Our Last Dance [ONC 2021]

Chapter VIII ~ A Year in Conversations

For once, we had time.

Our days were filled with picnics and trips through London. We had made it a challenge to buy a book in every bookstore. And after we had done just that, we sat in the park, on a bench with a perfect view over the fountain, my favourite spot.

There wasn't a single day that we didn't see each other. If we didn't do anything active, we would just lie in the grass of the park, looking at the clouds, talking and laughing.

As we lay there, the conversations seemed to have no end, because both of us had so many stories and both of us knew that we would never find someone that would listen like the other ever again.

~ ~ ~

'Do you still like it? Being immortal I mean.'

'Why do you ask?' Icarus lay beside me on the field in the park, a piece of grass stuck between his lips. Only moments before, we had both been staring at the sky, trying to make out figures hidden between the clouds.

'When you told me your story, you said that you were okay with never dying. Are you still?'

'No, I hate everything about it.' He didn't elaborate, but he didn't need to. I knew exactly how it felt to lose so many people to the passing of time.

'Did you try to find a cure for it?'

'Yes.'

'And?'

'Obviously, no success.'

'Do you think there is a cure for my curse?'

'We should first figure out what your curse even is.'

'Yeah, probably.'

'Probably.'

~ ~ ~

'How will we find each other again, after you, well, after you die?' It was raining outside, fitting weather for his question.

'Please don't start thinking about that already. You'll give me a headache.'

'Fine, I'll save it for later.'

~ ~ ~

'You know, between the two of us, I think I have it worse.'

'Do you?'

'Yeah. I mean, you get to live through all these amazing things and have all the time in the world, meanwhile I have to start over every single year.'

'Yeah. I guess you're right.'

'Never doubted that.'

~ ~ ~

'I should try and find a cure for you.'

'Hmm?'

'A cure, so that when you come back, you won't have to leave again.'

'I don't think that there is such a thing, Icarus. In all my life, I have never found anything even mentioning the curse, let alone mentioning a cure to it.'

'Yes, but I have something you didn't have, Ophelia. I've got a whole lifetime, multiple even.'

'Time.' How wonderful would that be. 'Fine, I guess you'll need something to keep you busy for all those years.'

~ ~ ~

'Hey, I just realised, I don't know your birthday.'

'How could I have a birthday? Did you forget that I didn't even have a name before I met you? Let alone a birthday.'

'I should give you one.'

'then should I give one to you as well?'

'I don't see why not.'

'February, I think that month fits you.'

'So I have a birthday month? Then I can't do anything less for you can I? How about May?'

'May's good.'

'Good.'

~ ~ ~

'Should I write you letters?'

'What?'

'Once you're gone. I should send you letters. I will send them to a specific address and then when you wake up you can simply collect them.'

'That isn't a bad idea actually.'

'I have never had a single bad idea in my life.'

'Oh please, you consist of at least seventy percent bad ideas.'

'I guess that you're rubbing of on me.'

We laughed at that.

~ ~ ~

The more time passed, the darker our conversations became. We didn't have long until I would be forced to leave, so we tried to spend even more time together than before. In the final weeks, we never even left each other's side.

However, we never spoke of it directly, always evading the subject. He never asked, so I never had to answer. That was just the way things were between us. Until one particularly dark afternoon.

'You'll have to leave soon, don't you?'

'Yeah.'

'How long?'

'I don't know. 'Perhaps a few days, maybe less, maybe more.'

Silence again.

We didn't have to wait long before we found out exactly how short we had.

A wave of fear washed over me when I realised my year was over. I got up, tried to walk away, not wanting Icarus to see me die again. Even though he would know it wouldn't be forever, I didn't want him to go through that again.

'Ophelia.' He knew what was going on, of course he knew. 'Ophelia!'

He grabbed my hand and with pleading eyes he begged me: 'Please stay. Stay now that you can. I know that it might not be long, but you don't have to leave yet. We have a few seconds at least, right?'

I didn't answer him. Instead I looked at his face, now covered in tears. I had never thought him capable of crying.

'Right?' His voice cracked and something inside me broke with it.

'Right.'

So we sank down in the grass and looked at the cloudless sky. The moon was there, even though the evening hadn't started yet. I rested my head on his shoulder and imagined us dancing there, the stars surrounding us. Would we float, like flying birds? I smiled at the thought. Never had I felt so at ease at the end of my life.

'I know that you can't wait for me forever, but I hope you will still remember me when I wake up.'

A bird perched down on the tiles in front of the kitchen door, where the cook had thrown out some breadcrumbs. We looked at it as Icarus answered.

'Oh, I will remember you. How could I ever forget the girl to whom I lost my precious wallet?'

We laughed and for once, everything was perfect. The sun went down and as I felt the rush of death washing over me again, I turned to him.

'Do you promise?'

His smile was so precious as he turned his head to me.

'I promise.'

Then his lips were on mine and for the first time ever, I wasn't afraid to go, knowing that there would be someone waiting for me when I woke up.