The Lovers

Finally the sun rose, and with it shades of orange, pink, and purple to breathe life into a new day. Charles Punk sits on freshly cut grass, his hands pricked by the sharpness of nature. Charles is twenty-eight, with a muscular build that hints at years of routine gym sessions. He sits near a lake that borders the end of his property, the sun's golden rays begin to lavish the water with warmth. This same warmth caresses his freckled peach-colored cheeks, as the crisp morning air bites at his fingertips.

Suddenly, he hears the rustling of feet on grass and leaves. He doesn’t turn to see who is coming, but the sound of soft footsteps stops a foot behind him. Charles lets out a deep breath, blowing out any tension still holding his body hostage from the past week. There is time for stress and worrying of the mundane things in life, but not now. For now, he is free.

“I didn’t think you’d come.” He says, tilting his head back to look at his visitor. 

“And miss this sunrise?” His visitor retorts, he smiles and puts his head upright. Enjoying the reflection of the sun's morning show of color on the crystal blue of the lake. His visitor is Anastasia. She is what looks to be a young twenty-four year old with beautiful long brown hair and plump ivory colored skin. Though, one must remember looks can be deceiving... 

Anastasia looks down at the dark blonde of Charles’ hair, how soft it must be… If only she could… She settles near him, and enjoys the slight warmth radiating from his body. A warmth calling to her, enticing her to take hold and never let go.

“How long do we have today?” Charles asks her, squinting against the brightness of the sunrise. 

She hums to herself for a moment, taking in all she can of him, “Long enough, until the moon rises.”

“That’s not nearly long enough.” He breathes out, he looks at her and it’s a look full of ravenous hunger. Anastasia takes a sharp intake of breath, lingering on the pout of his lips. How soft they too look… She leans in slightly, but Charles’ widening eyes force her to stop. They remind her, look but don’t touch. 

“How are things on the other side?” Charles asks, pulling his gaze away from her and back to the horizon of fiery oranges and deep violets. His lips twitch and he licks them, in an attempt to quell the sudden heat from blood rushing to them. 

Anastasia smiles, settling back and looking out to the water, “Things are… going as well as can be expected I suppose. The veil is breaking day by day. Obviously, since I’m here with you... I'm working to fix it. Our worlds cannot mix, it isn’t safe...” She trails off. 

“Why do you come to me then?” Charles whispers.

“For the same reason you wait.”

Charles smirks and stands up to walk the few feet toward the lake, bending down and dipping his hand to cause the water to ripple. Enjoying the coolness against his skin.

“Must you always speak so cryptically?” He muses. She watches his 

silhouette and soon gets up to join him. She hoovers her hand above the lake, forming a small dragon from the water. She flutters her hand to make the dragon break away from the lake, and Charles enjoys the few splashes of water that hit his face as it breaks apart in the air and falls back down. 

“I thought you liked my mystique.” She teases back. 

“I like everything about you.” He answers firmly, though doesn’t meet her gaze as he absentmindedly lets his hand float along the surface. 

Anastasia enjoys watching the sun lighten Charles' brown eyes, how the quiet morning makes this place almost feel like home. 

“Is it really bad over there then?” Charles asks to break the silence.

“Yes. More fighting between the Gods, emotions running high. Balance is out of order and it’s beginning to bleed into your world. It's what's letting me travel in between.” 

“How bad would it be to just, let it?”

“The veil holds darkness the human mind cannot survive in a plane. Sometimes there are leaks, which is why you have humans who commit egregious crimes. I can’t let everyone fall victim to so much chaos and evil. There must be some kind of balance.”

“Do you know how you will fix it then?” Charles grabs a nearby rock and stands, he waits for the water to lay flat and calm from the ripples his hand made. Once it does, he skips the rock and smiles when Anastasia laughs at the image of the rock hopping. 

“I have an idea, it’s not my first choice though.” She says simply, as if to signify she won’t expand on the matter. Though this doesn’t temper his curiosity.

“What’s the plan Ana?”

Anastasia takes a deep breath in, the smell of wet grass and dew greet her nose. The horizon’s color of orange and violet begins to dull as the sun sets higher. Shrouding the world in more light. 

“Let’s just enjoy this time without talk of duty and the fate of reality, yeah?” Anastasia says and lays down, watching the clouds passing by. She pats the space next to her, looking at Charles. The sun seems to encase her in golden light, leaving her more beautiful than he could ever hope to describe.

“Lay with me.” She says.

He nods and lays down, watching the clouds with her, “That almost looks like the shell of a turtle.” 

