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.
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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.
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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. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAIfprWYQBEM
Is this true, then, of practices that don’t hold a grain of logic in them? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAyBXWL9yxBX
Logic is irrelevant. 97Please respect copyright.PENANANXqjzCAIGt
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.
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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.
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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? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAvJXeW8YSpK
Youth? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAwRlzSGBUJ0
Do you ever wonder why youth is portrayed as something so beautiful? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAKtdgJLa5OJ
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. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA5tXdxOQ9hg
Hey, promise me something. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA73Ew6vu3Lj
What? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAeTYWgxb7zj
Promise you’ll always be by my side. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAZl0eSmU2lU
I promise. Let’s waste away our youth together.
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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.
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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.
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Do you ever wonder what it would be like to read a story that stopped mid-sentence?97Please respect copyright.PENANACeXep1i6hR
A story that doesn’t have an ending?97Please respect copyright.PENANALp73JTNFlo
Exactly. Wouldn’t that be intimidating? 97Please respect copyright.PENANATf6I0xO3bh
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.
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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.
97Please respect copyright.PENANA5jqqJf7JfQ
Check out this wishbone I bought. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAutIoL1Xvh9
Why did you get it? 97Please respect copyright.PENANA14LRtzeZbq
I’ve always wanted to use one. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAYPsJpQRpLV
Why am I not surprised? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAalzT37T3EN
As if you haven’t wanted to try to use one before. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAxfW2U2F3Ot
Okay, you caught me. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAxvviuRnwZj
I knew it. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAttfkgREREf
Yeah, yeah. Can we hurry up? 97Please respect copyright.PENANA6Y7GfhRizK
Okay, let’s break it together. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAmPH4PW0RXC
On three? 97Please respect copyright.PENANALtkgxSsY3m
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? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAWucLbSjXjV
I wished for an epiphany. 97Please respect copyright.PENANANoPZyfC9xj
An epiphany? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAhWZ3bRyCFA
Yes. That’s all I’m telling you. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA1BGSty0L9f
Why won’t you tell me anything else? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAffPJhoskHX
You’re not supposed to share your wish, otherwise, it won’t come true. 97Please respect copyright.PENANATG0dTTrfil
Is your wish worth the burden of a secret? Is it that important? 97Please respect copyright.PENANARXgW8VAeBs
It’s that selfish. Look, I promise I will tell you what it was when the time is right.
Okay.97Please respect copyright.PENANAL3bezgdz8M
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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. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA8YiBJAVjf3
You would be content with never witnessing another sunrise? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAm0pFAerqie
Yes. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAD546PBFPf2
Sunsets signify the end of a journey, you know. A type of death. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAFL9tOTxall
I know. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAhhfi9odubk
You’d choose that over the promise of rebirth the sunrise offers? 97Please respect copyright.PENANA3Zq765mLTZ
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. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAkWxvaya1XA
Pfft, as if. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA6R6OppjhK3
I’m serious! 97Please respect copyright.PENANAiXz71xOFtv
So am I. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAY88cM79riO
You have an interesting view on death, you know. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAMa3Y2mRdhN
Yeah, well I spend a lot of time thinking about it. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAQOLivElw8W
See! That’s something a philosopher would do. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAIPjLVGYAvS
It’s something everyone should do. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve wasted enough time thinking about death. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAxDru3GS9JC
Your inner Nietzsche is showing. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAkQaEejm44k
Hey, don’t compare me to Nietzsche! You know I don’t like his works. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA2Qgo8jDwKp
I know, that’s why I compared you to him. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAaDQCO6KvV3
That’s it, come here! 97Please respect copyright.PENANAQocw3JX2ZB
No thanks! Gotta go!
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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. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA0EQfqNsbX4
Go ahead, I’ll wake you up if anything happens. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA08k81rUukM
Okay, good night. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAdqLeVJZUbY
Sweet dreams.
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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.
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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. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAWRj3FZ87xH
Hey. Why did you ask to meet up today? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAASga5qCDfO
I needed to tell you something. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAJAPLz95VA3
Okay, go ahead. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA7uvZTbEfHL
I love you.
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I stood there in disbelief, my heart skipping a beat.
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You love me? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAlN4SjfqYxx
Yes. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAzToS00I70B
Romantically? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAVUEWLl3gFn
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. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA4h7fh5Vn62
You did?! 97Please respect copyright.PENANA0lA3JZMNzT
Yeah. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAWnDAtERQfC
Oh. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA4pRiYPTR6K
It's okay, I found it endearing. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAVV2icxSqlN
Shut up. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAEjnUzxhZCq
Ha, okay. Oh, and I guess I should tell you what my wish was. I almost forgot about that. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAtweQXtqM96
What was it? 97Please respect copyright.PENANAO7rocvYPx4
I wished you would realize that you loved me back. 97Please respect copyright.PENANA80sXdSp9gk
Well, wish granted. 97Please respect copyright.PENANAoKirEAPMxa
Yeah, I should use wishbones more often.
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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.97Please respect copyright.PENANAVd8Dnx1dqo