Heya. So I took a short break from rewriting runaway and made this two-shot. This was inspired by a dating game I played, Kaleidoscope... um, something. Hehe. It's an awesome game, I recommend you to play it. Anyhow, yeah, this is really kinda fluffy since it was an otome game I played.
Ann's POV
Love isn't something you find. Love is something that finds you.
That's what Dad once told me. Love comes naturally; it's so natural that you would never expect that it's already knocking on your door.
I didn't understand that much at first. I've never, err, liked a guy before you know. But then, I met him… He was the first person I ever liked in my whole twenty years of living.
In this odd place of souls, dreams and imagination, I met a friend. He was the only soul who accepted my company and together, we tried to figure out where we were.
Dream world—as what everyone here calls it, is a place where souls go when bodies are in a coma. The others say that we aren't totally dead yet; only our mortal bodies are lifeless and our souls wander here.
Cliff's realm is a winter wonderland. Snow veiled the whole place. It never stops snowing in his dreamland. It's always night time there, so the only things that light up the place are the old lamp posts lined up on the streets. He says this was the scene when he left his hometown.
Mine is the lovely waterfall in Mother's Hill. The hot spring, the mine and all the pretty flowers are here too. It's always a breezy morning, and little critters like bunnies and squirrels are usually running around. It was my favorite place in all of Mineral Town. And somehow, Cliff's taken a liking to my realm, and vice versa, since you know, our worlds are complete opposites.
We could go from one realm to another through these bizarre floating doors scattered around.
I remembered the day I met him. Since the time that I got here, I never stopped crying. Nobody wanted to talk to me; no one wanted to give me answers… Until he came along, around two seasons after I got stuck here.
"Oh, h-hey Cliff, come on in!"
Cliff, shy as a lil' lamb, timidly entered in my realm. "Ummm… I'm really sorry to bother you…"
Holy crap, he was so cute. I could feel my whole face warming up. I bet I look like a plump, ripe tomato now. "Ah… Ah, no, it's okay. Y-You know how I like… h-having company. It's always lonely here in dream world… and besides, we're the only ones who are friends here, right?"
He flashed me a smile—one that I really liked seeing, and sat beside me. "Is… is it okay for me to sit here?"
"Of course!" I laughed, trying to suppress myself from exploding. "It's been a number of times that we've sat beside each other, telling stories and sharing food… You don't need to be all shy and nervous, 'kay?"
Well, I should speak for myself… Ugh. It has been a number of times, but I couldn't help but get all tense and nervous when he's beside me.
He smiled again and muttered, "Thank you, Ann."
"Ah… Y-You're welcome… Oh, h-here, I found another bamboo shoot… Let's have it for, uh, breakfast."
Well, we souls get hungry too, you know. Of course, since it's always morning here, it would be breakfast. After eating the lone bamboo shoot I found, we stood near the waterfall, marvelling at its sparkling water and relaxing sound.
"So you say that this is a part of your town?" He asked me, his eyes locked on the water crashing down.
"Yeah… I go here every morning when I was still in the real world to relax. Besides, I gather ingredients here to take back to the inn." I smiled, sighing.
He chuckled quietly. "No wonder you know where all the bamboo shoots and herbs are located. Someday, I would want to go to your town… It's beautiful here…"
"Yeah… Hey Cliff, don't you miss your family?" I asked him. "You told me that you left your hometown because you didn't like it there, but you never told me about your family."
His cerulean eyes became deep and pensive. He was quiet for a long while. I think that was wrong to ask…
"S-Sorry for asking that," I quickly apologized, tugging his sleeve. "Sorry, Cliff…"
"No, it's okay…" He smiled faintly, and then turned to face the waterfall again. "It's just that, I realized I was so selfish… I never thought how they would be if I leave, since my dad is long gone… And yes, I really miss them…"
"So if your dad's gone… you only have your mom and siblings left, then?"
"Yeah, my mom and younger sister… I wonder how they are now… And I wonder if they already know what happened to me." He sighed. Minutes later, he winced; his face suddenly twisted into pain and he started to sweat bullets.
"C-Cliff? Are you okay?!" I panicked. I took his hand and let him sit on the grassy patch. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. What was happening?
"Ah… n-no… I'm okay…" He breathed. "The memory… of how my head hit the cold, solid wall so badly… surfaced in my mind again. Somehow, whenever I remember it, I could feel the pain all over again."
"Oh… Um, b-but are you sure you're fine?" I worried.
"I am… thank you, Ann." He held my hand and smiled kindly at me. "You're always so thoughtful and caring."
I was already blushing red hot when he took my hand, but I think my reddened face worsened when I saw his cheeks slightly blushing as well when he smiled. Holy crap. I feel like bursting.
I turned my face away to hide my embarrassment. "It's n-nothing…"
He released my hand and turned his back on me to look at the waterfall. Whew, thank goodness. Now I have time to get my composure back. But he did get me worried there; I don't know what I'll ever do if something bad happens to him! After days of being here, I grew so attached to him and eventually, err, how do I say this piece of corny thing… Eventually… I, um, I fell in love with him.