Anastasia looks to the cloud Charles is pointing at and laughs, seeing only a small puff of white. She lifts her hand and passes it over the cloud, it changes to the shape of a turtle and Charles laughs. They lay together for a while, speaking forms into the sky and laughing at their creations. 

“Will you read for me today?” Anastasia asks suddenly, noticing the sun falling. A soft reminder of time passing.

Charles looks over at her, taking in her sweet smile and large brown eyes. Beautiful, he wants to say, but instead he nods his head and murmurs of course. Heading back toward his house, he finds sitting on his patio chair his favorite book of poetry by various authors. 

He walks back, waving the book as Anastasia beams and claps her hand in mock applause. He sits cross legged near her, clears his throat and opens the book to a random page;

“There are moments my body grows static like, as if waiting…” He hesitates, looking down to see Anastasia’s lips parted slightly watching him as he reads. He enjoys her laying next to him. 

Charles continues to read for a while, page after page of authors long gone and those still living. Page after page full of words that remind us of a universal truth... There had been those who lived fiercely, and loved deeply. There were people who would continue to do so. And we were lucky to get any time at all, to write it down for the chance to live far beyond our memories.

“What we do with our time is our business, but I hope with it, you find the essence of my love spans centuries just waiting for this moment…” Charles reads one of the last poems, noticing the sun's light dulling. They’re losing light and quickly now. 

“Thank you. I’m going to miss your voice.” Anastasia says once he finishes reading. He smiles and closes the book, laying it next to him. 

His smile quickly fades however, and he scrunches his eyes in confusion, “Why do you say miss, are you going somewhere?” 

Anastasia smacks her forehead lightly, and Charles can’t help but to laugh, “you picked that up from me, when I say something out loud that I didn’t mean to say.” He says. 

She smiles sheepishly at him. Anastasia looks up to the sky, which resembles nothing but darkness and starlight now. She looks back at Charles with a faraway stare.

“The moon will rise soon. It seems the veil is gradually affecting time in your world.” She says absently. Charles closes his eyes, forcing her words out of his head. He enjoys the sudden warmth he feels her hand generating a few inches from his face, as she caresses the air near his cheek.

“What does that mean then?” 

She sighs, “I’ve struck a deal of sorts. I can save the veil, but I have to give something up. For a while.”

“What do you mean Anastasia?”

She smiles sadly and hesitates before leaning to kiss him gently. He freezes in surprise, but enjoys the softness of her lips. He doesn’t move, afraid he will do something to ruin this moment. But a nagging feeling tells him this is goodbye and all he wants to do is move and hold her to him. But Anastasia pulls away.

“We aren’t allowed to touch! Why did you-“

“I get a pass this time. To save the veil, and you, I’m binding my magic to form with the veil. It’s a way to bring balance, but I won’t be seeing you. For a while at least. This is my last day, I wanted to spend it with you.”

She places her hand on his cheek and closes her eyes, smiling at the feeling of stubble on his cheeks.

“Don’t, please.” Is all Charles can muster. 

Anastasia moves toward the lake, seeming to glide along the glass. She stops a step away from the lake and turns to face Charles, who reaches his hand out in a feeble attempt to make her stay. She smiles longingly, taking a step forward. Her delicate feet walk along the water as if it’s solid ground, though the water ripples as if affected by her weight. 

“Will I see you again?” Charles calls out.

“You will, I’ll be everywhere after all. I won’t be far from you. Feel me in the grass that cradles your steps, in the wind that embraces your body, and the moon that lights your way through dark corners and doubt my love.”

Charles opens his mouth to speak, but no words form. After all, what words could capture this moment? What words could ever speak these feelings into existence with grace and purity, without the tribulations of tar like possession and jealousy that so easily swallow a person whole. 

“I love you, Ana.”

Anastasia’s skin begins to glow, and her smile shines like a star, “I’ll be seeing you, you and I have a long journey ahead. Time will mean something different for you and me. I love you, darling.” 

As the moon rises, Anastasia lifts her hands up to the sky and she begins to change into gold specks of dust that float up toward the moon and along the wind. 

The wind carries the flecks to dance around Charles in a beautiful show of golden light. They then move toward the lake. He watches them and they look like fireflies along the surface, his gaze finally landing on the bright white of the moon reflecting on the lake. The lake ripples suddenly when the flecks rise up, distorting the image of the moon. Charles smiles sadly as the light laughter of a young girl whips along the wind through the air, only to find silence quickly after.

"I will wait for you then, time has no hold over me." Charles whispers to the moon.