Have you ever fallen in love with someone who doesn't exist? Maybe with someone who isn't real… like a character of a story… or a character of a game? But can it really be love? That cant be possible, how can I love someone who doesn't even exist…
Then again, how do we even know they aren't real? We think they aren't real because we don't see them walking outside or going to the same school as ours.
But, have you ever heard of parallel worlds? Those dimensions where other people live at the same time that we do, though their time is different compare to ours, at least that's what they say…
What if they belong to one of those worlds? While here they are nothing more than a mere character of a game, they could be real in other world…
And if in that world they are real, what am I? Do I even exist in that world, could it be that I'm a mere character in their world?
" … - and that's what happen! Can you believe he cheated on me? With her?" Joanne shouted at me with an angry and hurt look in her eyes.
"That's not even fair…" She sat in font of me, leaning her elbows on the table between us.
"Since when love is fair?" I asked her not taking my eyes of the view outside the restaurant. Cars passing by, people walking, others talking in the cell phone ignoring everyone around them, some other running because they are late to their work, couples walking together one beside the other holding hands… I sighed blowing a black lock of hair away from my eyes and finally looked at Joanne, her gaze was lost and her index finger was making imaginary circles on the table, her brown curly hair falling over her shoulders.
I chuckled at her and smirk "Seems like it finally got you, that very same feeling you said you'll never have, how ironic" I said as I lean on the table with my elbows.
Joanne looked up at me, her green eyes filled with sadness and hurt, I even felt sorry for her… though I warn her not to get her hopes up with him, she did the exact opposite so I just sat around and waited for this moment, the moment that he broke her heart.
I know it sounds harsh but… that's how it is nowadays, you find someone you like, he likes you back, you two start flirting, then he asks you out and becomes his girlfriend, some time later he gets bored and dump you for the first girl that appears in front of him… experience talking here.
Joanne sighed "Why are you always like this Anya? Why do you always act so … cold" I just looked at her, she continued "You talk so badly about love, but I bet you are longing to know how it feels to be in love and be love back" Tears were threatening on rolling down her cheeks, her eyes were swollen and reddish.
I just sighed and focus my gaze on the view outside once again, my brown eyes looking around for anything far more interesting than this conversation, I just didn't wanted to hear it.
"Why would I want that?" I asked no one in particular "I would just end up getting hurt…"
"So...it's fear. You're afraid to be in love."
"Shut up! Damn conscious…"
Silent fell between Joanne and me, chattering and laughing could be heard around us, waiters taking peoples orders, I could even hear some people singing happy birthday … happy, that's the key word.
"Have you ever thought about, your true love being in other world?" Joanne asked me, I looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Yeah you know – she continued – maybe that's why there are so many single people, and couples that's doesn't work, their other half is not in this world but in another."
At this, I actually laughed my heart out "How can you think such things!"
She was laughing too; well that's a start "Hey you never know! Sh!t happens!"
Finally we were both laughing and joking around, like in the old times; when we didn't care about feelings or boys, when things were easier…
After finishing our meal we decided to head out and join all the strangers walking outside. Joanne was talking about… I really don't know what she was talking about I wasn't paying to much attention to her.
I was just walking aimlessly through the pack of people, I felt… strange, like if I was missing something, like if I should be doing something important.
"Nonsense…" I said aloud.
"What's nonsense? Me?" Joanne said with a hint of surprise and hurt in her voice. I stopped and looked at her "No not you I… I'm sorry I seem to be out of character today"
She tilted her head to a side looking at me raising an eyebrow " I can totally agree with that" then she got closer and nudged me "maybe you need someone to help you get in character? Huh?" she smirked at me.
I laugh and push her gently away from me "You are the most bipolar woman I've ever meet" I smiled at her.
" Oh you love me so just shut up" She laughed and smiled too.
We kept walking through the busy streets until a store attracted Joanne's attention.
"Lets go inside!" She pulled me inside the store with her… Yuppie.
Okay maybe this store is not that bad…Maybe.
The store had this dim light; it was just like those fortunetellers stores with bunch of lucky charms, love charms etc. The ceiling was full of decals of stars shining with different colors. I stare at the ceiling; the stars actually got my eye.
"Woaaah! Anya look at this!" Joanne called from some place on the back of the store where the owner was, it was a lady, she seemed pretty young though I could see her wrinkles at the sides of her eyes. I walked towards Joanne; she was watching the charms that were displayed on the showcase.
"Hello ladies" she said with a soft melodic voice. "How can I help you?"
"Oh we are just looking" Joanne said "But… do you have a strong love charm for me and my friend here?"
