That very next morning Wander rose early and got himself an early start. His late night tossing and turning hardly dragged him down. He was to full of determination to not get that fish for the hawk. The look on Mono's face would all be worth it. He took Agro with him and headed for the sea. Wander often let Agro roam by himself on the beach while he fished. It never took him long, though, seeing how Wander knew exactly where a school of fish usually were. More than half the time he got an easy bite and when he finally caught his game, Wander took his fresh fish and Agro and headed to the forest. It wasn't hard to find the spot where he and Mono were the other day and just a few yards away was the hawk, still huddled against a tree. Wander pulled the fish out from his sack and slowly crept up to the injured hawk. It took him a few times but the hawk finally took it and gobbled it down. Wander reached out again, slowly now and the hawk did not seem to mind as much as he inched his arm closer and closer. The hawked seemed to sniff his arm before placing one giant clawed foot on him and then another. Wander stood up slowly and gazed at this beauty and gave himself a mental pat on the back. He walked back to the village with Agro at his side and the heavy hawk resting on his sturdy arm. The village was buzzing with life now and those who saw him with the giant hawk on his arm either stayed clear for their own safety or gasped out of excitement and smiled. Wander put Agro back in the fenced in yard and took the hawk inside the barn where he could finally check his injured wing. The poor thing had gotten into a fight with another hawk, probably over food, and he wrapped its wing up the best he could, making sure that the hawk would not be able to expand it and hurt it more. It was a slow and tedious process but he managed and when he finally finished he put the hawk in a more suitable spot and gave him the second fish he had caught. Wander smiled. "There you go. Have at it, friend."

Mono on the other hand was tending to some flowers in the front of her house. She picked the weeds, pulled off the dead stems so that new ones could sprout, and watered the bed of flowers and even started to plant some new ones. Mono looked up at the soft cry of a baby and saw a new mother carrying her baby outside for the first time. She remembered when the young lady got married. It was a year and a half ago. The lady was not much older than Mono was and she smiled as she cuddled her sweet baby. The news in the village was that it was a boy and the mother was still deciding on a name. Not long after that the lady was met by her husband as they made their way to the market. It was probably their first outing together as a family. Mono sighed, resting her hands on her lap and sitting back on her legs as she continued to kneel next the bed of flowers. She watched the couple for a minute more and then the thought finally struck her: Mono would never grow old. She would never get married, and she would never have kids of her own. Her nice white skin would go cold and she would stay looking young forever until the earth decided it would take her bones and all, but that would not be for a very long time. And she would lay in the earth, still and silent until it did claim her. But what if she was placed in a tomb? Where would her bones go then? Would she stay there forever, alone in the dark? A tear ran down her soft pale cheek as she knew she would never be able to have those experiences with Wander. She would never feel his touch in that way, bare their child, create life. Nothing. Mono got up suddenly, putting the now empty bucket back in its rightful place and quickly walked to the back of her house and buried her face in her hands and started to sob. She was completely alone in this world and she slumped down against the wall and on to the soft grass. No one ever came back here so she was safe to let her feelings go. She knew she would have to tell Wander sooner or later. Mono wiped the tears from her eyes and recollected herself. She took a few deep breathes and went back to her daily routines.

That evening Mono managed to escape her parents grasps sooner than she had ever before. They were preoccupied with the Lord Emon and she took her chance to go. She made it to the forest before Wander and she waited silently. Things of what she wanted to tell him and how she would do it ran through her head like a storm. Stay calm, just stay calm, she kept telling herself. After a few minutes of pondering to herself Wander snuck up on her, scaring her. "Oh! Wander! You scared me." she gave him a playful shove and she could feel the muscles from under his shirt.
"I'm surprised you got here before me." he was slightly amused.
"I'm surprised, too." she smiled a little and the grabbed his hand suddenly. "Let's not waist our time just standing around. I want to see the ocean."

