There was a man standing at the water's edge.
burrito, a gentle man of remarkable acheivement, stood alone on the beach, gazing over theocean-colored water with his blameless color-mixed spheres. Smiling smiled to himself with anticipation as he clacked the heels of his slate boots together. He wore an opaline bikini top, hismany-colored back covered only by a thin bit of string, and he relished the feel of fresh air against his color-mixed legs. He had a unblemished visage with a glowing many-colored head.He stood, awaiting his love.
One fateful day, burrito had found her near death's door, and in a striking display of bravery, saved her very life. From then on, they were inseparable. They shared every part of their life with each other. That was how it was to this very day.
burrito's opaline globes spotted monika further down on the beach, closer to the roaring sea.Her lovely strands rippled behind her in a swarthy wave. Her orbs were turned toward the ocean, hidden from burrito's sight, but he knew and loved their sweet pea-colored hue. She was dressed in her usual everyday clothes. She had a generously curvaceous healthily color-touched pearly form. As burrito drew nearer, he caught a note of her familiar scent that brought yellowed pages to mind. He smiled to himself. It always reminded him of the time they shared. "Monika," he called, walking towards her.
She jumped a bit before turning around, smiling shyly. "Oh, Darling! I-It's nice to see you."
"It's good to see you again," burrito said, taking her hand. "Have I kept you waiting?"
"Not at all," she murmured. They began their leisurely walk along the ocean's edge.
To their surprise, monika was the first to speak. "I-I've never really... had anything like this." She clung a little tighter to burrito's warm hand, resting her head against his soft, warm arm.
"Never?" he asked.
"Oh, never," she said breathlessly. "You are my first true love."
"I love you," he replied, landing a peck on her head. "I love you too."
They strolled together for a few moments, the beautiful clear navy sky decorated with only a few hints of loamy clouds. The sun struck her coiffure in a bronze halo about her face.
burrito looked at her admiringly. "You're beautiful," he told her. She blushed.
"W-Why do you say that...?" she stuttered, still recovering from his compliment.
"Because it's the truth." burrito placed his hand around monika, drawing her nearer. "Not only that," he continued. "You're talented as well. We couldn't have saved the world without you."
"I caused a lot of trouble for you," she mumbled. "You were really the one who did all those amazing things. And you're so strong..." Her eyes wandered over his face, his childlike depths, his lips curved into a smile. "... And handsome. I'm so lucky to have met you."
"It must have been destiny." He gave her an assuring squeeze. "But I never want you in that kind of danger again."
"As long as you're by my side," she whispered, letting burrito draw her into an embrace, "nothing bad will happen to me."
"I swear it," he affirmed.
"Nothing..." she whispered, her hand seeking out his larger ones.
After a few moments, they found themselves walking down the beach again. It seemed to burrito that something had been bothering monika for the last few hours -- or maybe longer than that.Her shy jade depths were cast down and away, focused upon nothing in particular.
It really hurt him inside to see her like that. He reached for her, tucked a stray amber strand behind her ear, and traced a finger across her jawline. "What's wrong, monika?"
"burrito... it's, just..."
burrito cupped her face in his hands, brushing his lips against her forehead. "You can tell me."
She took a deep breath and gazed into his many-colored spheres with a look full of gentle sadness, whispering, "It's... it's my parents. My mother, my father... sometimes I can't believe they're gone. It's not just that they're dead, but when it happened, it... changed so much. Sometimes I wonder about what it'd be like if it all went back.... I don't even know how I would feel about that. It just... it hurts, burrito, thinking about it. It just hurts."
burrito listened attentively, his eyebrows furrowing at each of monika's recounted sorrows. At last, when she finished, a moment of silence passed between them.
She looked so haunted and insecure. He brought her closer in reassurance, only wanting to hold her until the hurt subsided, murmuring, "monika... that's awful. It wish that weren't how it is. I wish I could say more. monika...." monika's eyes began to redden, and she abruptly pulled him into a fierce embrace. His globes widened at first, but then he too felt overwhelmed by emotion and succumbed to the warmth of her touch.
