Rom's Love Story:
*BRRRRRR!* *BRRRRRR!*
"Yes, hello" the passerby asked the caller, currently in the middle of setting the table for dinner.
"Jared! Jared! Jared! Jared!" the clumsy nurse that he knows all too well shouts on the end of the line.
"Slow down, breathe in and breathe out. Relax…"
"*Breathe in!* *Breathe out!*"
"All right? Now, tell me in the calmest way possible of what you want to say"
"Rom is missing!"
"HAAAAA!?"
It was a good thing that they found some shelter for the night. Strangely, tonight's night is colder than previous nights. Abandoned buildings aren't all that uncommon, even in a city like this. These abandoned buildings are few and far between, which helps for the overall beauty of the city and making them hard to find.
Rom runs, carrying a plastic bag on one hand. The contents inside rattles but not enough for one of them to break. The streets are clear of cars and people, the sidewalk, lit by the streetlights, guides her towards her destination. She hurries, wanting to make extra sure that no one would find her and follow her.
She rounds a corner to an alley, the dark alley can make one rethink of crossing it. But she pushes forth, knowing that it's a shortcut to her destination. Luckily, there aren't people staying in these alley's and that makes it less dangerous.
Stepping into the other street, a single building decorated with graffiti. Ply woods that covers some of the windows and the front door's doorknob is missing. She pushes front the door, the quiet hallway greeted her. From what she can tell, it looks more or less like an old abandoned apartment building. Closing the door behind her, she quietly creeps towards the first room on the left.
"…I'm back" she said as she shows herself to her roommate.
From what it seems to be, this used to be the living room. From where Rom is standing, there's a fireplace on the right, a set of windows on the opposite wall where the street is visible. There isn't any furniture here, the previous have probably taken them. And instead, in the middle of the room there's a mattress with a cloth over it.
"…A bed?"
"…There's was one in the second room" he answered.
"Ah… mhm" having understood that she lifts up her plastic bag.
"…Do you want to eat dinner now?"
"Mhm…"
The boy crouches down in front of the fireplace. With some wood on hand, he places them in one by one along with some crumpled pieces of paper. After a while, with the use of some matches that he found, he was able to bring the fire to life eventually warming up the living room.
Rom heads towards her canister and takes a look at how much are there to eat for dinner. There are still bunch more other meat and a bunch more rice. And there's a spoon and a fork here to use. Thinking a little, she portioned out half of the meat and puts them on the open space beside the rice. Then she cuts the rice in half and puts the portion on the rest of the meat. She gives that to the boy, sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at the fire, along with the fork that she has. He accepts them without much of a word and started eating. Rom sits beside him and started to eat her portion as well.
*CLANK!* *CLANK!* *CLANK!*
The metal container that they have clanks against their individual utensil. The lit fire makes their dinner warm despite the already cold meal. They eat their meals without talking but somehow she's not too bothered. Rather, she seems to be enjoying herself a bit more.
"…Hey"
"…Hmm?"
"…What's the point…?"
"…The point of what?"
"…Taking me outside"
"…I… don't know really…"
"…I see…"
"…But you said that you didn't want it in the hospital so… I thought I could…"
"…Hmm…*Ahm*…"
"…Mhm…*Ahm*…"
The flames cracked and licked the air, filling the silence between them as they continue their dinner. The boy's chest somehow feels warm. Was it caused by the fire before him or from the fact that he is away from that place? Or maybe because of the girl beside him? Was this also the reason why he was looking forward to her stories?
"…" maybe. He thought. Just Maybe…
After they had eaten, they pass the time staring at the fire together until they both feel sleepy. Tonight's night is rather cold than usual, and thus, both of them are nearer to the fire, both of them covered in blankets that they found upstairs.
The boy stares into the fire blankly, occasionally feeding it more newspaper or some wood. The girl is quiet as well, enjoying the comfortable silence with him as she gets warmed up by the fire. She doesn't feel nervousness nor does she feel any discomfort, rather she feels as though the fire is gently stroking her.
"…I don't know when it started…" he started talking.
"…But when I found myself, I found out that everything's boring…"
"I feel like I've done them all before. Before anything and everything could ever be done, I already know what would happen next"
"Books, friends, my parents… I've seen it all before…"
"That's why I never bothered with anything. Since I already know what would happen next, I shouldn't bother anyway"
"...There aren't any hidden treasures, there aren't any fairies that can take you away, there aren't any ancient lost cities to look for, there aren't any faraway lands to go to"
"…"
"It's all boring useless fantasy…"
"...That's… really sad…" she can't imagine it. As a girl who always see color in the world, she can't imagine the world that has a monotone color.
"…But lately, I realizing something again…"
"…" the boy looks at the girl beside her, her blue eyes reflecting his.
"…I found myself wanting to hear your stories…"
"…"
"…I still… find them boring…"
"But… your stories…makes something inside me move, even a little…"
"…At first, I thought it was something that I'm misunderstanding… but as time went on…"
"…I ended up feeling… rather, light… after hearing them…"
"…I… didn't know when it started but…"
"…but your stories… made me happy…"
"…Mhm…"
She feels genuinely relieved. Her heart is beating a thousand times per minute, her head is now filled with just thoughts of him. She can feel her face to be red and hot. She honestly didn't know that her story telling affected him so much. What was it? What was this feeling called again? This feeling of ecstasy and happiness and excitement.
"...Do you have any more stories to tell…?"
"Hm hmm…" she shakes her head.
"…I see…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Is it alright…"
"…"
"…if we leave early tomorrow?"
"…Mhm…"
"…"
"…"
"…Then…"
"…"
"…can I come closer to you?"
"Mhm…"
Rom leans towards him, her head resting on his shoulder. He's warm, she thought. Much warmer than the fire. Without her knowing, the world of dreams suddenly envelopes her, putting her to sleep in almost no time at all. She breathes comfortably.
It was as though a great weight suddenly left him. Maybe it was worth it leaving behind the hospital. Maybe it was worth it to rely on this girl sleeping beside her. Maybe that night that made something happen was worth it after all. A night where they were only two people, staring at each other. Maybe it was worth seeing through this gray world after all.
"Tomorrow… huh…?"
The world where he knows that no miracles ever happen.
