28: Beyond the Door
"A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself."-Anonymous
The Realm of Darkness.
It wasn't as scary as it sounded.
The two of them stood, side by side, at the edge of the water, watching it froth against the shore. The full moon glittered off its surface, illuminating the scenery. Sand, a dark sky, mist that curled around their ankles, and arching formations of rocks veined with glowing blue.
It was actually quite beautiful in a sort of lonely way.
"It's nice here." He said, looking out of the endless mass of water. The waves reached for the tips of his shoes and then were dragged back.
"Yeah." His friend responded.
They stood in silence again, each keeping to their own thoughts, and then the friend said slowly,
"The world really is made of light and darkness…and not good and evil."
"Mm." He crouched down and swirled his fingers through the cool liquid rising and ebbing at the shore line.
"I guess…there's more out there than we're meant to know." His friend cocked his head to the side, now watching the reflection of the moon in the water. It gleamed off his glasses as well, "I'd like to explore those other worlds someday."
He sighed and sat back on the sand. His friend followed suit and they remained still on the shore, the moonlight casting their faces in a pale, ethereal glow.
"This place is almost perfect." He said in a low voice.
"Yeah." His friend agreed.
Silence reigned. Neither of them moved. They both sat with their eyes closed, faces turned towards that glowing orb in the sky.
Time stood still and yet continued ticking onward. The moon did not wane nor fade nor set.
"This must be eternity." His friend whispered, his eyes still closed, "It's beautiful."
A cool breeze wafted in from the water but no one was sitting on the shore to feel it.