When I first saw you, I felt a rush of nostalgia. Memories fluttered in the corners of my mind, out of reach but within eyesight. Perhaps our paths had collided once before, in a different lifetime.
89Please respect copyright.PENANA5AFs082TYD
Before I had even learned your name, I felt a connection to you. You reminded me of a story I had read once, one about plot twists and betrayals. The story also spoke of stars, love, and redemption. I wondered about you then, curious about what fate had planned for us.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAEsLL9YYipO
At first, you were only a daydream. You were unattainable, someone I could watch but could never approach. I knew you were here in this world, but you were ethereal in my eyes. This changed, however, when you first spoke to me. The illusion broke, and suddenly you were no longer a fantasy. You were here with me for the first time, for once not otherworldly. Simply just human.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAX7Z8niViHG
I remember when I asked you if you believed in physiognomy. I expected you to crack a smile ocean wide and burst into fireworks of laughter. Instead, you fixed your gaze on me, your eyes holding a playful gleam in them. No, not playful. Childish. You answered that you might believe in it. You added that practices like physiognomy should be considered before being judged. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAF8ncHnhrv2
Is this true, then, of practices that don’t hold a grain of logic in them? 89Please respect copyright.PENANA1FdG6l6YDH
Logic is irrelevant. 89Please respect copyright.PENANASpCwFLrEuS
Irrelevant, you say? How curious! You’re a strange one, challenging logic so easily.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAA7Qypqzu5l
I admire you for it. You remind me of the stars, you know. You shine so brightly, so brilliantly, and yet you’re too far away for me to ever truly reach you.
89Please respect copyright.PENANA65tqJbUnsm
When you’re with me, I feel euphoric. Light sparks within me when our hands entwine. Yet, when you let go and leave, it flickers out. I am lonely without you, stuck in a world of monochrome where I stay stagnant. You are the sun, and I am just a moon. While you illuminate the galaxy, I am only a mere reflection of your light. I am nothing without you, and you are everything without me.
89Please respect copyright.PENANA8gzc0X1iwj
If I were to be a physiognomist and compare your face to that of an animal’s, I would choose the face of a fawn. You have small ears and a long nose, both defining features on your face. A smatter of freckles covers your cheeks, painting a microcosmos upon your skin. Your eyes are like those of a doe, wide and pure. Almost too pure.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAefxapsMZ6V
You certainly share the personality of a fawn. You think everything is an oddity, treating each experience as if it’s your first. When I questioned why you were so carefree in such a cruel world, you grinned and told me that you wanted to live life to the fullest. You treat every breath as if it’s paradise, as if just being alive is enough to be happy. When I voiced this thought aloud, you stared at me with considerate eyes. Happiness lies in small things. If you try to grow up too soon, you’ll miss out on all the minor details.
89Please respect copyright.PENANA0wsA43OhRW
We’re sitting on your rooftop when I ask you something that I’ve been pondering for years.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAlITE0uu9L8
Do you ever wonder about youth? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAc88SaWonOh
Youth? 89Please respect copyright.PENANArvLYedD95r
Do you ever wonder why youth is portrayed as something so beautiful? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAaJUEVlDuvS
Perhaps when we’re younger there is a type of exhilaration when we experience things that fades as our innocence dies. Perhaps when we’re older, we look back and realize the most beautiful moments in our lives were in our youth. Maybe that’s why we yearn for that purity for the rest of our lives, chasing after it until the last echo of our hearts resounds. 89Please respect copyright.PENANA6pZWL0bIR7
Hey, promise me something. 89Please respect copyright.PENANANa7oUUtiTu
What? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAqaaJTuBAJG
Promise you’ll always be by my side. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAj5u425zFmY
I promise. Let’s waste away our youth together.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAee8i9Ikxxk
Raindrops started falling then, covering us in a layer of mist. You jumped up in delight, running around and trying to catch the rain in your palms. At that moment I finally understood what happiness was. Through you I felt free, my heart beating with child-like glee. After a few moments, you turned back to look at me. You beckoned me with your eyes, a silent dare hidden in your smile. I grinned, standing up to join you. We spent the rest of the day dancing on the rooftop, filling the sky with laughter. I didn’t notice your tears until afterward.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAxu66i0KMBu
On a different day, we strolled through the beach, both of us barefooted. The waves lapped at our heels, our toes bathing in the silky texture of the sand. All of a sudden you sat down by the shoreline, pulling me down with you. A beat passed. Then you started to speak, your voice barely a whisper.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAyTFS6h6Fh6
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to read a story that stopped mid-sentence?89Please respect copyright.PENANATcBeRv5IjN
A story that doesn’t have an ending?89Please respect copyright.PENANA8IK6hNOy2C
Exactly. Wouldn’t that be intimidating? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAhz72FxfLxX
Would it be?
