STAY WITH ME

In Clovelly, an unknown village visible from the Southwest Oceania, there is a minor colony with distinctive culture and customs. All of them have been fostering incessantly respect for Mother Nature for she provides them with daily necessities. From the moments the sun comes up, they start growing seeds, fishing and working in their field. Every day fills with laughter and Ani’s curiosity. 

Unlike any ordinary girls, a seven-year-old girl, Ani is a studious, nice-looking with blonde curvy hair and has deep love in magic. Each day at around 8 o’clock, she ends up on the sandy shore nearby sitting on a solid rock and observing what people do. All of a sudden, an idea comes to her mind. “Why do we have to work so hard? Is there any magic possible to make everyone happy?” After a while, she takes a stroll back to a secret cascade that she found out at the age of six.

She spends a few minutes meeting up with her little friends, fairy spirits only allowing her to see. For some reasons, they feel unbelievably comfortable while talking with Ani.

"Hi, Adelina, Aine and Asia, are you here? I have come to visit you and I have some questions I would like to ask?" A few seconds later, a voice responds back to her. “Hey, be quite a little, we have found an injured rabbit and are trying to heal her”. Ani says. “Okay, but you have to tell me where you all are in return”. “Just follow me, Ani”.  Asia leads her to the rabbit.

It suffers a great deal, much to Ani’s surprise. “Do not worry, my friend. We are trying our best to cure her. She should be fine after just few seconds”. The fairies tell Ani.

Ani feels relieved to hear such great news. She asks Adelina and Aine. “There are questions I have been wondering. Why do we human have to work so much to make a living? Why are animals suffering because we need meat? If we have magic, will life be easier?”

“What makes you have those weird beliefs, Ani? Hey, Ani, listen up, I am about to answer all your questions”. Adelina replies. Ani nodded.

“Every being, including human, has to work constantly to be aware of the value of life that God has given us. We labor to crop rice to eat and when we enjoy meals, we know how difficult to make it. Consequently, we will not waste any rice whatsoever. Besides, there are possible ways to finish animal suffering. Human just needs to cut down hunting and eat more vegetables. It has vitamins too. Do you agree?”

“I see your points. Now all my doubts are over. The rabbit has recovered so I have to head back home. It’s already near 10 o’clock.” Ani thanks the fairies.

“It’s my pleasure, Ani. Be safe on your way back home”. The fairies say simultaneously.

At midnight, Ani cannot sleep and has decided that she will find a type of magic that can make everyone, especially her precious friends and family, joyful.

Days pass bit by bit and now Ani has already turned 17. Ani’s father bursts into tears and says to her. “Hey, Ani, you have grown quite well. Starting next week, you are going to enter Meador University and have to learn how to take care of yourself, as parents are not capable of looking after you like we do right now. Though you must promise me, you will write us letters and visit us”.

“I promise daddy, so don’t cry like a little baby. I want to cry too just by seeing you like this”. Ani speaks earnestly.

“Hey, Ani, Alan is here to see you”. Ani’s mother speaks loudly.

“Be right there, mummy. Can you tell him to wait a little?” Ani leaves her room.

“Hello, Ani, I’m sorry I have come here without notice. I really wish to give you this”. Alan exposes a small bag he is holding.

“Wow, these are shells, white sand and a book of maple leaves. Why are you giving me your treasure?” Ani wonders.

“It’s because I want you to know that you are my best friend and to keep it as souvenirs when you are in a big city far away”. Alan expresses.

Ani smiles and says. “Don’t be silly, Alan. No matter what I consider you as my precious friend and will think of you whenever I go. Today, I will receive your gift and give you a present in return on the day I return”. Ani tells him. That is that, both of them have made the promise to each other.

The day of Ani’s departure has come. Everyone in Clovelly is out to see her off. The atmosphere now becomes heavier and heavier and Alan is the person who cries the most.

After about 4 days, Ani arrives in the Meador Dormitory. She gets to meet so many people from different countries and to see a roller coaster for the first time. “Wow, that thing is akin to a giant eagle”. Ani thinks.

She takes a while to observe the scenery of the largest metropolis and to browse decoration applied to cuisine in a Chinese restaurant where people put on the same traditional outfits.

Taking a tour around an old town in the city, Ani runs into Axel, apparently looking for materials for performances.

“Hello, pleased to meet you. I am Ani just moving to this city several days ago. Are you, by any chance, a magician?” Ani says.

Axel replies. “Nice meeting you. My full name is Axel Johnes, though you can call me Axel. What makes you think I am a magician?

“Because I see you have been wandering in this area and bought some materials”. Ani answers.

“Your observation is sharp. To tell you the truth, I am deeply interested in magic, especially spiritual one. I am not a magician but I can do some magic. By the way, it is inconvenient if we keep standing here and talking like this. Would you like to stop by the cafeteria over there?” Axel says to Ani and she replies. “Sure”.

