Strangers, Again

Buttercupbella

We danced under the hazy moonlight, with purple flowers in her hair and her hand in mine. Her kaleidoscope irises shone and mesmerized me over and over again. Her smile intrigued me; the way a natural grin tugged at the corners of her lips. As I leaned towards her forehead, I knew then that maybe she wasn't perfect, but she was perfect for me.

It was too good to be true.

Somehow I didn't believe in fairy tales. It is not always that there are princesses to save, knights in shining armor who'd show up, and dragons to conquer. It is not always that stories which start with "once upon a time" end with happy-ever-after's.

But she made me believe in them. She made me open my eyes to real life magic that happens only once in our lives. She made me hope that I could be the prince in her story.

Little did I know, she wouldn't be the princess in my own tale.

She spun under my arms, and I wished she would be there forever. Even if I wouldn't have to battle villains and foes, she would be there right by my side.

She made me hope for nothing.

I thought fairy tales were supposed to be long. Why did it only last a night? She made me believe in things that weren't real. She made me open my eyes to absolute darkness, with only her as my light. Now that she's gone, I can't find my way out of this lifelong nightmare.

Did Prince Charming lose Cinderella? Did the frog prince mourn for his princess?

I knew they were only imaginary.

She said sweet lies that in turn became bitter truth. She promised.

Look at what I am now.

Am I a prince, even?

She promised me a fairytale that would last forever. As we held hands, she tightened her grip and swore that she would never let me go, that she would never leave me under fleets of snow hugging myself while waiting for someone's warm embrace.

Too bad she proved that promises were meant to be broken.

It was the last year of high school- and, still, she hadn't agreed to be mine. "What if someone snatched you before I did?," I asked her, and she replied, saying that she would not let anyone take her.

I'm afraid that my grip on her would slip away. She's telling me to wait for the right time- how am I supposed to know if it's the right time? But I fulfilled what she wanted me to do. We graduated, and as we parted ways to chase after our own dreams, it felt as if I let go of a big part of my life.

I did everything I could to be successful, thinking of her every time I would have an exam or on the time when I was in search of job opportunities. I got accepted, and immediately rose in position. I found who I was supposed to be, and now, I want to find out if we were meant to be.

I returned home, bringing all the glories I have acquired over the years. They saluted me for my achievements but I want to achieve more- that is, achieve her "yes".

I found her in a well-known corporation. She was now the marketing officer, smiling at her co-employees as she walked past them. My heart fluttered.

Why am I nervous?

I walked earnestly to her direction. This is it, I thought. This is it.

I spread my arms out and embraced her. She looked startled, but she realized who I am and hugged back.

When we pulled away, I saw a man standing beside her, also smiling at me. He looked a year older than us.

"Meet my fiancé, Natsume Hyuuga."

…

…

…

What?

Did I hear it right?

Fiance?

She promised to never leave me alone.

What do you call this?

The world just shattered beneath my feet, leaving me hanging and clinging on to whatever hope I had. When the man had left, I asked her, "Why? I..I thought.."

She smiled sadly and bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry..I made you wait for nothing."

Of course she got that right.

"I just wanted to find myself.."

Why? She can find herself without losing me.

"I doubted the fact that out of millions of people in the world, you were the right one."

That hurt.

She had tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry…I thought you'd never come back."

I will always come back for her, no matter what.

I swallowed. "Couldn't you have waited a little longer?"

"I could have, but," she murmured, "I just lost sight of what I had to believe in."

What? Is it just easy losing your faith? I trusted her, trusted that she kept me waiting because eventually she would love me. How could she not do the same?

"I'm sorry," she said one last time before turning around and walking away.

With every step she took, I wanted to run after her, but I think that it's better this way. I want to let her go because she wants to go, and because I loved her enough to understand that maybe we're just strangers with memories.

I remember the smile she had years ago. Maybe it was genuine after all, but she just forgot about our promises. Maybe she loved me back then, but as they say, only true love can destroy the fact that first love never dies. Maybe she smiled to make me remember about a happy memory that would never happen again.

She walked out of my fairy tale, but it isn't the end. She chose to find whom she really wants to be with, not the prince who saved her from being held captive in the tower. And now I'm alone, watching the princess ride away on the horse of another person.

Sometimes what we thought to be our destiny isn't what's meant to be. Sometimes, we think that this is ultimately real- but it's just another dream.

My story isn't over yet. I have triumphed in rescuing the damsel in distress only to be defeated by somebody else. My life has to go on- several pages are still left untouched- and I'm hoping I'll find who holds the key to the happy ending I always dreamt about.

If ever there is one.

Erika here. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist posting my crappy stories here. Perhaps you would like to offer suggestions, points for improvement, and concrit. I would really appreciate it if you drop a review or PM. Somehow, this is taken from real life, and it would be appreciated if you tell me whether I portrayed it well or not. Rantings are pretty much accepted- this is just for improvement and development.