Her feet were firmly planted on the ground. The wind blew at her petite body, trying to force her back. It wasn't successful since the young girl continued standing on the edge.
The edge was of a cliff where a green meadow landscape stood hundreds of feet below. The girl took in the scene below her; eyes trailing over the green hills in front of her. The sun was sinking behind the farthest hill that she could see. Captured in her aquamarine eyes, the sun sank quickly and soon the sky was covered in a dark blanket.
With a solemn expression, the girl grew tired of standing so she carefully sat herself. Still at the edge of the cliff, she draped her sky blue dress over her bare legs and sandaled feet. Her attention was no longer on the meadow, but at the night sky. Hills had become dark bumps in the distance to her. Moments ago, a continuous landscape of green and patches of rainbows captivated her. It had been hours since then, but time seemed to go by quickly for her. The sky reminded her of a black sheet with tiny holes poked everywhere, letting the light of day seep through. Night was letting day rest, but day had not been forgotten.
The wind blew stronger than before but she was steady. However, her blue hair played with the wind, strands floating behind her continuously.
She sat in silence. Her thoughts and her surroundings were blank, without sound. Quiet for so long, she wondered if she had lost her voice. Testing herself, she whispered to no one.
"Bright."
She didn't refer to the stars in the sky. Neither did she refer to the sun in the sky earlier in the evening. That word created an image of a young man's face in her mind. It was not a word, but the name of someone dear to her.
The boy had caramel brown hair which strangely complimented his red eyes. When he looked at her, they sparkled gently like jewels. A pair of rubies.
She felt warm inside at the memory of his smile. She unconsciously smiled because his was contagious as it was warm and bright. Bright but, not blinding where it would hurt your eyes. The young girl giggled at the thought of a smile being hurtful. But she knew deep down that it was true, sometimes smiles did hurt. Especially when she had to do the smiling.
She sat quietly, no longer smiling. The stars were too bright for her to look at and the hills were too dark to look at. So she looked down at her hands. They weren't dark neither were they bright. Her hands to her were so small. She never noticed them before; the size of them. Her hands made her feel small. She was small and it scared her.
Suddenly a single drop pinned her right palm. Then a second one on her left. Rain like drops continued to fall onto her open hands. Her eyes became glossy and then it dawned on the girl that she was crying. The rain like drops were her own tears. Quickly she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. She could not cry. She had to be strong until it was over. Once it was all over she could cry freely, but not now.
Looking up at the sky she blinked her tears away. It worked so now she faced straight ahead at the darkness and let the wind dry her face. As her face dried, footsteps were heard behind her.
"Rein?"
Hearing her name she stood up. She was not afraid of the questioning voice because it was a familiar one. She turned around and faced the voice. Standing at the safer end of the cliff was a boy. He wore a white buttoned up collar shirt with a brown unbuttoned vest, darker brown pants and laced grey shoes. He looked common, but to Rein he was anything but.
The boy walked closer to where she stood. The closer he got the more recognizable the boy became to Rein. He was a head taller than herself and she could see messy caramel brown hair. A pair of red eyes looked at her. Rubies. She smiled genuinely as he came closer.
"What are you doing here?"
Bright looked at the girl in front of him. She wore a pale blue dress that reached right at her knee level. Her hair was down and it fell on her shoulders in light waves like the ocean. In all the times he saw her, she had always had her hair up in a ponytail. He couldn't help notice how the moon's light graced her features. Her eyes shamed the stars above them, as they shined brighter than them. He thought of water stars.
For once in his life, he had to think about breathing. He almost forgot to for she was beautiful.
Once he got close enough, he took her hand in his and tried to pull her towards the safer side. He would not let her fall. She let herself be lead by him. They were at a safe distance, away from the edge and Bright waited for her to speak. However, she continued to look up at him. Finally she found her voice.
"I am sorry about your grandmother."
A sudden feeling of falling overcame Bright. It took all of his might to not physically fall. It became harder when he saw the sad look in Rein's eyes. It was not a pitying sadness, but a concerned sadness. He had to look away from her eyes in order to steady himself.
He could compare how he felt to a puzzle piece that had gone missing. It was that feeling of losing a piece of your heart and not being able to get it back. A new one had to eventually be made, but it just wouldn't look the same. No matter how similar you try to make it to the missing one.
His grandmother had passed away this morning. She had been a big part of his life. She practically raised him and he was very close to her. Now that she was gone he would never feel completely feel whole again. He would eventually stop being as sad as he is now, but life wouldn't be the same without his grandmother's presence.
