and now memory
She stares, unblinkingly, at the pavement, strands of her dark red hair falling into her cold blue eyes every so often. Her shoes hit the ground, one after the other, just as her heart beats, again and again… thump, thump, thump… in perfect time. It's a slow pace, but she doesn't mind the walk, even in the cold. Leaves in hues of gold and red are scattered through the grass, their rich color adding life to the otherwise dull street. This was always his favorite part of autumn… the colors.
has distorted your light
She's still staring, but she doesn't see the ground anymore. The minute, miscellaneous stones scattered through the concrete are now unnoticed. She pictures an empty space, like a white canvas waiting to be filled. First, there's a boy. His hair defies gravity in every way imaginable, and his eyes sparkle like the sea. He's running, then turning back to smile. "Come on," he says, "you're so slow, Kairi!" As he progresses, the empty white surrounding him transforms into green and blue and brown and suddenly it's a beach and she's got the sand under her feet and she's trying to keep up.
sing me something clear and true
Now the two of them are sitting on the dock watching the sunset. "Sora, don't ever change," she says to him. He looks at her questioningly, not sure what to say. She notices the white of the empty canvas starting to come back and the edges of the beach are starting to fade, and she stands to walk away. "Don't ever change," she hears herself repeating. As she walks away, she doesn't bother looking back. She knows he's still there… she knows he'll always be on that island. Running down the beach and sitting on that dock and climbing those trees and swimming in that ocean. He's never really going to leave.
in some otherworldly tune
She keeps walking, and pretty soon she can feel the sidewalk under her feet again, replacing the wooden dock. She can hear his voice in the back of her mind, awkward, adolescent, and all she's ever wanted. "We're… We're back," he says. She's just thinking about how she can almost hear the smile on his face and suddenly she sees it. She's watching herself pull him out of the water and she's watching herself smile at him and she's watching and watching and watching and she's jealous. For that moment, there are two Kairi's, and she'd give anything to be the other one.
if you were here
She reaches out to them, those two perfect teenagers on the beach, so happy and carefree and in love and alive, but all she gets is a handful of leaves as she avoids running into the nearest tree. She swears softly under her breath and checks her watch. Trying to play it off like she didn't almost collide with impending foliage, she pictures him walking beside her, giggling like a little kid. Imaginary laughter is as infectious as the real thing, and soon enough she's got a smile threatening to show through.
i'd make it up for you
She shakes her head, causing the comforting image to disappear. There's no white blur left along the edges of the world, everything's back to being as concrete as it's always been. Well, she figures, daydreams can start to lose their magic… She'd hate to kill it with an overdose. Small steps, small steps, small steps. After a while, she's taken so many small steps that she's already found her way to her destination. It's quiet and empty and desolate and practically isolated, at the very edge of town, and she's glad. It gives her some time alone.
yeah, i'd make it up for you
Her eyes sting with tears that she knows will never touch the ground. It's beautiful here, in a hollow sort of way, and she wonders how many other girls have walked this exact same way down the beaten path. How many girls have brought flowers to dead boys? How many girls have cried over the graves of dead boys? How many girls have avoided the cemetery like the plague, shunning each and every memory of dead boys? Too, too many. But how many girls have been here to visit her dead boy?
with the song i loved the most
She makes her way down the road, just under a hundred yards, and turns east. Counting, counting, counting, passing seven rows of names and birthdays and "beloved sister"s and people who should've lived longer. She's careful not to trod on any petals or step over anyone. After all, they aren't hers, and she feels that even the slightest disturbance would throw the entire place into a state of disenchantment. It's eerie, and there's something inside her that makes her want to know anything and everything about these people…
i know you're here
Soon enough, she's found him. There aren't any distinguishing marks or flowers or candles, and, in fact, the stone looks rather plain. But she'd never mistake this spot. He's here, and as long as she's got this spot, she's got him. For a minute, she thinks she can hear echoes of laughter, or memories of some far-off hymn. But she's just imagining it. Dismissing it, she takes a seat on the cold assortment of grass and leaves next to his name. She smiles and says, "..Sora? It's me, Kairi. I've been missing you a lot lately."
and i'm not afraid of ghosts