Tropical Snowflake

My heart began to thump against my chest as I ran out, seeking refuge in the crowd beginning to form ahead of me. My sneakers slapped against the concrete as I ran faster and faster, desperate for a moment in seclusions. I need to get out of here.

"Azalea come over here right now"

"Where is she going?"

"Ah, the despairs of our youth"

"She must've been introduced to the story of today"

"She's so fast"

After what felt like an eternity, I finally turned the corner and entered the peaceful streets of Parka Road. Dozens of small, cozy shops lines the sides of the dark alley, dimly lit by tall lanterns guarding the empty streets. The cobblestoned sidewalks carried a chain of golden hearts. I reached out and caught one in my palm, tracing the edges of the little snowflake at the center.

Today was the August 22nd, the anniversary of Romero and Lillian's love. It was a tradition that began in memory of Romero, an english soldier in Snugsville from the year 1875. Romero's diary was found not long after his death in the summer of 1899. His diary revealed his love for Lillian, the daughter of the prime minister at the time. Romero described her as a tropical snowflake whirling through the air with no intentions of stopping. His romantic words touched the hearts of thousands.

Their love was threatened by the world they were born into but strengthened by the growing affection they felt for each other. Due to the fear of losing each other, neither of them confessed their feelings until it was too late. Lillian wrote the last entry in Romero's diary 3 days after she watched his body being lowered into the ground. Her body was found clutching his journal days later.

Everyone in Snugsville honors their story in the company of loved ones on this day, making sure to let them know what's truly in their hearts before it's too late.

I sank to the ground as I thought about what that meant: To truly love someone. My heart ached at the thought of nearly losing someone so close to you. I've been an orphan pretty much all my life with nobody to hold on to. I couldn't imagine loving someone till death. Loving someone to the point where you're willing to sacrifice yourself for them. To push past your limits and be a better person for them. To be able to spill your inner most secrets and expose yourself to someone. All for the sake of what? Love.

Sometimes I wish I had someone to hold on to until I remember the pain that the news of my parents' death brought. It was excruciating and by far the most difficult thing I've ever had to endure. It felt like my bones were on fire and my heart was being squeezed into a tight box, trying so hard to just breathe. I leaned back on the lamp post and closed my eyes, allowing myself to sink into the darkness of comfort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a hot summer day in Snugsville. The sun was hiding behind a bright bloom of pink Azaela flowers. The smell of fresh bread danced around as children ran around in joy. The warmth of the fresh air hugged me as the thorns of despair slowly began to sink. I smiled as a small kitten scurried past me. Slowly, I got up and followed the little fluff as the bells tied around its neck sung out loud, filling the peaceful air.

This summer was all about change. I had plans to completely shift my life. Who cares about what others have to say? If I truly value something, it was my job to protect it no matter what the consequences may be.

Suddenly, I paused when a sudden chill of cold air kissed my cheeks. Hugging myself, I looked around to see if anyone else noticed the sudden shift in the atmosphere. Seeing no one in sight, I turned around to face a pair of icy blue eyes. I stared into them, imagining what it would be like to just sink in, to just concentrate on those two pools of bright blue and nothing else.

I forgot about everything as he took a step closer to me. I begged myself to run, to hide, or do something!! But all I could do was stare as he slowly stepped closer. My feet were glued to the cobblestones of Parka Road. I fought back tears as I inhaled his delicious scent. Every step broke my heart. Every breath ripped me apart. And every genuine gaze burned into me.

My heart began racing as his eyes pierced into my soul, making me question my very existence. His cheeks twitched as he studied my face for a moment. I could feel my chest heaving as a solid weight pressed down on my heart. Confusion. Anger. Hate. Love.

He reached out to touch my forehead but stopped for a moment, curling his fingers in. His eyes contemplated what to do next as he stepped closer and wrapped me in a warm hug.

"It's okay, I'm here now. They're gone"

Those simple words were enough to send me into a universe of pure bliss and comfort. It felt as though the world had shifted. It was as though I could accomplish anything and nothing at the same time. Like my heart was beating but dying. I closed my eyes as the love in the air swirled around me, making my cheeks warm.

I hugged him tighter at the thought of a world without him. This man has always been there without even knowing it. Every time the darknesses of the world entered my life, his mere existence nurtured my soul. His words healed my wounds. His piercing gaze pulled me back together. His smile lifted my spirits. And his gentle voice lifted the weight constricting my heart.

I took a step back and looked into his deep blue eyes, reimagining the miracle that had just occurred. I looked up at the sky, thinking about the life we could have shared. A world void of injustices. Void of jealousy. Void of inequality. Void of any form of negativity.

I looked up as a swift drop of cold fluff settled on my cheek. Confused, I whirled around to see where it had come from. The sky was clear as ever. However, mere seconds had gone by as sprinkles of white dust glistened everywhere.

My eyes widened at the spectacular swirls of snow dancing around the wind, forming soft cushions all around me. The soft blanket of purity engulfed everything around us. I looked up and stared deeply into the eyes of my Romero. This was it. Change in the midst of the road to growth. I finally knew what I had to do. He was mine and I was his. There was nothing in this world that could change that. No form of injustice, hatred, or anger.

I finally knew what to do. I finally felt free. The freedom of choice. To be able to say what was truly in my heart. He grinned as he exclaimed,

"Look how red your cheeks are!!!".

I smiled as he pulled me in closer, enveloping me from the beautiful crystals around in the middle of the summer of August 1899.

"Stay happy my tropical snowflake. Never stop dancing around with absolutely no care of the cruel world around us. I lo-".

BANG!!!