He had been looking at the dirt below him while trying to compose his emotions. Trying to find a balance. A calm sadness with the memory of the happy times.
Finally he found it and dared himself to make eye contact with the girl who still held his hand. It was the same look in her eyes as before, but now it comforted him.
"It's alright, Rein. She lived a good life and it was her time to go. I will miss her dearly, but I will be alright."
Rein nodded her head slowly, taking in Bright's mature response. She loved the way he could take even the saddest of moments and bring some positivity into it. His way of being brought comfort to her and it gave her a bit of strength. She would need it. She looked up to the sky, away from his eyes. It was time.
"Bright?"
He was still looking at her face. The question that was his name had a concerning tone. Afraid that he kept her waiting, he responded with a single nod. Rein continued to look up at the sky. The stars became important to her at that moment. As well as the moon. They were witness to what was about to happen. With that thought in mind, she held onto his hand, not wanting to let go.
"I have to go."
Bright was confused. He didn't understand what she was trying to say.
Did she have to go home? Well it was late and she shouldn't be out so late. He would walk her home then. But where was home? The first time he had met Rein was in his town square. She sat on the fountain edge looking at the water's surface. Ever since that first time he would constantly see her and talk to her. He had never seen her leave town so he assumed she lived there.
"I will walk you home then."
Rein shook her head. It was in a fast motion, expressing urgency. Desperate to make him understand, but she did not know how.
"You can't."
"Why not?"
Why not he says. Rein's emotions were failing her. The tears were seconds from falling, but she had to smile. She wanted his last memory of her to be of her smiling.
"Because where I am going is somewhere you can't follow me. Because if you do then you would never see your family and friends again. You would never see the wonders of daylight and the mysterious beauty of the night."
Bright looked at her. He couldn't believe the words he was hearing. She spoke like it was the end. Like they were not going to see each other again. It worried him. This whole situation was making him uneasy.
"Where are you going exactly? If you would be so kind to tell me."
Rein smiled but shook her head once again. Slower than before. She looked into his eyes and seeing that he was annoyed at her secrecy she let go of his hand. At least she tried to.
Bright felt her grip loosen and tightened his grip. She inhaled slowly and took both his hands into her own.
"I can't tell you. But let me show you."
With that she let go of his hands and turned around. She was going towards the edge of the cliff and Bright panicked. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. He held her in place, not letting her go. The boy had lost someone dear to him already today, it wouldn't happen again. Not if he could prevent it.
Rein gently placed her hands on his arms. His embrace was warm and it was hard for her to free herself from him. If she had it her way, she would stay in his embrace and never let him go. However, she had to let him go. It was her duty.
"Trust me."
Bright wanted to not trust her. This was not the situation to trust someone who was walking towards their death. However, it wouldn't be fair that she put so much trust in him and he didn't do it for her. In the time they had known each other, she had always trusted him. That was his motto. He honored the trait of being trustworthy. That was something his grandmother had taught him and reminded him constantly of as he was growing up. In order to be trustworthy, you must be able to trust. So he slowly loosened his grip on her.
"Thank you Bright."
Rein didn't look back. She was afraid that she would see something that would hold her back; make her change her mind. She dared not look back at him. It helped keep her feelings, her longing, at a minimum. She reached the end of the cliff staring at the dark hills.
Curiosity got the best of the girl. Risking the fear of letting go, she turned around.
His eyes were set on her. They were steady and fierce with anticipation. Fearful for the bluenette's fate, his eyes were so deep with mixed emotion. It killed her on the inside and she was having second thoughts. Before she could reach out to him she let herself drop.
"REIN!"
She had forced her body too far back and too quickly that she was disoriented. However, she regained control and became conscious of her fast paced surroundings . All the energy in her being gathered on her back and burst through. She cut the flow of falling gravity and took flight. It all happened in a matter of a minute. Reaching the top of the cliff, Rein saw Bright on his knees where she just stood moments ago.
The boy looked up at her with wide eyes and mouth agape. Rein had large white wings and was hovering a few feet away from the cliff's edge. He was dumbfounded and speechless. He didn't know what to make of this. Rein, however, knew exactly what to do. She expected this much and had gone over this scene in her head many times. It was time to put it into action.
"Yes Bright, I'm an angel. I have been one since the moment we met. I was sent here to your small town from heaven to complete a job. I was to find an individual person and bring their soul to heaven."
She stopped talking, finding it harder to speak with every word she said. Bright stared at her, no longer at her wings. What made her so uneasy to speak was his intense stare that locked onto her.
