I'll be here forever

chapter 55

The nymph had melted away, and there were no fish to talk to, so I was by myself. While swimming, just trying to pass the time, I found myself thinking about a long time ago, when Daisy and I had woken up together, the time when everything was simple. I missed it.

It was bright. I didn't want to open my eyes, just because I knew they'd be burned. But suddenly I realized that there was something laying on me- whatever it was was tickling me, and my arm was asleep.

I groaned and moved my arm, feeling whatever was laying on me scramble off. I didn't really want to get up and deal with whatever was going on, but I figured that I'd have to, sooner or later. It would be better now, then.

So I sat up, blinking away the spots in my eyes; I ended up staring at the someone right in front of me. I figured they were probably the person that had been laying on me- awkward.

I looked straight into her eyes. They unnerved me. They were grey, and intense, and I felt like she was staring into my soul, trying to figure me out. I didn't particularly want to be figured out.

But she was beautiful. I noticed right away her long, curly blonde hair, and guessed that was probably what had been tickling me. I felt the strangest urge to tuck one of the pieces of hair behind her ear, getting it out of her face. I ignored the feeling.

I had no idea who the hell this girl was, and honestly, I was a little scared of her.

So I scrambled backward and got to my feet, falling into a stance that felt the most comfortable, wracking my brain, trying to figure out how I'd gotten into this situation. I came up with jack shit.

"What- who are you?" I said, and shook my head. Where was I? Why was I here? Why was she here?

I prepared myself to either run or fight, whichever situation presented itself first.

The girl opened her mouth, looking annoyed, like she was going to answer me, but then she paused. A glance of confusion crossed her face. I didn't think that was the best sign.

"Well, who are you?" she accused, gathering herself again, setting her mouth back into a hard, determined line. I did the same as she did; I opened my mouth to answer, and found that I couldn't. I didn't know who I was. Nothing came to mind- nothing at all. It was fucking weird.

So I relaxed. If she didn't remember, and I didn't remember, we probably weren't going to have to fight to the death or whatever. Which was good, because I think I'd probably lose.

"I-I don't know," I told her, and ran my hands through my hair, like I thought it might dislodge some hidden memory in my brain. It didn't.

"I don't know either," she said, baffled. I got the sense that she wasn't used to saying those words.

"So... what are we supposed to do?" I asked her, and laughed, in spite of myself. The situation was almost, in a sad, pathetic way, funny. Two strangers, with no idea who they are or how they got there, waking up in a field, alone. It was something out of a really shitty movie.

Then she shook her head. I didn't like that. If she didn't have the answer, I'm pretty sure no one would.

"Do you remember anything? Anything at all?" she asked me, a little hope shining through in her voice. I really wanted to tell her something, anything, just to make her stay like that. Hopeful.

But I couldn't. I had no idea.

So I shook my head, and her expression fell. I hated that. She sat down, lowering herself back into a sitting position, and I followed in suit.

She started to talk, and I listened. Honestly, I wasn't completely sure what she was saying, or maybe I just wasn't paying attention, but I liked the way it sounded when she talked. I could listen to her talk all day, I think. Her voice had this quality to it that I felt attached to. I found myself leaning forward a little bit, listening. I felt connected to her, in a strange, familiar way. Her grey eyes flashed in the sun, and they distracted me.

"...there must be some way, some reason- why are you looking at me like that?" she stopped talking, and I blinked, startling slightly. I moved backward, trying to make it seem like I wasn't just completely enthralled in her voice.

"I don't- I don't know, I just... I felt like..." I paused and opened my mouth to try and describe to her the feeling. I closed it, and quickly realized that I couldn't put it into words. It was this indescribable feeling in my chest, the quality of her voice, the knots that my stomach had tied itself into. All of that, and more.

I had no idea who this girl was. I'd spent five minutes with her. And I'll admit, she scared me a little at first, but the feeling of initial shock melted into something I didn't quite recognize, something familiar but unfamiliar at the same time. Something I knew, I knew this feeling. I just couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Then it hit me, like a pound of bricks.

Holy shit. I'm in love with her.

I didn't know how. It wasn't like I knew anything about her, or who she was, or who even I was. But I knew. I didn't know how, but I did.

So I just shook my head, embarrassed, and said, "never mind. Sorry."

I smiled at the memory, and kept swimming.