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Reasoner
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Joined: 05 Jun 2008
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 Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:21 pm Post subject: Distance (Ch. 1) |
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Spring sunshine filtered through the hazy clouds as a slight breeze rustled and pulled nearby leaves. Cherry blossoms gently floated down, resting peacefully on an old pavement road cracked and buckled from time. Two pairs of feet shuffled down over the fallen blossoms, walking in serene quiet, conversing without words.
One stopped, waiting amidst the falling blossoms. “The cherry blossoms look just like snowflakes, don’t you think?” queried a soft girls voice.
“Yes, yes the do.” Replied a young boy. The girl twisted the sole of her show lightly on the ground, looking down at the ground with a wistful gaze.
“5 centimeters a second.” She whispered, audible to only the boy, though they were the only ones on the beaten path.
“What’s that?” He asked, curiosity filled his words.
“Cherry blossoms,” The girl swallowed, trying to hold back inevitable tears, “They say they fall to the ground at 5 centimeters a second.” She looked back at the blue eyes of the young boy, her long time elementary friend. He looked back into her bright green eyes even though they were hidden behind long dark brown hair.
He smiled, “You know a lot about that kind of stuff, don’t you?”
She gave a silent nod, blinking through teary eyes.
“I like that about you.”
She smiled through her tears as they continued walking down the paved path. The blossoms kept falling down around them as they walked the rest of the way to the train station to say their goodbyes.
__________________
“Dear Rhys,
The first day of high school started, I had fun meeting new people, finding new friends, seeing new teachers. I got my hair cut, it‘s still long but it‘s so soft and feels so nice now! I’m sure you’ve changed a lot over the last three years. I’m not even sure you’ll remember me, but I remember you. I like the mild weather here, but I also enjoy the weather in the city as well, though it’s much hotter. I enjoy the rain most of all, listening to it patter against the window in the overcast evening is relaxing, don’t you think? This may be a short letter, but I don’t know what to say.
With pleasant regards,
Isabelle”
“Hey, Rhys, what are you doing, writing a love letter?” A female schoolmate’s voice hovered behind Rhys. He tilted his head back over the head rest so he could see behind him. Looking back at a beautiful blonde haired girl from his grade he gave her a kind grin.
“No, just writing back an old friend from elementary school.” The girl pursed her lips and gave a mock disappointed look.
“I was hoping it was a love letter to me.” She gave a big smile so he knew she meant it as a joke.
“Not from this boy, I’m sure you get enough from all the other guys that have a crush on you.” He ended the last sentence then signed his name at the bottom of his letter and folded it up into a plain white envelope, writing Isabelle on the back of it.
“Thank you for helping me clean up the room, I appreciate it.”
“It’s never a problem, you know that. Well I have to go, I have soccer practice and I need to change.”
“I wouldn’t want to keep you waiting.” She watched Rhys leave with respect for him in her eyes.
“Dear Rhys,
I was so happy to read that you remembered me after all these years! The leaves are changing colors here, everything such a pretty warm shade. I had to wear a sweatshirt for the first time this year today, it’s getting pretty cool. I wonder what the weather is in the city. How is school? Are you fitting in okay? I have an English class and the teacher is so uptight absolutely no one talks in her room, even when she’s not there. I’ve talked to her out of class before and she is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met! Don’t you think that’s funny? She keeps her personal life completely separate from her professional one. I don’t want to be like that, I want myself to come out in my work. I want everyone I work with see me for who I am, regardless of what I do.
Sorry for not writing sooner,
Isabelle”
The pencil etched against white paper, creating lines that were letters, which in turn created words the were the sentences of the paragraph that Rhys wrote. As he signed his name memories of all the good times he had had with Isabelle flashed in his mind.
A cool breeze made the bright sun’s heat bearable, while white puffy clouds gave occasional bouts of shade as they passed across it. The sky was a bright blue. Isabelle lay next to Rhys, just watching the clouds pass overhead, on a grassy hilltop with a cherry tree providing shade. Not a word was spoken, not for the longest time. The lazy summer day seemed to come to a halt as they lay side by side. Problems seemed to vanish into thin air, trouble was no where to be found.
“I’m moving away before the end of summer.”
Silence.
“My dad’s work causes him to move around a lot, I’m moving to the city.”
Silence.
“This is our last summer together.” The last four words were sad with the weight of the world in them and they sunk in as if it were dropped into the ocean.
Silence. The two lay there for a couple of minutes, still looking at the clouds. She turned towards him, tears rolling down her cheeks, “I don’t want you to go.” Then they both began to sob.
“Dear Rhys,
It’s started to snow here, and every time it does I have to make sure to bundle up to keep warm. I’ve been thinking about what you said about moving again, this time you’ll be even farther away and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to see you again after that. I’ve decided, on the first day of November, the week before you move, you could ride the trains to my station and we can meet at seven. I’ll be waiting for you. Please say you can make it, please!
Your friend,
Isabelle”
Rhys’ reply was only one sentence long, “I can make it, nothing in the world could stop me.” He didn’t even sign his name. She knew who the letter was from.
