Sunset

It’s 6:30 and the sun has just started to set down, cotton candy-colored clouds are fighting in a battle of bursting colors completely oblivious to the deep shade of blue sky slowly creeping. I always admired the sky at that time, a new shade appears each day, and the clouds’ patterns were never repeated. A small chilly breeze wrapped its arms around me in a light embrace reminding me of how long I’ve been sitting here waiting only did the sound of crunching leaves under someone’s footsteps alert me of this guy approaching me.

“Mind if I sit here?”.

I scooted over so I can make him some space hoping this old bench would hold us both and turned my attention back to the sky, pink clouds now turned a beautiful shade of purple. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” his voice snapped me out of my gaze, I allowed myself to take a closer look at the tall, mysterious stranger now sitting next to me, his ocean blue eyes greeted me and I found myself swimming deeper into their blue, salty waves that were crashing against each other, his eyebrows slightly rose and I realized I’ve probably been staring so I went back to answering him.

 “Yeah, it definitely is.”

“Do you sit here often?”

I was secretly hoping the conversation would end so I could go back to the beautiful sky but it seems I have no choice.

“Yes, just not long enough to watch the sunset”

He shifted his body around with so much ease till the point where he’s now fully facing me, feet propped up and knees bent up to his chest already taking up more space, one free hand was hanging loosely over the bench’s back while the other was buried deep in his jacket’s pocket. After a few seconds of being comfortable in his new position, he looked at me, and with a smile he said.

“I’m Noah”

“Anna”                                                                                             

“So, Anna, what are you doing here all by yourself?”.

“I could ask you the same, but anyway I’m waiting for my mother to pick me up”

“I’m waiting for my friend; he’s supposed to show up sometime. Guess we both have no choice to enjoy each other’s company then”

He said with a slight shrug of his shoulder and a boyish grin was beginning to show on his face and I couldn’t help but smile myself. Time has passed and we carried on our conversation, it was easily flowing like a river, so smooth and calming, it’s like we both stripped down our worries and frees our minds. We talked about everything and nothing, he was listening so intently that I for once appreciated attention, attention for nothing but my thoughts, not my abilities, not due to any obligations which was new to me and yet so refreshing. I already regretted secretly wanting to end the conversation at first, the sunset which was once my priority to watch is now long forgotten, but now I’m diving deeper and deeper in his eyes and I almost felt like I knew him for a long time.

“What’s that anyway, what are you reading?”.

He asked gesturing to the book lying next to me, something I’ve completely forgotten about, it wasn’t a book though, it was my notebook, my gate to levitating and roaming through the clouds of my imagination, it was very personal, something I only shared with my mum, but since now we’ve become somehow friends I decided to share it with him too.

“Writing”

“I’m sorry?”

“You asked what I was reading, but I’m not reading. I write. It’s a notebook”.

“Can I take a look?”.

He grabbed it as delicately as he could fearing that it would shatter into millions of tiny pieces at any moment as if my words will turn to smoke, and with so much care yet excitement he flipped through the pages began reading with the faintest of a smile on his lips that lasted only a few moments, now with furrowed eyebrows he closed the notebook handing it back to me.

“Why did you stop writing so abruptly? You didn’t even get into the plot. It would’ve been good”

I knew what he was talking about, the last story, which I’ve put so much effort into writing its introduction that nothing ever seemed to fit in compared with its beauty.

“I just haven’t found something to inspire me enough”.

“I’m sure you can turn anything inspiring and beautiful, Anna. You have such a pretty way of writing”.

I was about to say something back when my mom’s voice cut in.

“Anna! Honey thank God you’re fine”

Her voice was filled with so much worry and I can now feel her approaching until her arms wrapped around me in a protective hug. Her hands were now resting on my cheeks and I can feel her searching my face for any signs of hurt and damage.

“I’m so sorry honey I got stuck in traffic were you alright here by yourself?”

“I’m fine mom, nothing to worry about. Actually, Noah here kept me company”

I felt her breath hitch in her throat, “Who?”.

“Noah mom, the guy sitting next to me”.

“Darling, there’s no one sitting here, you are all by yourself”

I looked at Noah waiting for him to finally greet my mother, but I couldn’t find him anywhere and finally, reality hit me like wrecking ball, that in fact, there was never a Noah. My mom leads me back to her car still holding tight onto me.

“How about we head back home so I can write down your new story, I’m sure it’ll fit just fine with the latest intro you told me to write?”

I gave her a nod and glanced back at the sky for confirmation and found that the deep creeping blue had now taken over the sky, painting it with an even darker shade, and have spread through the sky like a black silk cloak. Just like my vision.