me going. I couldn’t make the connection.” My head dropped as she said this, the young man knew, even in his dreams he couldn’t win her love.



“But I thought about it, the night after you said those things to me… I couldn’t pin it down, but when I thought about you, and your words, I felt like the world was new, and for once in my life, my heart leapt and flew” She smiled, sadness hidden deep in her eyes.



“I know I can’t quite take back the words I already said, and I don’t quite know if you can hear me. But I lied to myself when I told you that day, that there wasn’t any way for me to see you like that. I didn’t understand what my heart was trying to tell me, or what you were giving me, I didn’t understand anything at all” She whispered as she wrapped her hand around mine.



The young man felt his hand grow warm, and he continued watched over her as she stayed like that until morning.



Even the young man didn’t understand what had happened that night, but as the black void began to replace itself around him, the young man found his voice raising as he extended his hand to keep hold of that warm world he had stumbled into. The strong voice echoed through his head again, rivaling the young man’s screams. The voice commanded him to silence himself, rather he miss something in the last moments of his time here in this moment. The young man silenced himself, only to hear the young woman whisper.



“I know I can’t take the words back, but please wake up, so I can make it up to you, and maybe you’d forgive me… I lost the smile you gave me, and I’m ashamed to face you, the smile I happily showed others is gone now, and only you know where it is” as he sunk into the abyss, the young man’s last vision was of her leaning over his bodies chest, sobbing and clutching the small pendant around his neck.



A black depth surrounded his vision, something that only hours ago was comforting him. It was his turn to cry now. He had misunderstood her until the very end, and he had hurt her in the worst possible way. He clutched the pendant that hung around his neck as the tears fell. It felt warm to his touch, and he could feel her by his side in this desolate land. The voice that had commanded him echoed softly around him, in contrast to before, the young man had almost missed it completely. It spoke in a comforting warmth as it asked him, `Did you have a nice dream?`. The young man was furious when he had heard this, but he held his tongue when the stranger spoke again.



`Many people make mistakes, and your was one of many in an ocean we listen to everyday.` The voice materialized in front of the young man, it took the shape of an older man, graying but stout.



`I won’t say that your life was an impressive one, or one that deserved to be redeemed. But rather, your heart told us a tale that shook even the mightiest of us. It told us of a love surpassing love, one that couldn’t be counted in days or months, but rather years of a life. It told us of days ending in defeat, one after another, but the heart’s owner never stopped believing in love. What will you tell us about your life, what do you want?` He smiled, almost as if knowing what was to come.



The young man gritted his teeth, the tears flowing down his face as he looked at the old man. Somewhere in his heart, he felt the words flow into him, and he felt her warmth on his chest.



I only want a tomorrow with her, because with all my heart, I wish I could laugh with you once more even if it’s a dream that could never come true. I can see a tomorrow with you and I, and our meeting can’t have been coincidence.



The old man smiled, `Well said, we’ll see you soon`.



The young man sat up quickly still holding his warm pendant, a small gasp reaching his ears. The young woman hadn’t left his side since he had seen her. She grappled him and cried heavily into his shoulder, causing his shirt to become wet.



It wasn’t a dream, I saw your face, and heard your words, and felt your warmth…



“I can’t believe you’re awake, they said you wouldn’t… I never had the chance to say what I had meant to say that day…” She cried, gripping my shirt.



The young man pushed his fingers to the young girl’s lips. He hugged her close and silently cried on her shoulder, he didn’t need anything more, to be alive was something he had taken for granted.



I’m here, and I’ll never leave you again.


Well, as always, I'm not so sure about the flow of it, but I hope it's readable. I've had this reoccurring dream of being in a hospital watching my own body, and seeing people around me waste away as they grieve over my condition. I had always taken this as a sign to never give up on anything, life or love, or maybe I'm overestimating my presence on people. I always thought that if you can't find a reason to live for yourself, then you should live for other people around you, because you never know who might be missing you if you were to leave. Anyways, as always, Happy Reading!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Short Story update

Maaaah Maaah, It's been a long time since I've updated, and I'd like to keep this as somewhat of a frequent task. But unfortunately that's not how things are right now, what with school and all. But here's a little something to keep some of you occupied. I haven't double checked this for any errors except for spelling, so let me know if this one flows in the right direction.