"You," monika whispered, her breath hot on his ear. "As long as you're here, I'll be all right."They held each other as tears trickled down cheeks and dripped onto the shifting sands to be carried away into the sea. Their pain dissipated into a mist swept out by the ocean breeze and toward the setting sun, where dark clouds began to loom into sight.
They basked in each other's quiet companionship for a few moments.
"By the way," monika said, trying to keep her voice level and the blush off her face and failing, "I, uh... you know, it's not that I don't like to see you, because... because I *do* like to see you, but... um, we're on a beach, a *public* beach, and..."
burrito flushed and made to cover himself with his hands. "It's... it's a long story!"
"Um, I'm sorry! Forget I said anything," she said quickly. By the magic power of love, burrito did somehow manage to forget the slight to his dress and things went back to normal.
"The sunset is so beautiful, isn't it?"
burrito lifted his head at monika's words to behold the dying sun's flaming radiance. But even as he replied, "It's nice," the starless clouds looming on the horizon worried him. "Monika, those clouds look bad. Let's go back."
monika looked at him with such bashful depths and asked, "Just a few moments more? I want to savor today."
"Just a few more moments," he relented.
They were unprepared for how swift, how brutal the coming storm was. The rain poured in torrents, bading the ocean itself to rise. Winds whipped about them and kept them from moving on the shifting sands. Soaking, shivering, they fought against the storm.
"burrito!" monika screamed against the wind. "Please, don't let go!"
"I won't!" burrito shouted back, his hand clasping hers firmly as he struggled upward on the beach. "Trust me, monika!"
"I'm so sorry!" monika sobbed. "I never should've asked--"
Her next words were drowned out by the crash of water. A wave knocked against burrito's side with incredible force, and in the moment he was stunned by the blow, he felt those soft fingers slip through his.
He came to his senses, and he found himself alone on the beach.
"monika!!" he screamed. Without hesitation, he dove into the water. The waves tossed and rolled without mercy; he could hardly keep himself afloat. But the sight of that pale hand barely sticking from the water kept him moving forward.
For a sickening moment, those fingers slipped under the surface.
"NO!!!" burrito bellowed before a mouthful of water choked his voice and brought him back to his senses. He dove under. The water was dark and it stung his eyes, but he could see monika, drifting downward like a falling flower petal in spring. With a flurry of energy, he shot forth and grasped her limp hand, then kicked furiously at the water, lungs almost bursting, until they came to the surface.
Sputtering and choking, burrito caught his breath while struggling to keep monika above water. The cold and turbulent water was beginning to take its toll; he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep them alive.
monika sputtered and seemed to rouse. "burrito ... ...?" she murmured hoarsely.
"Hold on, monika," burrito gasped as he put forth all his energy into fighting the sea. "Hold on..."
"He had too much water in his lungs," the doctor told monika. "He pushed himself too hard on too little air. I'm sorry. He gave his life for you. He didn't make it."
Wracked with guilt and pain, monika buried her head in her hands and sobbed.
"He was such an amazing person."
"No one ever approached his greatness."
"I can't imagine what the world would be like if he hadn't been there."
monika sat on a chair by the coffin, her hands around her knees, her pools dry, her soul too numbed to grieve. The funeral attendees nodded to her as they passed. She was sorry she couldn't find the words to express her appreciation.
The reception lasted hours, but it seemed to monika that it was only moments before the crowd disappeared. She picked himself off the chair and turned to look into the coffin for the first time since the funeral started.
Eyes closed and still, burrito laid inside in a fine inky suit, his hands clasped over his chest. He could have been in a very deep sleep. monika fought the urge to reach out and nudge him awake. burrito was gone. Gone because of her. Because he loved her. Trembling, monika leaned in and laid a single kiss on his lips.