Wander helped Mono up the hill and down it just as before and she wrapped her arms around his neck feeling safe and secure. The sun reflected off of the sea beautifully and you could spot fish jumping out and in off into the distance. The sound of the waves coming and in and out was soothing for the two and for the longest time they sat there. Mono rested her head on Wander's shoulder, wrapping both her arms around one of his and he rested his head on hers. "Have you ever wondered how long the waves have been going in and out?" Wander suddenly asked.
It was a good question and Mono found herself stopping to think about it for a moment. "I don't know. Perhaps since the beginning of time?"
"How did it even get started, though?" Wander continued to talk about it. "I mean, think about it. There was something big enough to get it started. It had to be really big. I know that a strong enough wind can make a wave, but after a while they result to ripples."
"A storm?" Mono offered the idea.
Wander laughed out loud. "Hey, that's actually a really good idea. Hmm, a big enough storm to get the never ending waves started. I like it!" he kissed Mono's forehead. Before anymore could be said Wander stood up and offered a hand to Mono. It was time to go. They walked as slow as they could, trying to grasp on to whatever time they had left while walking back through the forest, the sun setting behind them, giving off a beautiful golden glow.
Mono found herself asking, "If you had a wish, just one, what would it be?"
Wander smiled at the thought of having a wish. "Any kind of wish?" he asked and Mono nodded. "Well, I don't know. I'm perfectly content. I have everything I need. I guess I'd save it for when I'd truly need it. What would you wish for?"
"That's easy," she said. "I'd spend every day like this with you for the rest of my life. I'd be happy with just that." She stopped and Wander looked back to her as their hands lost each other.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
Tears started forming in Mono's eyes. "I honestly and truly wish for that." she buried her face in her hands again. Wander wrapped his arms around her gently, stroking her lovely black hair over and over again, trying to calm her. "I'm scared, Wander."
"You've been saying that lately. What's going on, Mono?" he pulled her hands away from her face. "Mono?"
"I've been lying to you my whole life." she finally said through fits of tears. Wander felt puzzled and little taken back. She had never cried like this before in front of him. "And I cannot do it anymore. I have to tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"I'm so sorry." she wiped her tears in vain.
"Mono, just say it. I won't get mad at you, I promise. Are you engaged with another man?"
Mono tried to control her crying and finally said. "No, no. I'm not. And I'm not worried about you getting angry with me. I'm worried what you might do to the others."
Bad images ran through his head. "Who hurt you?" he asked, his voice low and serious now. "Mono, who hurt you?"
She shook her head. "No one hurt me, not physically anyway."
Mono cupped Wander's face with her hands and pulled him in for a kiss. "I'm sorry I made you fall in love with me, really, I am."
Wander smiled softly. "You don't have to apologize. Loving you isn't very hard to do."
"There's a curse," Mono began. "One that claims a person's soul every generation, and to stop the curse from happening that person's life is taken under a strict ritual. Only the person's family and the person head of the city or village at the time shall know of it. If anyone else knew it would cause trouble." Wander listened closely. "I was born on the night when the new generation began; a birth mark in the shape of an ancient lettering appeared right below my heart, signifying that I am that cursed soul."
"Lies." Wander whispered.
Mono shook her head. "It's true."
Wander squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "No, it's not."
"By the end of the summer I will be taken from the village, probably very discreetly. Or perhaps they will tell the village I died while on a trip to the capital. I don't know."
Wander tried hard to control his emotions. "The ritual is taken outside of the village?" Mono nodded. "That doesn't give us very much time." his throat became dry and stiff all of a sudden.
"I'm sorry for making you fall in love with me." Mono apologized again and it seemed to her that she couldn't say it enough.
Wander only shook his head some more. "Don't apologize." he told her. "Don't ever think you have to apologize to me. It's those filth that think they need to kill someone over a silly rumor from hundreds of years ago who need to apologize. It's stupid! I Won't let them hurt you."
"I can show you the mark." Mono suggested.
"No." Wander didn't want to see it, even if it was true. "Don't." he told her. The two embraced for the longest time, completely forgetting about the time.
Mono took a breath. "I sometimes think of what it would be like to run away from here. To scare everyone."
"Do you want to? We can leave tonight. I can come get you as soon as night falls and everyone has gone to bed." Wander tried sounding hopeful.
"You would risk your life like that?" Wander nodded quickly. "What about the guards? How would we slip past them?"
"Leave everything to me. I can take care of us."
"Wander, if they caught us, they'd kill you or send you to the cells."
"No, they won't." Wander was determined. "I'll get everything ready tonight. Enjoy supper with your parents because it will probably be your last." Wander didn't mean to make it sound so bad, but it was true. If they fled the village they would never be able to come back. Not without consequences that is. "I'm not going to let us spend the remainder of our summer sneaking around. We're going to leave and be happy like we deserve to be."
Mono nodded and kissed him again. "Let's go back then." she smiled feeling like she was getting a fresh start at life and it was going to be with Wander whom she wanted more than anything or anyone.