I have, for a long time, lived life by the tugging my heart. I had seen many things, from deserts to mountains, and even towards the edges of the majestic ocean. For many days and nights, I wandered alone sleeping under the stars, letting them guild me to the next destination. I came upon a small town happily existing on the edge of the ocean, thriving on the gifts in which the sea faring god gave them. I booked a night in the town inn one night, and went to explore the quaint setting. I happily talked to the local villagers about my travels and my experiences. They happily shared fish and parts of their bountiful harvest with me for a feast back at the inn. Slowly making my way to the inn to give the host the villager’s gifts, a young woman popped into my vision. Startled, I jumped backwards and fell, continuing to roll down the hill. She gathered the fish and helped me to my feet, brushing the dust from my face. The young woman giggled as she followed me back towards the inn. She listened intently as I recalled my visits to vast deserts and ocean view like her town. When we got back to the inn, I was quite startled to find her to be the host's daughter. She laughed as she took my offerings to the back and motioned for me to follow. As we began to prepare the meal for my coming to the village, she asked me a strange question.

"Do you know how to open a clam?" She said as she took the bucket from my hand.
"It's a simple animal really...All you need is to make it feel comfortable and it'll open up right away" She giggled as she washed them off one by one before throwing them into a pot of warm water.

We talked of all sorts of recipes and ways to cook, and we smelled together the wonderful spices that slowly wafted into the air. The young woman and I had laughed heartily into the night as many of the villagers decided to join us. After the feast concluded itself, I walked down to the beach to catch a glimpse of the setting sun. The young woman grasped my hand as we ran to the cliff dwarfing the town. Breathing heavy, we sat down to enjoy the last hours of daylight. For the hours leading into night, we talked of nothing but simple things, the sun, the stars. She had, without knowing it, enchanted me with her manner of speaking, and her honest smile. We walked back to the inn and I bid her good night as we parted to our separate rooms. My heart pounds as I lay in bed, honestly confused with myself. I had met many people on my journeys, but none were more than passer-bys, strangers forgotten in a strange land. But as I lay in bed, my mind filled with her hand grasping mine, leading me to a spot she knows by heart. My heart throbbed as I tossed and turned hearing her laugh and talk of life in her simple village. I sat up and got dressed, knowing rest at this point was impossible. Making my way back to the cliff side, the young woman enters my vision. My breathing hitches for a moment as I gaze at her, as she tilted her head towards the sky. She turns to me and whispers to me in that hauntingly beautiful voice.

“Why did you come here again? Although I guess you wouldn’t know. I guess… I forgot to mention the legend behind this cliff” She said, holding my hands close to her before turning away.

“The legend of this spot is powerful in my town. Once, twice, thrice a couple comes to Cape Tryst, and they shall be bound by love for an eternity” Her voice shook as she hugged herself tight against the cold night air.

“Are you not a traveler? Don’t you wish to keep traveling on your journey? I can already feel the legend coming to life, and the trapdoor in my heart is slowly shaking loose” She continued as I remained silent.

“It scares me, how sad I should become at your leaving. Just a few short hours ago you and I were strangers in a strange town meeting for the first time. But I feel as if you became a part of this village, someone who is irreplaceable, and who I expect to see day after day till I grow old” The young woman’s voice grows more desperate as she suddenly clings to me.

It’s strange how I began, a lone wanderer looking for a place to stay till I continued on tomorrow. I never really understood the people I visited, how their lives began and ended in the same towns, and with the same people they grew up with. I still don’t quite understand, but I’m slowly learning. These quiet days I spend here in this village, alongside a young woman who poured her heart out to me. I think I’m slowly starting to understand my own heart, and the accepting of another’s heart. I think they call it love, yes, these days I spent quietly, fishing in a town with the one I love have passed by rather quickly. My days of an adventurer are over, but the days of learning have just begun.


Well, I don't know about the structure of this short story, but I kinda like the idea of meeting someone if only for a few seconds, and feeling like you've been reunited rather than acquainted. It feels so mysterious to meet someone under these circumstances, I can't help but feel a chill down my spine. I've met quite a few people like this, and it still mystifies me. Of course I became good friends with them, but I still sometimes get the feeling like I've known them from another place or time. Strange right? I borrowed the idea of Cape Tryst from another story, so I'll give credit to Inokuma Shinobu for his romantic idea of two lovers connected through their meeting in a town legend. His work acctually keeps me believing in love, let's me believe that real love isn't beyond just characters in a novel or a movie, but can be experienced in many different ways, as well as be defeated in many different ways. Anyways, as always, Happy Reading!