Status: In progress
Almost Lost
Almost
I saw Peter again the next day. And I think I saw him after that as well, but I can't be sure. I remember talking to someone about whether or not the sky is really a bunch of elements in the atmosphere or if it's a giant blue dome covering the Earth. And who else would I talk to but him? Did anyone else even exist?
“Hi,” I greeted Peter's sleeping form. He was lying in the field behind his house and I almost didn't want to wake him. Almost.
He groaned and I giggled. It sounded...cute. If that's even possible for a groan. “Hey, Stel,” he said, standing. Looking around, he gained his bearings. “Did you just walk right over here? Through my lawn?”
I nodded. “Yes.” I shrank instinctively upon myself. “Was that bad?”
He held my shoulders and shook his head. “No, no, of course not. You're perfectly fine.” He smiled and I was instantly reassured. For a moment it occurred to me how much I trusted him, but then the notion was gone, lost for the time being. In nothingness...
“Stella!” Peter said sharply. I had begun to fall again.
“Sorry...” I glanced around. It was getting worse, and I knew it. As soon as I got the slightest bit distracted... “I forgot.”
His brow furrowed in concern as he looked down at my thin form. “You forgot? You forgot how to stand?”
“I...” Suddenly I began to cry, though I knew it was totally irrational. Why couldn't I remember? Why did it have to be so hard?
And then I was in his arms. I was sobbing uncontrollably, but I was with him. I didn't forget that. I wouldn't let myself. I wouldn't let myself forget him. And I knew he wouldn't let me forget, either.
“Hey, it's okay,” he cooed, trying to calm me down. “Everything's all right.” I believed him.
Somehow we ended up on the ground, lying next to each other. He held my hand for comfort, and I held his for life. As we stared at the blue expanse above us, I asked, “Why do you do it?”
He didn't look at me. He didn't need to see my face to know what I meant. “Because I need you.” His answer was not too quick, not too slow. And it was exactly what I needed to hear. But I had another question.
“Why do you need me?”
This time he sighed before answering. A positive sigh. “When I'm with you, it's...different, for lack of a better word. In the best way possible.” I could hear him smiling. “You know me.” He paused before repeating the last sentence and finally turning his face to look at me. I turned as well. We were inches from each other, and I knew what would happen in movies if my life were one. We would kiss. We'd be together for a while before the must-have conflict in every movie, and then.... I forgot the rest.
But this was better than a movie. Instead of joining our lips, we joined our thoughts in a way that was almost too perfect for words. We knew each other inside and out. Though I had issues, we...No, don't forget. Don't forget! We...
I sat up slowly, only vaguely aware now of where we were. “Peter?” I asked, interrupting a sentence I didn't realize was coming out of his mouth. “Are we still in the field?” He nodded, not even phased by my disoriented inquiry. “Can we go inside your house? It's really cold.” I had only just apprehended that I was shivering unbearably. Peter seemed to apprehend it as well and quickly scooped me up in his arms.
Once inside, he set me on the couch and draped two thick blankets over me. Though he said nothing at all, I could sense his distress and my sudden cold spell. “W-what's w-wrong with me?” I asked between shivers.
“I don't know,” he answered as he handed me a cup of hot tea I didn't know he'd made. “I think...I think it might be psychological. Are you thinking of something cold? What are you thinking of, Stella?”
“I...darkness,” I answered. “I'm thinking of darkness. It's...it's...Peter, there's nothing there.” I could here a monotone voice, but hardly recognized it as my own. “It's all gone. There's no light, Peter. Peter, I'm sinking!” I was frantic now as the darkness turned to a cold, churning sea. “Don't let it get me! Peter!” I was shrieking so loudly that I hurt my own ears. I believe I blacked out.
“Hi,” I greeted Peter's sleeping form. He was lying in the field behind his house and I almost didn't want to wake him. Almost.
He groaned and I giggled. It sounded...cute. If that's even possible for a groan. “Hey, Stel,” he said, standing. Looking around, he gained his bearings. “Did you just walk right over here? Through my lawn?”
I nodded. “Yes.” I shrank instinctively upon myself. “Was that bad?”
He held my shoulders and shook his head. “No, no, of course not. You're perfectly fine.” He smiled and I was instantly reassured. For a moment it occurred to me how much I trusted him, but then the notion was gone, lost for the time being. In nothingness...
“Stella!” Peter said sharply. I had begun to fall again.
“Sorry...” I glanced around. It was getting worse, and I knew it. As soon as I got the slightest bit distracted... “I forgot.”
His brow furrowed in concern as he looked down at my thin form. “You forgot? You forgot how to stand?”
“I...” Suddenly I began to cry, though I knew it was totally irrational. Why couldn't I remember? Why did it have to be so hard?
And then I was in his arms. I was sobbing uncontrollably, but I was with him. I didn't forget that. I wouldn't let myself. I wouldn't let myself forget him. And I knew he wouldn't let me forget, either.
“Hey, it's okay,” he cooed, trying to calm me down. “Everything's all right.” I believed him.
Somehow we ended up on the ground, lying next to each other. He held my hand for comfort, and I held his for life. As we stared at the blue expanse above us, I asked, “Why do you do it?”
He didn't look at me. He didn't need to see my face to know what I meant. “Because I need you.” His answer was not too quick, not too slow. And it was exactly what I needed to hear. But I had another question.
“Why do you need me?”
This time he sighed before answering. A positive sigh. “When I'm with you, it's...different, for lack of a better word. In the best way possible.” I could hear him smiling. “You know me.” He paused before repeating the last sentence and finally turning his face to look at me. I turned as well. We were inches from each other, and I knew what would happen in movies if my life were one. We would kiss. We'd be together for a while before the must-have conflict in every movie, and then.... I forgot the rest.
But this was better than a movie. Instead of joining our lips, we joined our thoughts in a way that was almost too perfect for words. We knew each other inside and out. Though I had issues, we...No, don't forget. Don't forget! We...
I sat up slowly, only vaguely aware now of where we were. “Peter?” I asked, interrupting a sentence I didn't realize was coming out of his mouth. “Are we still in the field?” He nodded, not even phased by my disoriented inquiry. “Can we go inside your house? It's really cold.” I had only just apprehended that I was shivering unbearably. Peter seemed to apprehend it as well and quickly scooped me up in his arms.
Once inside, he set me on the couch and draped two thick blankets over me. Though he said nothing at all, I could sense his distress and my sudden cold spell. “W-what's w-wrong with me?” I asked between shivers.
“I don't know,” he answered as he handed me a cup of hot tea I didn't know he'd made. “I think...I think it might be psychological. Are you thinking of something cold? What are you thinking of, Stella?”
“I...darkness,” I answered. “I'm thinking of darkness. It's...it's...Peter, there's nothing there.” I could here a monotone voice, but hardly recognized it as my own. “It's all gone. There's no light, Peter. Peter, I'm sinking!” I was frantic now as the darkness turned to a cold, churning sea. “Don't let it get me! Peter!” I was shrieking so loudly that I hurt my own ears. I believe I blacked out.