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!
:O nice story line, it is quite cute. =)
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