Whisper In A Moonlit Night

Lingering Promise

The next day....

Everything felt surreal to Austin, like the events of the previous night were nothing more than a hazy dream. As the morning sunlight streamed through his window, he sat up in bed, his mind racing. Had he really seen Bella? Had he truly spoken to her? Or was it just his grief playing tricks on him?

He shook his head, feeling like a complete fool. The idea that he had spoken with a ghost seemed ridiculous now. And yet, it had felt so real—the way she smiled, the way she spoke, even the warmth of her presence. But as he looked around his room, there was no sign of her. No laughter. No trace of the girl who had saved him the day before.

Austin rubbed his face, feeling exhausted and a little embarrassed. "Maybe I am losing it," he muttered to himself. He couldn’t shake the strange hope that she might return, but as the hours passed, the absence of any sign from Bella made him feel even more foolish. 

He glanced at the diary under his mattress, debating whether to open it again. But he didn’t. Not yet. Instead, he just sat there, waiting, wondering if last night had really happened—or if it was just another trick of his heart, still aching from the loss.

At the breakfast table...

The usual chatter and clinking of silverware were missing that morning. His family sat quietly, exchanging only the occasional glance, as if there was an unspoken tension hanging in the air. But Austin didn't notice. His mind was still wrapped up in the strange events of the previous day.

He quickly wolfed down his breakfast, not paying attention to the silence around him. His younger brother, August, and his parents exchanged concerned looks, but Austin was too distracted to notice. He was running late, so without a word, he pushed back his chair, grabbed his backpack, and hurried out the door.

"Have a good day, Austin," his mom called after him, but he was already halfway down the street, lost in thought.

In the class...

Austin sat at his desk, his eyes fixed on the whiteboard, but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't concentrate, no matter how hard he tried. Every word the teacher said blurred into the background as Belle's face floated in his thoughts. Her voice, her laughter, the way she appeared out of nowhere—everything about her haunted him.

He absentmindedly tapped his pen against the desk, staring ahead but not seeing anything. No matter what he did, his mind refused to let him forget her. The more he tried to push her memory away, the stronger it came back, like a sharp, sudden pain cutting through his chest. It was as if every little thing in the room reminded him of her—her smile, her presence, even the way she used to sit beside him during class.

Austin sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. He felt overwhelmed, caught between reality and something beyond his understanding. Was he losing his mind, or was she really still there, somehow? The thought consumed him, making it impossible to focus on anything else.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the class, but Austin remained seated, lost in his thoughts, unable to shake the memory of Belle.

Austin didn’t wait for Tina’s response. He walked away from the table, leaving her standing there, confused and speechless. But before he could make it too far, Tina called out, "Wait, Austin!"

He sighed and turned around reluctantly, knowing they couldn't leave things unfinished like this.

"Aus... I’m really sorry about everything. About how I acted, about yesterday," Tina said, her voice softer now.

"Okay, I heard you. Can I go now?" he asked, his tone tired.

"What do you mean by that? Are we just... over? Just like that?"