A short story I wrote way back in high school when the only theme I could think of is love, love and love.

I waited cause he said he’d come. Sitting on the sands of the beach while watching every movement of the sea, I patiently waited. The sun is about to set. The seagulls were already resting after a long day of witnessing the majesty of the place. The sea sends its warm winds to brush my long hair. I waited.

A man sat beside me and stared at me. I stared back. “You really waited?” he said.
I looked back to the sea and closed my eyes and felt the warm breeze it was exhaling.
“Anne, can you wait for me here again tomorrow?”
I sighed.
“Where are we going?” I asked him.
“We’ll leave this place. We’ll elope.” He said in a firm voice.
“Do we really have – “
“My parents won’t hear me. They’re selfish.”
“I don’t want to hide anymore. I’m tired.”
“I know, that’s why I’ll take you somewhere far from here. We’ll live a peaceful life there. A life where we don’t have to hide anymore.”

“I’ll wait for you.”
I waited cause he said he’d come. Sitting on the sands of the beach while watching every movement of the sea, I patiently waited. The sun sets. The seagulls rest. I fell asleep. He didn’t come.

It wasn’t a dream at all! The angel, the beautiful music, everything was real! I opened my eyes carefully and saw him, my angel, carrying me while whispering words of love that felt like music to my ears. “You came. I’m sorry, I fell asleep.”
“That’s okay. For now, we’ll have to go to the nearest inn for a place to sleep. Then tomorrow, we’ll leave.”
“We’ll need a room for two,” I told the receptionist.
“Are you sure you want a room for ‘two’, Ma’am?” The receptionist wondered.
“Yes.”
The receptionist stared at me in disbelief.
“But ma’am, there’s only – “
He tapped me.
“Come on, let’s just look for another place.”
The sky’s already dark. We’ve been walking for quite some time now and we haven’t yet found a place to stay. The road seemed to be like an endless one. I felt scared. I gripped his hand so tight.
“Your hand’s cold. Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes, I’m okay,” he answered.
I saw something on his forehead.
”Is that a wound on your forehead?”
“I-It’s nothing,” he answered nervously.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You’re acting really strange lately.”
“I am okay.”
There was a small restaurant were travelers stop to eat. We went inside and sat on the nearest seats to the entrance. There were no other customers but us. I weird atmosphere engulfs the place while I stare at him.
“You’re not okay. You look pale. Are you sick?”
“No. I’m okay.”
“No, you’re not okay. Tell me what’s happening to y – “
The waiters walked near me and put a plate on my part of the table.
“Where’s his plate?” I asked the waitress.
“Whose plate?” she answered.
“His plate,” I pointed at him.
The waitress looked at me suspiciously.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” she asked.
“Huh?”
All of a sudden, he stood and pulled my hand and we ran outside restaurant. Even though he insists that he’s okay, I’m certain something’s happening to him. Something’s extremely bothering him.

“What’s wrong with you!?” I shouted while running. He didn’t answer. He just continued running while clutching my hand.
A flash of light appeared in front of us. It was a car. I knew it was going to hit Kevin and so before it does, I pushed Kevin away. A loud crashing sound echoed. He was saved. But I was hit instead.
I opened my eyes and found myself lying on the sands of the beach. The sun sets. The sea is calm. Everything was tranquil, peaceful.

I tried to sit. My head is aching. I touched my forehead and saw blood. Blood drips from the wound down to my face. I wiped it with my dress. I turned my head back. Beneath a tree, I him with a beautiful girl. She was embracing him. The girl was so beautiful. I tried to stop my tear from falling but seeing that scene gave the most painful feeling I’ve ever felt. I’ve loved Kevin so much. It hurts me to think that although I gave him all the love I could give, for him it wasn’t enough.
I rested back to the sands and closed my eyes. I can’t hear anything but the painful screams echoing deep within me.
After the girl had left, Kevin went back to me and sat on my right side. He smiles at me as caressed my face. His hands grew colder. I smiled back melancholically.
“Who is she? Is she the reason why you’ve been acting odd lately?”
“She’s just a part of the reason.”
“Who is she?” I tried to calm myself. In a minute or so, I know that I’m going to explode. I tried to calm myself as much as I can. But inside me were feelings colliding on each other. It was the opposite of what I was showing outside. Inside me, it wasn’t peaceful.
“She is my angel.” He answered.
“Oh,’ I vowed in disappointment. Now, I cannot keep my tears anymore. They cascaded abruptly from my eyes, “All this time, I was thinking I was your angel.”
“You’re not my angel.”
Strike two. I can hardly breathe. All these words coming from him were torturing me. It’s visible. But he doesn’t seem to care.
“Anne, you’re not my angel because you’re the love of my life. She was an angel. She’s now asking me to go with her.”
“No, stop acting childishly. Who is she?”
“Why can’t you believe me? She is an angel!”
I suddenly heard bells rang. I had a mysterious feeling. I looked at Kevin with awe.
“W-What a-are you saying?” I asked him.
“Look on your left side.”
I turned my head to the left. I saw a man lying beside me. I looked at his face. I eyes widen in shock. The man lying was…
Kevin.
“B-But,” I stared back to my right. Kevin was looking at me with sadness on his face. He touched my face with his both hands.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered.
I closed my eyes.
Memories came flashing back.

“I waited cause he said he’d come. Sitting on the sands of the beach while watching every movement of the sea, I patiently waited. The sun set. The seagulls rest. I fell asleep. He didn’t come.”
I opened my teary eyes and stared at Kevin. He was crying. I touched his face and jumped into his hands. I embraced him tightly. His body was freezing.
“Can you still remember that afternoon when you waited for me and you fell asleep? That afternoon, I met an accident,” he said in a soft voice, “Anne, I have to go.”
“No!” I shouted, “You’re not going anywhere! You’ll stay here with me! You promised me you’ll bring me into a peaceful place and we’ll leave there together forever!”
“Anne, can’t you still understand? We’re living in two different worlds now. Worlds so parallel to each other that only love and death can make them intersect.”
“Don’t leave me,” Anne whispered softly. But the winds of the sea brushed away every bit of Kevin. A voice echoed, “Anne, someday…we’ll be together again…This time, I’ll be the one to wait.”
It started to rain. The sea became violent. It started throwing its huge waves to the beach. But Anne just sat there and waited. She waited till the waves of the sea devour her…and her timeless love story…

 

May 12th, 2009 by Jan Suing Jan Suing is a former editor-in-chief of The Lamp, the Official Student Publication of the Far Eastern University Institute of Nursing. He's a deist, a fan of Nietzsche, a movie buff and currently the epitome of quarter-life crisis. www.twitter.com/juansuing