He listened closely to what she was saying and a sudden thought came to mind. Taking all of the events of that day and what Rein had just said, he put it all together in his mind. He spoke out his resolution, the sad truth, feeling his heart tighten at the words that began to form.
"My grandmother."
He felt his heart drop to his stomach as his eyes took in the sight of the angel's head nodding. It was too sudden, all of this was too sudden. His head dropped and he looked at the ground below his hands. Rein had to stop herself from reaching out to him. She badly wanted to comfort him and tell him that his grandmother was in a better place, but she didn't have much time.
"Bright I want you to know that meeting you was not a coincidence. I believe it was fate that had us meet that day by the fountain. My job was to find your grandmother and when the time came, help her soul pass through the gates of heaven. I had no idea that I would meet you and the link you had with my job. I never meant to use you in any way. When I realized it was her I had to take with me, I wished so much that it didn't have to be her."
She stopped herself there. The memory of that day came back to her. The tears began to fall, but she wasn't done so she pushed on. Taking a deep breath she continued.
"I prolonged my job not wanting to do it. A few days passed and then weeks. Before I knew it, two months had passed. Each day I spent with you prolonged it even more. I didn't want those days to end because meeting you was the best thing that could've ever happened to me."
At that last part, Bright looked up from his comfort spot on the ground and immediately stood up. She was crying not able to hold it back anymore.
It hurt so much. Her love for him, the pain she caused him, the sorrow of letting him go, her duty to her own kind, how much she wished she wasn't doing this. It all engulfed her and she failed to contain it in.
Bright stood eye level to the flying girl. He held out his hand to her while backing up from the edge. Rein slowly took his hand without thinking and once it made contact she was pulled forward into a tight hug. She was welcomed in his arms and the tears streamed down. Her sobs were muffled in his chest as Bright held her close. He didn't speak and she continued to cry. They stayed like that, neither saying anything to the other. Once Rein's sobs became quieter and softer, Bright found his answer to her.
"I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that."
Rein looked up at him in bewilderment. The tears had stopped flowing down her face due to the shock. She could not understand why he was apologizing.
"Rein, in all the time I got to know you, I came to know you as a kind and caring girl. I understand why you had to do it though. It was your job. I am not mad. I am sad, but I am grateful. Thank you for giving me two more months with my grandmother."
He looked down at the tear streaked face of the angel in his arms. He didn't need a pair of white wings to say so. Her whole way of being was angelic. She was his angel. Rubbing the tears with his thumbs, he smiled at his sudden thought of Rein.
The bluenette smiled a sweet smile because of the contagiousness of his own. They stared at each other, but Rein was out of time. She knew it was time, but continued to smile. She was determined to keep her previous promise and smile till the end.
"Bright I have to go."
Bright nodded not knowing the consequences and loosened his arms which were wrapped around the petite girl. He continued to smile, believing everything had turned out well.
"When will I see you again? Tomorrow?"
The second part was said jokingly. He chuckled at his own remark, but stopped when Rein had not responded. She just continued to smile, however he noticed the change in her eyes. Earlier in his embrace her eyes were full of confusion and relief. Now they looked determined, but they had an unsettling sadness to them.
"I don't know Bright. I really don't know, but I do know one thing."
She placed her hands on his cheeks and stared into his ruby eyes. She had to smile till the end. There was no going back now. It was better this way.
"I will always love you."
Before Bright could answer she leaned in. Her lips made contact with his and time stopped. It was sweet yet a bit salty. Her tears had began to fall again. The kiss lasted as long as they could both hold their breath. It felt like forever, but forever is such a short time. They departed from the kiss and Bright had the biggest smile Rein had ever seen him make.
His ruby eyes looked at her so lovingly. How she would miss those eyes and that smile. For the last time he pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ear the words she desperately wanted to hear, but would also haunt her for the rest of her life. He fell limp in her arms and she weakened to her knees due to his weight. She carefully placed him down on the ground in front of her.
He was asleep.
She moved the few caramel strands out of his face and now that it was all over she couldn't hold it in. It began with a few drops and then there was a stream. Quiet sniffles became loud sobs.
She cried for the lost memories. She will always remember, but he never would.
It was not better this way. In her selfish heart it was not better this way, but this is the way it had to be. She was an angel and he was a human. They were never meant to meet. However, fate was cruel that way and she had played right into its hands. She had committed an ultimate sin and now she was paying for it.
An angel fell in love with a human. She cried while looking up into the stars. They along with moon were witness to her lonely sorrow. Remembering his last words she sobbed into the still night.
Don't be sad Rein. I love you too.
The human had loved the angel back.
