Chapter 8- Can't Say Good-bye
The summer went by quicker than the two expected. Sooner than they knew it, three weeks finally passed. Finally, the day of Shaun's departure arrived. Part of Mandeline really didn't want to go to the train station to wish him farewell; she feared it would be too depressing for her to watch her only true love to leave her-- forever. But she went anyway, knowing that this might be the last time they would ever see each other. She walked into the station alone, her father trailing behind her; he knew she wanted to be alone at this time. She soon found Shaun sitting by his boarding area, with his head in his hands. Just the sight made tears well up in her eyes. She crept up behind him. Shaun saw her and stood up. His eyes were watery, obviously from crying.
"Hey."
"Hi." Mandeline whispered.
They stared at each other for a few long moments. "So, I guess this is it." Shaun said into the silence.
Mandeline shrugged. "Yeah . . ." She started to cry.
"Mandy. Look at me. I promise you, it's gonna be all right. You'll be fine here."
"I don't see how I could ever be fine here without you by my side." She whispered.
Shaun didn't respond. "I- I- I, uh, brought you something." He stammered. He slowly reached into one the bags he had next to him and took out a single rose. It might have been her imagination, but Mandeline could've sworn it was glowing. It was a deep tint of red, without a single inaccuracy.
"It's- it's beautiful!"
Shaun smiled shyly at her. "I thought you might like it."
"I love it." she held out the rose in front of her holding it by the smooth stem.
"It's to remember me by."
"I don't need a rose to remind me of you. I'll always love you." At that, they kissed passionately. It might have been their last kiss.
"Will you promise to think of me?" Shaun whispered.
"You know I will."
"But - but y- you won't wait for me . . ." he looked her in the eye. "will you?"
"Well, I -"
"All aboard for Train 614! Leaving for Minnesota!"
"That's me." Shaun said sadly. Just hearing those words, made Mandeline burst into tears and cried like she never cried before. "I have to go."
Mandeline kissed Shaun and they pulled in for a long hug. "Promise . . . you won't leave me." Mandeline said over his shoulder, taking the sweet smell of him, before she had to let him go.
"I won't." Shaun whispered. "I'll always be with you. Just in a different place."
"Will you write to me? And call?"
"I'll try - but-"
"Last call for Minnesota! Last call!"
"Mandy." He looked sorrowfully into her eyes. "I love you." And those were the last words he said to her.
~ Authors Note ~ THIS STORY WILL BE CONTINUED!! THIS IS NOT OVER!!! Stay tuned, for more updates. Thanks! TO BE CONTINUED. Oh, and about the rose Shaun gave Mandeline. It might have been a weird present. I originally had Shaun to give her a locket, but I figured that would have been too material and I wanted something really special. You'll see the significance of the rose later on in the story. Tbc!
The summer went by quicker than the two expected. Sooner than they knew it, three weeks finally passed. Finally, the day of Shaun's departure arrived. Part of Mandeline really didn't want to go to the train station to wish him farewell; she feared it would be too depressing for her to watch her only true love to leave her-- forever. But she went anyway, knowing that this might be the last time they would ever see each other. She walked into the station alone, her father trailing behind her; he knew she wanted to be alone at this time. She soon found Shaun sitting by his boarding area, with his head in his hands. Just the sight made tears well up in her eyes. She crept up behind him. Shaun saw her and stood up. His eyes were watery, obviously from crying.
"Hey."
"Hi." Mandeline whispered.
They stared at each other for a few long moments. "So, I guess this is it." Shaun said into the silence.
Mandeline shrugged. "Yeah . . ." She started to cry.
"Mandy. Look at me. I promise you, it's gonna be all right. You'll be fine here."
"I don't see how I could ever be fine here without you by my side." She whispered.
Shaun didn't respond. "I- I- I, uh, brought you something." He stammered. He slowly reached into one the bags he had next to him and took out a single rose. It might have been her imagination, but Mandeline could've sworn it was glowing. It was a deep tint of red, without a single inaccuracy.
"It's- it's beautiful!"
Shaun smiled shyly at her. "I thought you might like it."
"I love it." she held out the rose in front of her holding it by the smooth stem.
"It's to remember me by."
"I don't need a rose to remind me of you. I'll always love you." At that, they kissed passionately. It might have been their last kiss.
"Will you promise to think of me?" Shaun whispered.
"You know I will."
"But - but y- you won't wait for me . . ." he looked her in the eye. "will you?"
"Well, I -"
"All aboard for Train 614! Leaving for Minnesota!"
"That's me." Shaun said sadly. Just hearing those words, made Mandeline burst into tears and cried like she never cried before. "I have to go."
Mandeline kissed Shaun and they pulled in for a long hug. "Promise . . . you won't leave me." Mandeline said over his shoulder, taking the sweet smell of him, before she had to let him go.
"I won't." Shaun whispered. "I'll always be with you. Just in a different place."
"Will you write to me? And call?"
"I'll try - but-"
"Last call for Minnesota! Last call!"
"Mandy." He looked sorrowfully into her eyes. "I love you." And those were the last words he said to her.
~ Authors Note ~ THIS STORY WILL BE CONTINUED!! THIS IS NOT OVER!!! Stay tuned, for more updates. Thanks! TO BE CONTINUED. Oh, and about the rose Shaun gave Mandeline. It might have been a weird present. I originally had Shaun to give her a locket, but I figured that would have been too material and I wanted something really special. You'll see the significance of the rose later on in the story. Tbc!