They converse with each other throughout the whole afternoon, discuss magic spells or how to do it and become friends after that.

Around 8 o’clock that day, she gets on her bed and plays tarots. She thinks about what Axel said earlier. “Magic has great power to take over human mind, it’s hard to come up with a trick but once you master it, life will go as you please”.

There may be some possibility she has fallen for that random nice-looking fellow she has just met.

Then she immerses herself in different dreams. Surrounded by a light void with Asia, a fairy has been following her to where she is now. They have an intimate conversation. Things get interested when Ani makes her experience known to the fairy.

The following day comes quickly and now Ani has to get to University. Surprisingly, she is in the same class with Axel and her heart beats even faster for now she can meet him face to face. She wonders whether it is love or not and about feelings, she has for Alan.

On the first day of the following month, during the late afternoon, while she is lingering around the bank of a river near Meador University, she discovers Axel is doing a spiritual ritual and reads continually spells written in a book he is holding. At first, she assumes that he is practicing for some rehearsals; nevertheless, she is startled as most of the objects around starting to move and dance. Surely, there is no possibility of this incident caused by mere wind.

After her approach, Axel has been completely shocked as now she may discover he is a real wizard. He asks Ani. “Do you fear me, Ani? How long have you known I can do these things?”

She smiles and replies. “Don’t worry; I am not terrified of the fact that you are not an ordinary fellow, for I also have the ability to converse with spirits since the day I was born. That is to say, Axel, we are the same and I am glad to tell you this”.

Axel has been speechless for a few minutes; he just looks at Ani closely. That day, he shares with Ani a story about his similar situation. His girlfriend found out the truth about him and she was thoroughly terrified. He had to cast a magic spell upon her to make her forget all about him. At least it brought another opportunity to the two of them so that they are able to live a normal life as it was before.

From that day on, their relationship grows stronger and closer, although things change when Alan visit her and is conscious of the fact that Ani now has a boyfriend.

In Ani’s room in Meador dormitory, Alan asks. “Ani, I have heard that you have a boyfriend these days. How is he? I really admire that he is able to catch such a woman heart.”

She replies to him. “Well, Alan, I have something that I want you to know. At this moment I am certain I consider you as my best friend, nothing more. And yes, I have a boyfriend, his name is Axel and he is around our ages, he is a very kind-hearted person to me and if there is a chance, I love to introduce him to you”.

As soon as she finishes talking, she notices something different exposed on his face. He seems to change as the girl he loves so much leaves him gradually.

“Okay, Ani. Do you still remember the present you have promised me?” Alan says.

“Of course, how can I forget that?” She talks with a smile on her face.

Their conservation continues for about 2 hours and Alan has already come up with a plan on his mind about how to get back his love.

Two days after that, he heads to a bakery and befriends Axel, whom he takes considerable amounts of time to investigate.

“Hey, Axel, are those cakes and wine savory?” Alan suddenly speaks.

Alan’s voice causes Axel to startle from the first seconds, but then he replies. “Frankly, it is fairly tasty. Eating cakes covered with strawberries on top can make me refresh”.

“I guess I’ll take it too.” Alan expresses his thinking with curiosity.

“Hey, would you care to come over to my place tonight? I have lots of videos games enough for us to play all night long.” Alan says.

“I don’t see why not.” Axel responds.

Alan not only set a scene that Axel was holding a bunch of dirty books with sexual contents but also introduced a gorgeous younger to meet Axel. Then, after Axel is drunk, he let Ani see what is happening. She leaves him for a long time because of this matter.

Six months passes. Unbearable pain tortures Axel greatly. He cannot keep on moving on without Ani being by his side. Consequently, he hosts an luxurious cookie exchange and distributes its brochures throughout the whole city. It is so huge that it reaches Ani even though she has transferred to another university far away from the city.

Axel carries on looking for Ani on the first day the event held. It is not going well until the second day; he is able to see her attending as a guest in the blue dress. Unexpectedly, she grabs her hand so that she cannot run away anymore.

“Let me go, bastard”. Ani says

“No can do. There are misunderstandings I have to explain. I have never in my existence slept with another woman, nor held on to those dirty books. Alan set it all. I even get recording as solid evidence, which I can show you right away if you still do not believe me”. Axel speaks sincerely.

Ani is considerably shocked after hearing the truth. How can a friend so closed to her treat her like this? At these moments, she cries and cries for she is standing before a man whom she used to consider a traitor.

 “Don’t cry anymore, Ani. It was over now. I will not let you get away from me from now on for you are my precious girlfriend”. Axel reassures her.

That day, many things happened. Axel says he has chosen cookies, as it is his girlfriend’s favorite and is a ladder for him to meet up with Ani.

“We will never leave each other again. That is our promise”. Ani expresses her thinking.

From that point on, they love each other even more and live happily ever after.