___________________
Rhys boarded the first of many trains and glanced at his watch, 3:46. Today is the first day that it snowed in the city. The snow came down in clumps of white which covered the ground quickly. It is a beautiful day, hopefully where he’s going is just as beautiful. It would be a long trip, and spent mostly looking through the train window at the passing scenery. He stood near the door, as all the seats on the city train where taken.
He got to the next station at 4:38, after fighting through a crowd of people going home from work he boarded his next train and was off again. He quickly checked a piece of paper which had all his stops and train numbers on it and marked off the second one. He was due in the next station at 5:45.
He got there at 5:50 due to weather conditions. A voice buzzed on through the speakers on the ceiling. “Due to sever weather conditions, the next train will arrive 10 minutes late.” He sighed, of course luck would frown upon him, why did it have to snow today? 11 minutes later he boarded his next train.
“Due to sever weather conditions, this train will be arriving at its next station 10 minutes late. We are sorry for any inconveniences.”
He got to the next station at 7:00 with 3 more trains he still needed to ride. He got to his last train at 8:40. “Isabelle, please don’t wait for me.” He then closed his eyes and leaned back into the train seat. He was the only person in the car, probably the only one on the train.
20 minutes later the train came to a stop. The conductors booming voice rang through the speakers. “I’m sorry passengers, do to the storms we’ll have to wait for awhile until it’s safe to move again.” Rhys looked through the frosted window, he couldn’t even see the trees in the woods that were nearby.
It ended up taking over 2 hours until the train started moving again, he got to his last station at 11:11. That was where he was supposed to meet Isabelle 4 hours ago.
_________________
Depression is a state of mind where help just makes it worse. I'm depressed, so @#$% off.
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Reasoner
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| Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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Rhys stepped out of his train car and turned to the ticket booth to look at an old man with kind, vibrant hazel eyes that gave an open smile revealing a tiny gap in between his two front teeth. “Hello son, what brings you here so late?” He asked warmly.
He seemed like a nice man, “I was supposed to be here to meet a girl 4 hours ago, but the snow delayed my trip. I had no way back so I’m hoping to find somewhere to stay ’till morning.” Rhys gave a sad smile, “Life has it’s own path, what’s not meant to be just isn’t meant to be I guess.”
The old man stroked a white beard and looked at Rhys with sympathetic eyes. “I remember when I was young once too, and I thought the world was out to get me. Then I realized all I had to do was turn and look towards my destination and everything I needed was already there.”
“Turn and look towards my-?” Rhys suddenly figured out what the old man was saying and turned to look into the small station.
He saw the impossible. Sitting in the waiting section, near the only heater in the room was a girl. Her head was tilted down and her eyes were closed in light sleep. Dark brown bangs covered her closed eyes and her hair hung down below the small of her back. A green scarf was wrapped around her neck and hung loosely to the side. Not even a think wool jacket could hide a perfect figure. Long slender legs were worn in skinny jeans and crossed at the ankles.
“Isabelle!” Rhys eyes were wide with excitement, even though they were partially covered with his own straight hair that came down to his eyes.
Her bright green eyes slowly opened and when they met his, then widened with immediate recognition and she smiled.
“She looks so different so… Attractive.” “Isabelle, your smile could stop a train dead in its tracks so the passengers could continue to look at your beauty.”
“Is that why your 4 hours late?” They both laughed along with the joke and shared a hug. “Come on, I’ve been in this station forever, let’s get out of here.”
“Be careful you two,” The old man said down the short hall, “The snow falls heavily right now.”
“Thank you for your advice sir, we’ll walk carefully.”
The old man pondered for a second, “Maybe you have to worry more when the snow stops falling.”
The two walked out of the station into the falling snow and for the life of it couldn’t figure out what the old man meant.
__________________
Down an old pavement road covered with snow the two walked hand in hand, leafless trees on either side. Their footprints trailed behind them, slowly being covered again with snow, millimeter by millimeter. The darkness of night hung over their silence while the cold slowly crept through their clothes.
“Your right, cherry blossoms do look a lot like snow.” Rhys looked at Isabelle, seeing her smile touched his heart.
“Yeah, they do.”
Suddenly their lips were clasped. He was happy, overjoyed at first, then suddenly his happiness faded away with a great realization. How long could this last? The uncertainty of time loomed beneath their feet, threatening to swallow them. The snow fall lightened and her soft lips broke away from his.
________________________
They spent the night together in a small wooden shack near the road with the trees with the cherry blossoms. Huddled together for warmth they spent the whole night talking. As the red dawn approached the snow was barely falling anymore, leaving only a frozen landscape which reflected the red light of the morning sun. Together again they walked back towards the station.
Their footprints from the night before were gone, as they walked past. With clutched hands they walked the rest of the way.
Finally, standing in the door of the train car their good byes where said once again, neither knowing when they’d ever see each other again. As the door sealed shut, he and she both placed their hands on the glass. One on the other.
As he began to move with the train, she began to cry.
The snow had finally stopped.
The words of the old man suddenly came back to him.
_________________________
_________________
Depression is a state of mind where help just makes it worse. I'm depressed, so @#$% off.
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