An incomplete sentence leaves too much room for error. The blank space after the last word breaks off is ominous. The unknown of what happens afterward is frightening. A writer should finish a story so that it is whole, and so that the reader receives the closure they desire.
A second went by before I responded.
I disagree. The blank space after the last word of an unfinished sentence is not empty. It’s filled with all the things left unsaid. When a writer cuts off a sentence, that leaves an expanse for you to interpret. What emotions still echo within your soul after the last word? What words are still left on the tip of your tongue? Each reader would build pillars out of the emptiness, constructing an ending only they could truly understand. That would be their closure. The unknown is not something to fear, but rather to challenge.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAvK3zTECHNR
You were staring at the horizon when I finished talking, the sunset painting your eyes shades of scarlet. Something that looked like contentment danced in them as you turned your head toward me. Our eyes interlocked and you smiled at me. We held each other’s gaze before you tore your head away. Your hand started to rummage through your pocket before you pulled out a forked bone.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAiouibBHSHm
Check out this wishbone I bought. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAE9r59X7WII
Why did you get it? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAdURh8IkxR8
I’ve always wanted to use one. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAywGHZVBd2R
Why am I not surprised? 89Please respect copyright.PENANA7j8KxUX0GU
As if you haven’t wanted to try to use one before. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAEVXUVZ1php
Okay, you caught me. 89Please respect copyright.PENANA3m1Hhn6Jiw
I knew it. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6BbMD3wFM
Yeah, yeah. Can we hurry up? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAng1sxMLL8o
Okay, let’s break it together. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAfttDHObhkq
On three? 89Please respect copyright.PENANA5OPmrMSP5N
One, two-
89Please respect copyright.PENANAYNPFXQGtnL
The bone snapped. You held the bigger end. I watched as you closed your eyes, murmuring your wish under your breath. You looked beautiful in the dying light. Once you were done saying your wish, your eyes opened and you grinned at me.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7MSgBRjO4
What was your wish? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAMLEYD9jrQg
I wished for an epiphany. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAsSQOuDyN9h
An epiphany? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAE92Vuvrq8c
Yes. That’s all I’m telling you. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAisR5YMqLrZ
Why won’t you tell me anything else? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAYA5Nn2GCuS
You’re not supposed to share your wish, otherwise, it won’t come true. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAt1TAdD2H1d
Is your wish worth the burden of a secret? Is it that important? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAgMmhgKWTFn
It’s that selfish. Look, I promise I will tell you what it was when the time is right.
Okay.89Please respect copyright.PENANAjlriZfcXSD
89Please respect copyright.PENANAfvAmKhzZzx
A beat. The silence between us was deafening. I wondered what you were holding back, but I didn’t dare attempt to find out. Hope was a dangerous thing to flirt with. After a few minutes, you spoke once more.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAAsCrQnOybG
Sunsets are so beautiful. I wish I could stay in this moment for eternity. I never want morning to come again. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAAYvyK9XC0X
You would be content with never witnessing another sunrise? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAODA5yNOeX6
Yes. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAPdgLyob75j
Sunsets signify the end of a journey, you know. A type of death. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAlIgQ7y0bU6
I know. 89Please respect copyright.PENANA2LE36fQGIR
You’d choose that over the promise of rebirth the sunrise offers? 89Please respect copyright.PENANALPl7IySztU
Forget rebirth. All good things come to an end. Death is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean we should fear it. Through death, a wounded soul can finally heal. Death offers a type of peace that life can never give; a final closure to a beautiful piece of art. The moment before you die is the most beautiful moment you will have in your life. As you take your last breath, you will re-experience every memory you’ve made in your lifetime. It’s death that makes life so thrilling. Without death, our lives would lose their beauty. The concept of youth would no longer apply to us.
89Please respect copyright.PENANA9wHQPFlOAZ
I stared at you in wonder, startled by your words.
Wow, what a sophisticated statement. You should be a philosopher. 89Please respect copyright.PENANA6U4dHyufn4
Pfft, as if. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAG9sE5v9TvE
I’m serious! 89Please respect copyright.PENANAysBDiC6d5H
So am I. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAs7y6zoeVZ0
You have an interesting view on death, you know. 89Please respect copyright.PENANA8KftPrwPUy
Yeah, well I spend a lot of time thinking about it. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAzFsbMHvIxv
See! That’s something a philosopher would do. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAmVTOf3fFT9
It’s something everyone should do. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve wasted enough time thinking about death. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAPv8hnUu1nD
Your inner Nietzsche is showing. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAj59epFzU7S
Hey, don’t compare me to Nietzsche! You know I don’t like his works. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAuxgO8NwSnC
I know, that’s why I compared you to him. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAXEArTqASXQ
That’s it, come here! 89Please respect copyright.PENANAARuCkcHjgm
No thanks! Gotta go!
