He followed her adriot body through the rough green plants and coarse grass. His body was scratched and scraped at every exposed patch of skin. The sweat dripped down his his neck and shoulders onto the open wounds; the salt made the pain unbearable. He had to keep going, he had to keep following her. His tendons ached with every laboured movement. The humid air made his lungs feel like they would explode at any moment. Every breath he took only put more pressure on his chest; it left him gasping for oxygen. He wanted nothing more than eupnea. She was almost running, leaving him behind in the darkness of an unfamiliar place. The phantasmal noises helped his pace quicken. He ran his hand over his face, the reminder of his journey was left in a chilling blood-tone. The burning sensation passed again; he was in so much physical pain. He looked up and saw her body move; she turned left. He tried to steady a jog but his body wouldn't cooperate. He felt the exhaustion and the heat beating down on his deteriorating body. He saw black spots and circles in front of his eyes. The world was slowly spinning around him. He felt an arm slip around his waist, leading him into an unknown direction. His feet replied to her movements; yet they were completely limp. She leaned him down, guiding his torso towards a soft path of grass in a parched desert. He felt a cool rivulet down his face; ice upon fire. He opened his eyes. The sun enlight her face with a golden glow, she looked almost unearthly.The liquid ran over his face, slipping into his dry mouth or completley streaming down his chin onto his face. She cradled his head in her lap, gently washing out the gashes with the sustaining water. Her fingers took away any affliction he felt. Her hand rested on his cheek; she looked off towards the descening sun.
"We've got about a mile left."
He felt his head being relieved of its resting place. She placed her worn hand out for him to take, easing him up off the ground. He held on to her for a few seconds longer. The way their hands fit perfectly together. A dull memory replaced by torment. She snapped away, starting towards the path.
"It's a worn-path and straight. You won't get lost."
Her quickened pace sustained itself again and she was off, a speck of blonde hair amidst the dark greens and browns of a forest. He quickened his pace after her. He would never be alone with her again. He wanted to know the truth. All the truth she kept hiding in her heart; the things she would never tell another soul. He felt the earth crack under him with each step. Twigs and branches, dry leaves, and dead plants all made their home to the ground. He could hear her only a few feet away. He couldn't catch up to her. The closer he seemd to get, the farther away she would run. She was like a flower petal swept into the wind. Nothing would stop her; nothing would detour her from her unmarked journey. He was within reach of her. He could almost feel her against him, yet he couldn't grab her. His fingers caught ahold of her arm and held on. She stopped within second, still wanting to fight him. His hands felt the tingle of her skin upon his. A feel he had longed for. He pulled her closer to him and brushed the strands of hair away from her sunburned face. She avoided his gaze like she always had. Her eyes were the key to her soul. She was forcing herself to stay away from him yet he was stronger than her. Much stronger than she had originally intended he would be. He slowly pulled her chin up to meet his. His hands played on her delicate skin. He had been longing forever just to touch her. His head leaned in and met her dry lips in a forced attempt. He felt her hands pull him towards her. He tasted the salt of her tears under the cover of her sweet kiss. She pulled away from him; he wanted her to stay. He had lost so much time. She started to shake her head, the tears streaming down in small rivers without ends. He held her fingers with the ends of his.
She wanted to run. He wouldn't let her go. Her wrist snapped violently and she started disappearing into the darkness. His fingers went up to his lips. Is this reality? Or a cruel joke the sun has played on him? He ran his hands through his hair, pulling on the ends. He sunk down to his knees, the wood scrapes and harsh thorns digging into his bare flesh. The blood started to pour but it meant nothing to him. He was permanently scarred from the inside out. He sat down on his calves, the muscles stretching and causing pain. Frustration ripped through his body and tears began to swell up in his dark brown eyes. He picked himself back off the floor and started towards the direction he had seen her last. The bitter leaves whipped at his vulnerable body; insects swarmed at his exposed skin. He kept treading on towards home. The mile stretched out for decades; every step took more force than the last. He was barely dragging himself through the last bit of parched grass. Everything around him began to blurr. The trees and the wildlife, the flowers and the birds. The people, the huts, the children. His meaning in life, his future, his past. A big giant jumble of colors with no meaning. It created nothing beatiful but something deadly and destructive. Something so horrid that it scared him. He was left alone in the world, his one chance at happiness gone. He would never have what he invisioned. He had aimed for perfection and been dropped for the highest peak into reality.
Reality was the most painful of all.
"We've got about a mile left."
He felt his head being relieved of its resting place. She placed her worn hand out for him to take, easing him up off the ground. He held on to her for a few seconds longer. The way their hands fit perfectly together. A dull memory replaced by torment. She snapped away, starting towards the path.
"It's a worn-path and straight. You won't get lost."
Her quickened pace sustained itself again and she was off, a speck of blonde hair amidst the dark greens and browns of a forest. He quickened his pace after her. He would never be alone with her again. He wanted to know the truth. All the truth she kept hiding in her heart; the things she would never tell another soul. He felt the earth crack under him with each step. Twigs and branches, dry leaves, and dead plants all made their home to the ground. He could hear her only a few feet away. He couldn't catch up to her. The closer he seemd to get, the farther away she would run. She was like a flower petal swept into the wind. Nothing would stop her; nothing would detour her from her unmarked journey. He was within reach of her. He could almost feel her against him, yet he couldn't grab her. His fingers caught ahold of her arm and held on. She stopped within second, still wanting to fight him. His hands felt the tingle of her skin upon his. A feel he had longed for. He pulled her closer to him and brushed the strands of hair away from her sunburned face. She avoided his gaze like she always had. Her eyes were the key to her soul. She was forcing herself to stay away from him yet he was stronger than her. Much stronger than she had originally intended he would be. He slowly pulled her chin up to meet his. His hands played on her delicate skin. He had been longing forever just to touch her. His head leaned in and met her dry lips in a forced attempt. He felt her hands pull him towards her. He tasted the salt of her tears under the cover of her sweet kiss. She pulled away from him; he wanted her to stay. He had lost so much time. She started to shake her head, the tears streaming down in small rivers without ends. He held her fingers with the ends of his.
She wanted to run. He wouldn't let her go. Her wrist snapped violently and she started disappearing into the darkness. His fingers went up to his lips. Is this reality? Or a cruel joke the sun has played on him? He ran his hands through his hair, pulling on the ends. He sunk down to his knees, the wood scrapes and harsh thorns digging into his bare flesh. The blood started to pour but it meant nothing to him. He was permanently scarred from the inside out. He sat down on his calves, the muscles stretching and causing pain. Frustration ripped through his body and tears began to swell up in his dark brown eyes. He picked himself back off the floor and started towards the direction he had seen her last. The bitter leaves whipped at his vulnerable body; insects swarmed at his exposed skin. He kept treading on towards home. The mile stretched out for decades; every step took more force than the last. He was barely dragging himself through the last bit of parched grass. Everything around him began to blurr. The trees and the wildlife, the flowers and the birds. The people, the huts, the children. His meaning in life, his future, his past. A big giant jumble of colors with no meaning. It created nothing beatiful but something deadly and destructive. Something so horrid that it scared him. He was left alone in the world, his one chance at happiness gone. He would never have what he invisioned. He had aimed for perfection and been dropped for the highest peak into reality.
Reality was the most painful of all.