Ivan fell in love only once in the five years that passed. Yao would always own his heart. It was only rented very briefly one night when Ivan had wondered the streets of a far off city.
The air was mellow, tinged with warmth. He walked with his hands in the pockets of his civilian's coat. He kept his head inclined forwards. His hair covered his dark eyes, leaning against his large nose. He walked to one of the benches and sat down, looking up into the night sky.
Thousands of stars were spilled across the darkness. The moon's fat grin hung in the air not far off, like a slice of gold. Ivan was alone. He hadn't seen his sisters. He hadn't seen Yao. His heart throbbed with the agony of loneliness. He tilted his head back, closing his eyes.
When he opened them again a woman sat next to him. She stared forwards, across an empty field. The grass was splashed with silver paint from the moon. Ivan blinked, wondering if she would vanish if he did. She did not. She remained in the darkness, glowing. Her hair, a springy mass of yellow, seemed to emit its own light. Her face was small and gentle, with a pair of pink lips.
"Hello?" Ivan asked curiously.
"Hello."
"I'm Ivan." He said. The inclination to introduce himself pounced out of the shadows. She should have told him her name first, since she had abruptly sat next to him.
"I'm Phoebe." She said.
"What a lovely name." Ivan said. It was strange for a Russian to have the Greek name. At least, he assumed she was Russian. She spoke it without a flaw. He looked at her, his heart burning the same way it did when Yao had touched his hands.
"Thank you." She replied.
Phoebe stood up. She wore a peasant's dress and fur coat. She turned and started to walk away, her shoes making muffled thuds against the earth. Her glow never left her. Her shadow stretched behind her, swaying.
Ivan watched her leave.
She stopped.
"Are you coming?"
Ivan stood, dragging along by an invisible string. His hands swung at his sides. He followed the dancing spot of light anywhere she would take him. He had no hopes. He had lost Yao, his only lover, and all his pride and honor as a soldier.
. . .
The sun crawled through the window, spilling into the room. Ivan watched it climb through the clear sky. Next to him Phoebe slept, her head turned to the side and her hair spilling around her like a cushiony pillow.
Her eyes fluttered open when he bent down to kiss her.
She smiled.
"Where did you come from?" Ivan asked.
"What a strange way to say good-morning."
"I know."
"I came from a faraway place." Phoebe said in lieu of explanation. She placed her hands atop her on the imported French bedspread. "I came here because I knew you'd be here."
Ivan trailed his hand down her cheek. He couldn't recall ever touching Yao like this.
"How did you know I'd be here?"
"I know." She said, touching her breast, where her heart would be. "I just know. I was born like this. I know what would happen and when. I know that I'll be killed today."
Ivan's heart turned to ice. He believed her. He tried to tell himself it was meaningless. She was most likely a courtesan who had a strange imagination and wanted to lure him in for more money. Then again, she hadn't asked for any form of payment thus far. She never would. Ivan played with her hair, trying to calm down. He couldn't. Tears sprung to his eyes. He blinked them away.
"Are you a spirit?" Ivan asked.
She shook her head.
"Then what are you?"
She slid out of the bed. She wondered to the window. Every step she took was lost and yet totally certain of its destination. She shouldn't be standing out the window like that, Ivan thought, but he realized no one was there to look in.
"Where am I?" Ivan asked finally, sitting up.
"This city does not exist." She said.
"Is this a dream?"
"I don't know. Do you think it is?" She turned to him. Her hair slid off her shoulders, catching the sunlight. Again, she glowed. Her eyes were lost to the world. She then began to dress, slowly. She took her time with each article of clothing. Ivan modestly turned away. When she finished, back in a light blue peasant's dress and coat (why a coat it's too hot), she approached Ivan. She kissed him on the brow.
"Do you really have to die today?"
Phoebe shrugged. "I don't know. Do I?"
"This is so strange." Ivan moaned, covering his face with his hands. "I don't know what year it is, what time it is, where I am, who I am…"
"You will know very soon." Phoebe said, with a smile spreading across her face smoothly.
Ivan felt as though two cold stones were pressing against either side of his head. He couldn't understand what was happening. He felt as if he was at the bottom of the ocean. He felt as though he was lost in the woods. He shook his head, sighing to get away the pain.
When he looked back up, Phoebe was gone and he was alone, again.
Another chapter tonight, since both are very short and correlate faintly.
This is the censored version of this chapter. If you want, I can post the full version up as a different story. I don't want to put M-rated material here for readers who don't like the mention of such adult themes. However, if you'd like it, feel free to tell me and I'll get it up. (There's more to it than you think)