Daydreams

Treasured Memories

Entry to the Community Interactive Weekly Contest "Where No One Knows" [Winner]

W20: Where No One Knows

The girl was the definition of elegance itself. Her glistening hair, parted from one side and neatly swept back to be secured in a bun was decorated with exquisite braids and rings of golden strands. Her gold earrings glistened and dangled lazily complimenting her fair skin. Her dress was a splendid shade of caramel, perfectly accentuating her physique and made her stand out like the sun among stars.

Holding her delicate hand, was the prince of her dreams. Tall and raven-haired, he held her gently as if she was a petal in his tanned and calloused hands. He was neat and well groomed and the stubborn mass of flawless jet-black locks adding the finishing touches to his look of perfection.

Their gaze never broke even for once during the dance. They were both nervous at the beginning. But now, at this moment, no-one else existed. It was only the two of them dancing to the music. Their movements were lighter than a butterfly's, yet lithe and graceful. For them, time seemed meaningless, as they lost themselves in each other's eyes and danced to the beat of their hearts that resonated the flowing music.

Alan watched them from afar, smiling fondly at the young couple, savoring the music. "She's beautiful,  isn't she?" he asked the man beside him.

"Yes, she was," came the solemn reply.

Alan felt his heart wrench as he remembered. Tears filled his eyes as his surroundings slowly blurred like a picture out of focus. The dance ended. Applause and cheers erupted from around them but all of it became hazy. Alan tried to hold onto that image. He could make out the blurred image of his younger self bowing to the onlookers and turning to his partner again.

"We have to go," the man said.

Alan didn't want to.  "Please," he begged, "let me stay here for a little more."

"This is not a real place." The man said. Alan turned to him, meeting his own emotionless but peaceful face. He was dressed in white robes unlike Alan, who was still dressed in what he was wearing when he passed. The man in the white robes had called himself Death and looked somewhere around mid twenties... or thirties, maybe fifties or even old as Alan himself; he just couldn't decide on how old he actually looked like. "This is only a treasured memory of yours. I wish it could be longer but-"

"I know. My memory doesn't really serve me well now." Alan lowered his head in sorrow. He may have been forgetful towards the latter part of his life, but he remembered this dance as clearly as yesterday, though it had been nearly fifty years ago. He had purposefully memorised every fine detail of the woman he loved. He believed that this night could have been the pivotal point of all that followed; the blessings of her father for their engagement and marriage which was only the start of the happiest years of his life. He was a hard-working man and seldom believed in luck. There were countless ups and downs, yes, but they faced them together, just like they promised each other.

The gilded halls had faded out slowly along with the laughter and the merriment and Alan and Death stood alone in a vast nothingness.

"Is this the end?" Alan asked the man clad in white.

"No. It is only a new beginning.  You have a long journey ahead of you. In time, who knows, you might even see her again."

Alan's face lit up like a child's. Death extended his hand forwards as a gesture of showing the path that lay infront of them. Alan did not look back, nor did he hesitate to start walking.