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.
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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.
91Please respect copyright.PENANAc6DKLcYylt
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.
91Please respect copyright.PENANA82nJ8R5qYD
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. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAKVOsxuOG4U
Is this true, then, of practices that don’t hold a grain of logic in them? 91Please respect copyright.PENANACI5Egemv7G
Logic is irrelevant. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAsXnpYhgyi2
Irrelevant, you say? How curious! You’re a strange one, challenging logic so easily.
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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.
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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.
91Please respect copyright.PENANAh6IFYHRRVx
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.
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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.
91Please respect copyright.PENANAS7qiMwMpBh
We’re sitting on your rooftop when I ask you something that I’ve been pondering for years.
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Do you ever wonder about youth? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAT5uoZ4TAkP
Youth? 91Please respect copyright.PENANASdqlaRcM0T
Do you ever wonder why youth is portrayed as something so beautiful? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAXY9dpTJYEC
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. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAH6Fp5vymb5
Hey, promise me something. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAnDpBMH48Pc
What? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAbR84XyymXt
Promise you’ll always be by my side. 91Please respect copyright.PENANA8ut42O34mE
I promise. Let’s waste away our youth together.
91Please respect copyright.PENANADTlIh16sop
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.
91Please respect copyright.PENANAK6xJ4rAYAM
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.
91Please respect copyright.PENANAm8tlnhEYET
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to read a story that stopped mid-sentence?91Please respect copyright.PENANAXtJgEzwFrN
A story that doesn’t have an ending?91Please respect copyright.PENANAfFMGnpapVv
Exactly. Wouldn’t that be intimidating? 91Please respect copyright.PENANA913q3bB2fN
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.
91Please respect copyright.PENANA4bMfgXlZes
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.
91Please respect copyright.PENANAuBXnfENYc0
Check out this wishbone I bought. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAu3NssYheGL
Why did you get it? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAX3KbjFRiYW
I’ve always wanted to use one. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAU6xe9LoBkz
Why am I not surprised? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAHsLJr762oU
As if you haven’t wanted to try to use one before. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAl456I1FSDf
Okay, you caught me. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAhiWXMRW1Cn
I knew it. 91Please respect copyright.PENANACjcBXknIhO
Yeah, yeah. Can we hurry up? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAlKAmcAeixz
Okay, let’s break it together. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAiMqmaaZPrE
On three? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAb26AdPrVKL
One, two-
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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.
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What was your wish? 91Please respect copyright.PENANA0XPImUsLKC
I wished for an epiphany. 91Please respect copyright.PENANARbpJMSFA2I
An epiphany? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAtzQQ0ta1mp
Yes. That’s all I’m telling you. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAMwvo8zXdnA
Why won’t you tell me anything else? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAbErTIFmy0C
You’re not supposed to share your wish, otherwise, it won’t come true. 91Please respect copyright.PENANA0DvIFWTLHw
Is your wish worth the burden of a secret? Is it that important? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAmchFRFFEQw
It’s that selfish. Look, I promise I will tell you what it was when the time is right.
Okay.91Please respect copyright.PENANAKmT69bFojU
91Please respect copyright.PENANAqgGBnjwTpJ
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.
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Sunsets are so beautiful. I wish I could stay in this moment for eternity. I never want morning to come again. 91Please respect copyright.PENANA5lwljGs8AJ
You would be content with never witnessing another sunrise? 91Please respect copyright.PENANArAQapAYLx0
Yes. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAaQuoYQrBl8
Sunsets signify the end of a journey, you know. A type of death. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAAsFBYy0aTP
I know. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAnDWXWdyKyk
You’d choose that over the promise of rebirth the sunrise offers? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAXAtH1d3yjt
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.
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I stared at you in wonder, startled by your words.
Wow, what a sophisticated statement. You should be a philosopher. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAKUzWuFm0PR
Pfft, as if. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAjamXgzErwb
I’m serious! 91Please respect copyright.PENANASSR46A7eB9
So am I. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAVt93U9bCbF
You have an interesting view on death, you know. 91Please respect copyright.PENANArmylQCpEgb
Yeah, well I spend a lot of time thinking about it. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAOdVzkE0xqI
See! That’s something a philosopher would do. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAXv758FT6wR
It’s something everyone should do. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve wasted enough time thinking about death. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAii9l6COp8q
Your inner Nietzsche is showing. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAabqefFwgSY
Hey, don’t compare me to Nietzsche! You know I don’t like his works. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAyIRBTxN717
I know, that’s why I compared you to him. 91Please respect copyright.PENANANpY9PJEmB9
That’s it, come here! 91Please respect copyright.PENANABuFoBSOu70
No thanks! Gotta go!
91Please respect copyright.PENANAO4YW5kVaSt
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.
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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.
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I think I’m going to fall asleep. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAgdDzWeT5sP
Go ahead, I’ll wake you up if anything happens. 91Please respect copyright.PENANApSWIdei5zB
Okay, good night. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAHA4ODzck58
Sweet dreams.
91Please respect copyright.PENANAYv1KwyLwo0
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.
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I love you…
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The soft call of an owl was the only answer.
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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.
91Please respect copyright.PENANAj9W3G3cE77
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.
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Hey. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAkB6gpZ82o6
Hey. Why did you ask to meet up today? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAVQhz86iBw5
I needed to tell you something. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAjpDABAPB9U
Okay, go ahead. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAEzeOzyL4C0
I love you.
91Please respect copyright.PENANAQqzkQwUeLp
I stood there in disbelief, my heart skipping a beat.
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You love me? 91Please respect copyright.PENANALCaeGoAKGL
Yes. 91Please respect copyright.PENANASUTSyXxlOD
Romantically? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAlxaBWJtECZ
Yes.
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My heart burst with joy, and I laughed out of pure relief.
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I love you too.
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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.
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I know. I heard you whisper your confession on the beach. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAGa7lpDJ5IV
You did?! 91Please respect copyright.PENANA26uLu4vLxv
Yeah. 91Please respect copyright.PENANA9TUWBQAKNy
Oh. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAhpXj2yDp8S
It's okay, I found it endearing. 91Please respect copyright.PENANA41a0kZtol6
Shut up. 91Please respect copyright.PENANASOYgB2Xd6Y
Ha, okay. Oh, and I guess I should tell you what my wish was. I almost forgot about that. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAMDMiISKC7X
What was it? 91Please respect copyright.PENANAJZpkPvoaCz
I wished you would realize that you loved me back. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAOcl8QZTVz2
Well, wish granted. 91Please respect copyright.PENANAXHmTWrTDYm
Yeah, I should use wishbones more often.
91Please respect copyright.PENANA07FB4X1lw0
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.91Please respect copyright.PENANA9pb0rvXxfk