I wonder how dad would react if he knew that his only daughter finally experienced love.
Ah… That brings back the stormy day when we had an argument…
"Hey sweetie, uh, could you come 'ere for a sec?" He said from the other side of the door. I was inside one of the guest rooms, fixing the bed and pillow sheets.
"Comin' dad." I quickly put down the sheet and opened the door. "What is it? Oh geez, it's leaking over there by the staircase."
"Yeah, I'll fix that later… Anyway, you might get hurt with what I have to say… but Ann… Uh, don't you wanna get a boyfriend or somethin'?"
"Oh not this again…"
"I'm worried… you know, that since you grew up to be a little bit tomboyish, that you—"
"For goodness' sake dad, I know myself. I might be un-ladylike, but I ain't a lesbian!"
"It's just that, you don't have an interest in any guy at all, and all you ever talk about is Mary and Popuri and—"
"Wow dad, just, WOW. So what if I don't get a crush on anybody 'ere? What if all ever jabber about are my best friends? So what if I'm mom's opposite?! I can't believe my own father doubts me!"
"No, Ann, I'm just thinking—"
"Whatever happened to 'love is something that finds you' crap? I don't understand it much, but you've told me once not to hurry up in that thing… But what are you doing dad?!"
"Ann, it's just that, you might—"
"Oh shut it dad! I'm sick of it! You always bring this topic up! Every one of you old folks here in town thinks the same of me!" I cried out angrily, and headed for the stairs. "I hate you! I can't believe you!"
With misty eyes and a screwed up mind, I ran down the stairs without knowing that my anger will bring me to this place. The leak in the roof had already made puddles on the first few steps, and I was too stupid to see it. I slipped and fell, and my head hit the floor so badly… Dizzy… I was so dizzy… and there was this throbbing pain….
"ANN!"
"H-Hey Ann?" He said, after a long period of awkward silence.
"O-Oh!" I snapped back to reality. My hands felt numb and cold and the left part of my head stung badly… It's just like what Cliff said, it's like you can feel the pain of the injury every time you recall the memory.
"W-What happened? You're so pale!" He took both of my hands and warmed them with his.
"It's like… what you said… when you picture your last memory… you could feel the pain… as if you were in your own body again." My breathing became unstable.
"Easy there… Breathe, Ann… Please, be okay…" He grasped my hands tighter.
"I am… I'm okay." I smiled weakly. "D-Do you… Do you think we'll ever go back to the real world?"
He mulled over thoughtfully for a long while, still not letting go of my hands. Just holy crap, Cliff do you want me to explode?
"We might… or we might not." He answered quietly. "But you know what Ann? If we ever meet again in the real world, I will look for Mineral Town… I will look for you."
"Cliff?"
"… and when I find you, we'll go to this place, and experience the real waterfall, eat real bamboo shoots, play with real animals… We'll do these things all over again." He slightly faced away, as if he was trying to hide his flushed face.
"What… why?" My voice was almost a whisper. I was completely stunned. Is it possible that he…?
"Ah, Ann…" He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "It's… It's because… I've always liked you… You're so warm and caring... Now I understand… what it means to live for someone…"
Oh holy crap. What's happening to me? Why the hell am I crying?!
"G-Goodness, Cliff… I can't believe it…"
"Ah, uh… Um, Sorry for blurting that out!" He blushed bright red. "I'm sorry, Ann!"
"N-No! I mean, Cliff…" I was so darn happy. "I'll… I'll wait for you to find me! Like how you found me here… It's like what my dad said… And Cliff… from that day you knocked on my door and entered here… I could say love did really find me…"
"Ah… Is this r-real?" He hugged me tightly. "Ha ha ha… It sounds like we're already getting married…"
"H-hey! Don't say that y-yet!" I bickered out, my cheeks all warm. Goodness, this is all so corny. "I'm still too young to marry!"
In the middle of our little happiness, a bright light came from one of the doors. It was an unfamiliar door. It was white and had intricate gold designs carved on it. Hand in hand, we walked towards the door.
"Do you think…?" I faced him with hopeful eyes.
"If this is the way back to the real world… Then, I won't forget my promise. I will look for you… and fall in love with you all over again."
Cliff will find me… like how he found me here in the dream world when I was alone and crying…
Love will find me, and I'll wait for him…
I'll wait for him, even for a million years…
"…Mmmm?"
"Ah… Ah! Doc! She finally opened her eyes!" A familiar, gentle voice gasped.
"This is a miracle…"
Those… Those were Elli and Trent's voice. I… I was in the clinic?
"Elli, call for Doug immediately. Ann has finally waked up from her coma!" Trent's voice was almost trembling. "Ann… How do you feel?"
