The End
Tris wraps a pink cardigan around her willowy shoulders. The rush of the wind, growing stronger with every passing moment, synchronized with the thunder of the ocean waves splattering against the rocky shore drowns out the sound of the doorbell. She walks across her bedroom softly as if she dare not disturb the storm brewing within the enormous pile of letters. Billowing smoke from her tight lips, she rakes through the papers.
A weeping cloud shifts overhead giving the pitch-black shadows permission to coolly engulf the dazzling colours of the house and amplify the loneliness of its people. The lack of ample lighting in the murky hallways and dearth of deliciously baked goods makes her mind wander to the sound asleep couple upstairs. A sigh escapes her as she realizes the endless list of chores she has yet to complete. She presses a finger to her temple and tries to vainly massage her headache away. Her eyes drift to the letter hidden among wasteful heaps of bills and parking tickets. A choice has to be made. She pushes herself up with her hands on her wobbly knees and decides above all to let her worries float away with a steaming cup of lavender tea.
Until there it was. A rotting envelope poking through a gigantic pile of yellow posters, rustic postcards, and grocery shopping receipts. Her heart leaped into her throat and wouldn't stop beating loudly. It was on the tip of her tongue, about to jump out, when she viciously grabbed the envelope and pressed it to her chest. Her eyes welled up with an unknown feeling of longing and yearning. Her body craved those forgotten words. She breathed in the musty smell of the letter before carefully unfolding it along its creases. Loopy handwriting, cream-coloured stationery, and tons of spelling errors. He would attest that they're purposeful but mistakes usually never are.
Her heart unexpectedly rattled in its cage as she heard the doorbell screech.
Annoyed, she pushed past several pieces of tasteless furniture she's yet to replace that came with the beachside house. Tearing the envelope open with her teeth, she bumped into a coffee table with rounded corners and stumbled on her two left feet. She found herself walking across the wrong hallways several times as her watery eyes devoured any and every delicately written word. She savours every word as each letter dances gleefully on her pale skin. Her headache grew worse as her mind processed all that she had lost; something she could never have anyway.
The doorbell screeched again and again until the stranger could make out her fragile, bird-like posture through the screen door. She slipped her flat bellies on her veiny feet and the echo of the thunder, her thumping heart, the rustling of feet into shoes, and the hesitant knock by the visitor was all that resonated in the foyer. At the moment that was all she could tolerate. Those awfully passionate and tender words sliced her bashful heart open as she turned the key in the lock. Little did she know turning that lock open would thrash the doors open to a much brighter and lovely future.
The door swung open as lightning strikes and the wind snatches away her cardigan, leaving her vulnerable and terribly chilly. She gasps at the ferocity of the wind and clutches the piece of paper tightly with her sinewy fingers. Her nervous eyes catch the sight of the stranger. Her chin quivered and unshed tears pooled in her waterline threatened to let out the soundless waves of the ocean residing within her bleeding heart.
Years of longing, crying out loud for his undying love, walking down the wrong path again and again, and burying secrets upon secrets until her fragile heart couldn't bear the weight of it all. Something like a paintball exploded in her stomach, its bright colours rapidly seep into her veins making her a bit dizzy and reach her fingertips waiting to shower upon something or someone.
A smile broke out on her weary face.
A beautiful, childlike soul worn with the fateful passage of time, wrinkly ocean eyes, and a lean, muscular figure mischievously knocks on the steel frame of the door and says with just as much charm and captivation, "Room for one, Ms. Prior?"
There's no word in this world that could capture the sheer force with which she jumped into his arms. He mustered all his strength to not stumble down a flight of stairs and into the storm. Her dainty fingers grazed the stubble on his chin, leaving invisible marks of colours flowing in her veins, while he drunkenly gazed into her hard eyes. The thunder roared as if it were celebrating this long-awaited reunion along with them. No more searching, no more yearning. All the secrets of the universe lied right here in each other's embrace.
*The End*
A/N: All good things must come to an end. Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone for keeping up with this story, leaving awesome reviews, and encouraging me to finally finish it. It's a bittersweet moment. I'm eternally grateful for all of you who took out time to read this story and always let me know what you thought about it. I peeked at the traffic stats yesterday and I hit 10,000+ views! Thank you for helping me reach this milestone. You have no idea what this means to me. Really.
Thank you everyone for your continued support! I really hope you enjoyed reading the ending. It's written in a different format. I thought it would be a good spin to the story. A gentle reminder that this fanfiction was inspired by Cecelia Ahern's book 'Where Rainbows End'. All credit goes to her and Veronica Roth.
I will continue writing fanfiction. My next project is writing one-shots only. I've been collecting prompts over the last few days. If there's anything you want me to write, please leave your suggestions in the review section below.
If there's anything anyone wants to tell me about the story or provide some much-needed constructive criticism, feel free to drop a review or PM me directly. I'm available these days for a quick chat.
Once again, thank you dear readers.