"What? Why me? I don't need one" I said to Joanne in a low voice.
"Hush, just follow me with this, you will thank me later" She replay to me. I sighed and took some steps back to look another showcase.
"Well dear – the owner started – I do have some strong charms though right now I just have one"
"Hmm, well if that's the case" Joanne came towards me and grabbed me from behind by the sides of my arms, then took me back to the showcase where the owner was "give it to her, she needs it more than I do." Joanne said with a smile.
"I already told you I don't want any love charms" I looked back at Joanne with an angry look which she only stuck her tongue at me. Nice.
"Lets see…" the owner leaned over the showcase to have a better look of me, though unintended I pushed myself back bumping with Joanne which she push me closer again. The owner looked right into my hazel eyes… so uncomfortable. After a minute or so, she smiled and leaned back.
"I see, do you like adventures?" She said casually as she bent down and started looking for something.
"I … ummm… excuse me?" I said really confuse.
"I see you have a big mission to accomplish - she said as she came back up – if you can say it like that, or maybe is your just destiny." She put in top of the showcase a little purple box. I started at it, somehow I felt anxious then Joanne moved to stand beside me.
"This is for you" the owner opened the box to reveal a bracelet, with a little bluish purple teardrop gem.
"For me?" I said confuse, the owner nodded and took the bracelet out. She stretched her arm towards me, so I could take the bracelet. The gem was beautiful and also it looked really fragile.
"I'm sorry but I don't have money right now." I said to the owner, trying to free myself from this.
"Don't worry about I can pay for it" Joanne nudge me again. Seriously? I give her a look that clearly reflected my anger. She dismiss it and took her wallet "How much for it?" she casually asked.
The owner shook her head. "A present from me to you" My eyes widened, this woman wasn't serious right! She suddenly took my wrist and before I could take it back, she had already place the bracelet on my wrist.
"No, no wa- I started taking the bracelet off.
"Don't" The owner said with a serious tone, I stopped and looked at her, her eyes where hard on me, like daggers. I nodded to her "Thank you"
She smiled and said "Good luck from here on, you will need it."
I stared at the woman with confusion, what did the meant with that? Why did she give me he bracelet just like that? What if it's something stolen? Maybe it has a curse!
"Come on Anya lets go!" Joanne grabbed my arm and took me out of there "Thanks lady!" she shouted to the owner as we got out of that store.
After that strange meeting with the lady, we headed to Joanne's house. I usually stay at her place every Friday.
I was currently reading an article about parallel worlds; the magazine was on Joanne's desk no wonder why she was talking about it this morning, though I need to admit it was really interesting.
While reading it, something on the article actually caught my attention:
"It is believed that, our mind and soul are capable of traveling through these parallel worlds while sleeping or meditating. Here comes the theory of dying in dreams, while dreaming our soul travels to a different world, if our body in that world dies our soul dies too, making impossible for the it to come back.
Our "dreams" are the memories of those alternate worlds that our soul and mind travel too. Though for some people its impossible to keep the vivid memory of they travel, some others are even capable of recalling every single detail or "feeling" for example a punch or a kiss in their body in the original world.
This event happens when the persons is in deep sleep or meditation, when they seem completely lost from this world, the real reason is they ARE really not in this world but away in another one –"
"Anya what are you doing?" Joanne suddenly jumped in the bed, making me lose my concentration on the reading.
"I was reading about what you said earlier" I showed her the magazine
"Oh yes! Don't you think is rather scary?" She sat up beside me.
"Its… interesting" I said looking down at the magazine.
"Well think about, when you say 'I saw the guy of my dreams in my dreams' you DID actually met him"
I smiled at her "You are thinking to much about it"
She shrugged "Anyways lets do something! How about – she stood up and went to her desk – Should we watch Final Fantasy?" She looked back at me, I just nodded I wasn't even going to watch it; I was planning on falling sleep already.
Joanne threw me the box of the DVD and I easily catch it, Joanne went to turn on the DVD player and the TV.
I looked at the cover, then turn it around and started reading the synopsis though I knew the story already. Suddenly the gem of the bracelet sparkle, I looked at it confuse, but I saw nothing strange on it. 'I'm seeing things' I shrugged and gave Joanne de DVD. She took it out and put it on the DVD, I turned off the light and jumped on the bed, she sat down on the floor her back on the bed.
The movie started and I lay down resting my head on the pillow, not even 30 minutes later I was already falling sleep my eyes closing slowly but not before seeing another sparkle coming from the gem.
I scoffed and closed my eyes 'Stop it head, just stop it.'