"… Dizzy, actually…" I whimpered. "I think I'm in a jetlag…"
I tried to remember everything as Trent conducted a few more tests on me. The last memory I have is from... when I fell down the stairs. It was a bloody memory… Ah, my dad… I wonder how he is…
"Ann! Sweet Jesus, you're…! You're awake!" My dad barged in the room and embraced me tightly I needed air.
The warmth, the love…I missed my dad. It's like it's been such a long time since I last felt… human. "Dad… I'm so sorry for yelling at you…"
"No sweetie, I'm sorry for being so pushy on ya that day… You were right… I shouldn't have doubted you. You're perfect just the way you are… and love will find you, no need to rush…" He sobbed and hugged me even tighter.
The last things he said… why do they seem so familiar?
"What's the last thing you remember, Ann?" Trent asked me.
"Ah… when I fell…" I mumbled. "Yeah… It was stormy and the roof was leaking and I slipped."
He nodded. "That's good; it seems you didn't get amnesia. You slept for an awfully long time. Your coma was longer than what we expected."
"What…? It's not summer anymore?" I asked, bewildered.
"It's summer, actually…" Elli responded. "Only, it's a year after your accident. You've been in a coma for a whole year."
"That l-long?!" I gasped. "D-Dad! How did you manage?!"
Dad scratched the back of his head. "Actually… I close every five pm and stay 'ere until six in the morning to take care of you…"
"Oh dad… Business can't go that way!" I patted his back. "Well, we'll be opening the inn 'til ten pm, just like before! I'm good to go, right Doc?"
"Miraculously, yes. You just have a mild headache now. Your head injury's been okay since the winter. We just needed you to wake up."
"Ya hear that dad? I'm okay now!"
Everyone was relieved and happy that they got the ol' tomboyish waitress alive and kicking again. I returned to my old routine: wake up, eat, shower, hang around the waterfall, gather ingredients, cook, serve, clean and sleep. It's as if nothing happened. Dad also stopped bringing up the topic about me not being girly.
I wonder why every time I go to the waterfall, I suddenly become happy… You know, when I stare at the shining water, it's as if someone is always beside me. Popuri is with me every morning, but, I don't know…
And when I see an herb, it makes me remember eating them and bamboo shoots… I don't actually recall me eating them. I always bring them back to the inn.
And these squirrels and rabbits around, I actually feel close to them. Weird, I don't recall playing with them.
Summer and autumn passed by like a breeze. Business became better when I came back, of course. Dad has done a slightly terrible job of housekeeping, but his cooking made his customers stay. Oh well.
Today was the first day of winter… and it looks like the first heavy snowfall too.
"Ah… I guess I can't go to the waterfall today…" I sighed. "Oh well."
I spent the whole day in the inn, doing my usual tasks. In the evening, something inside me tells me that I should go outside.
I bundled up in my coat, scarf and mittens and stepped out of the inn. Well, it was darn cold outside. What the hell was I thinking, going out in this weather? Oh well. Might as well walk around and look for somethin' interesting.
Walk, walk, and walk.
"…Huh?"
I stopped walking when I reached the middle of Rose Square. I don't know why, but here goes my gut feeling again. Seeing the old lamp posts lighting up the dark plaza as snow continues to fall makes me remember something… blurry. It's a very faint image in my head… But there's a feeling in my heart that this image I'm trying to remember is a place that I love…
And there's this someone in my head….
Oh, who's this..?
I can't remember…
But… He feels important…
But why….?
Winter… Snow… Lamp posts… And this… person… Why did they suddenly pop in my head?
Who is he…?
"Ugh…. My head hurts from all these…" I groaned. I shook my head and ran back to the inn. I quickly removed my winter garments and started to scrub the tables, trying to forget the cause of my headache.
"Ann, could you check the guest room if everything's in its place? These people are leaving now." Dad requested me. There was a couple checking out of the inn, and they flashed friendly smiles at me.
"Oh, yes of course. Please wait a while." I nodded courteously and sprinted to the upper room.
Vases, bed sheets, pillows, carpet, lamps… It's clear. I dashed out of the room cheerfully and descended down the stairs. From the looks of it, there was another person who was going to check in, since dad wrote down his name in the log book. Oh, good, more customers. From the way he was dressed, he looked like a traveller.
"Well, welcome to Mineral Town boy!" Dad laughed heartily.
I drew near the counter with a grin on my face, and told the couple that they were okay to go. As they bid me goodbye, Dad hollered, "Oh Ann, here, we have a new tenant, please lead him to the guest room."
"Yes of—"
When he faced me, my mind got a lil' screwed for a bit.
Ah, what is this feeling? Why does he look so familiar? Why do the images of the waterfall, lamp posts and snow pop up in my head again? Why do I feel so… happy?
His cerulean eyes were as surprised as mine. Could it be he knows me too?
I must be imagining things. Even though I feel an unusual connection towards him, this is the first time I've met this traveller… "Ah, um. W-Welcome. Please, follow me…"
I wonder… Have we met in a dream?