89Please respect copyright.PENANAYExED6aX2c
I lept up and started to sprint across the shoreline. Your footsteps followed behind me, drawing closer as you gained speed. I whooped at the sky, the sound echoing across the beach. The wind blew past me, whipping my hair out of my face. I almost felt like I was flying, the exhilaration of running taking me on a high of euphoria. My feet splashed against the bank of the seashore, causing me to be showered in droplets of water. You caught up to me after a few seconds, your outstretched hand catching mine. I whirled around, my eyes meeting yours. You looked heavenly, the traces of laughter etched into the corners of your eyes. I pulled you in close to me, your body colliding with mine. The force of the impact sent the both of us spiraling, our arms wrapping around each other as we twirled around. Our laughter filled the vast emptiness of the beach, the colors of the sunset blurring behind us.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAndVqeMBcIW
After a few minutes, we stumbled down onto the beach, neither of us letting go of each other’s hand. My head laid next to yours, our bodies parallel to each other. Together we watched the sunset bleed into twilight. After a minute, I glanced at you. You turned your head toward me at the same moment. Our eyes met. Your eyes reflected the constellations, holding a thousand stars in their depths. The rising moon bathed you in shades of silver, your skin turning luminescent. My breath left me as I stared at you, starstruck. You looked back at me, your smile fond. I was about to speak when you broke out into a yawn.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAqyz8i6HSip
I think I’m going to fall asleep. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAfHnb7f18G8
Go ahead, I’ll wake you up if anything happens. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAtsfWXZ3YkA
Okay, good night. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAfgIvZn4vCp
Sweet dreams.
89Please respect copyright.PENANATLoiXK56s4
You closed your eyes, your hand slackening in mine. I stared at the moon as I listened to your breaths even out. After a few minutes, my eyes darted over to you. Your expression was peaceful as you slumbered. I reached my hand out and brushed a strand of hair out of your face. Once I was certain you were asleep, I whispered a confession I had been too afraid to utter out loud before.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAio9zm9ox5k
I love you…
89Please respect copyright.PENANAM4RWCoUaY6
The soft call of an owl was the only answer.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAYELmbrfcys
Over the next few weeks, my love for you blossomed. Every moment we could spare, we spent together. Our footsteps covered the streets of our town, leaving behind memories we created.
Every time we were together, my feelings grew. Eventually, my love for you flowered into a rose, its scarlet petals flourishing. I knew it was time.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAQYchu8XCKb
You had called me the night before, telling me to meet you at the tree we liked to eat picnics at. I raced there the next day, bearing my heart on my sleeve. I was ready to risk it all if it meant we could be together. You were there when I arrived, your legs dangling off one of the tree branches. Behind you lay the ocean, vast and endless. You turned toward me, our eyes interlocking.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAj8JorfJ3VI
Hey. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAElwvGjtmzF
Hey. Why did you ask to meet up today? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAtaK9UyhXQJ
I needed to tell you something. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAwx7dy0rC6w
Okay, go ahead. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAhnfx5KGLAC
I love you.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAohT0a9Fnt9
I stood there in disbelief, my heart skipping a beat.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAbpDeKILqZv
You love me? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAHeJe52lZQB
Yes. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAZEhTJ9v9xb
Romantically? 89Please respect copyright.PENANAzvIQRmDf4f
Yes.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAyyzHCEGpUv
My heart burst with joy, and I laughed out of pure relief.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAKJYvcKAtgS
I love you too.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAFFnnCnezO7
You grinned, jumping down from the tree. I started walking towards you, and soon we were embracing each other. Your arms felt warm and comforting, and I melted into them.
89Please respect copyright.PENANAw02ig5McaF
I know. I heard you whisper your confession on the beach. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAl5tB3HE6UK
You did?! 89Please respect copyright.PENANAMhRwwqSkpy
Yeah. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAk1snrTuMIb
Oh. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAlkvEEngi5t
It's okay, I found it endearing. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAKbWoZzhaTp
Shut up. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAWVWSD44GCi
Ha, okay. Oh, and I guess I should tell you what my wish was. I almost forgot about that. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAtkqRtlzRVL
What was it? 89Please respect copyright.PENANArS0O74daz2
I wished you would realize that you loved me back. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAoCaUBD9BLh
Well, wish granted. 89Please respect copyright.PENANAzc6zip65V5
Yeah, I should use wishbones more often.
89Please respect copyright.PENANABZj9rCWqFY
I shoved you playfully, and you burst into a peal of laughter. Emotions were flooding my senses, a mix of contentment and euphoria filling my heart. Everything felt too much and yet too little at the same time. I grasped your hand, ready to leap into the unknown.89Please respect copyright.PENANA6vVXKJmQm9