The Castle On The Hill

Part 3

Part-3

"Wake up..."

A soft and delicate yet familiar voice disrupted his comfortable sleep. He didn't want to wake up but there was something in her voice that propelled him to open his eyes. He couldn't help but to blink a few times to get used to the bright light. An image of a rather ordinary ceiling transmitted to his eyes along with the sensation of soft cushion on his back. He stared at the wind chime that was hanging above his head from the ceiling and felt that he was familiar with this particular wind chime.

Right on cue, a soft breeze flowed causing the chime to sway and produce a pleasant trilling sound. As his eyes got used to light and his peripheral vision also restored-he could see where he was. No wonder the chime and the ceiling seemed familiar. He bent his legs as they were hanging loose from the side of the couch and slowly sat up. His vision shifted and more and more familiar sights appeared in his eyes. Skyscrapers and high-rise buildings on one side and the Anacostia River that run through the state on the other, the view from where he was- on a terrace in one of such skyscrapers, was truly one of a kind. But he didn't have long to admire the scenery for the scenery with which he was so familiar, but also haven't seen for such a long time, because a shrill buzz was ringing in his ear causing him to hold his head with both of his hands.

He was sitting on the couch that was placed in the terrace-the terrace that was adjacent to his apartment-his old apartment-the one he shared with her.

"There you are. I thought I had to call you out a few more times."

A sweet voice called out to him along with a small laughter. The voice sounded like it was coming from very near him and very far at the same time. He couldn't describe how the voice was doing that. He was still in haze as he clutched his head because the pain was growing more and more intense. But the voice soothed his pain somewhat. He heard some rustling near and felt that someone occupied the seat beside him. A cold hand brushed his hair as the voice continued,

"You are messing around, you know."

As her cold finger run through his hair, the pain on his head stopped growing. He countered as he got some room to breathe without lifting his head,

"Why do you care?"

Her melodious laughter rang out once again. It sounded more pleasant to him than the soft trilling of the wind chime. The laughter stopped after a few seconds.

"You're right. I don't care. I'm dead. It's just that-" she stopped mid-sentence as her voice became shrouded with sadness.

"What?"

This time he lifted his head and looked at her. His eyes fell on hers as she was also looking at him. He could see the emotions behind the mirror in her hazel eyes, sadness, concern and even a hint of pity. Her face which was devoid of any makeup, shined in a sublime seraphic brilliance that made her appear like a transcendent being. She was wearing a snow-white one-piece gown that clung to her body, showing her every curve yet no impure thoughts crossed his mind. She didn't move away her eyes and opened her mouth,

"I think I would've been very sad to see you in such a state. Aimlessly running around, recklessly poking your nose in others business, dulling your senses with the booze- do you really think you can spend the rest of your life wandering away?"

"You know why I'm running."

"Excuses-excuses." She shook her head, and then looked at him again, her eyes calm and transparent like a clear lake. "How long do you intend to hold onto us? Don't you think it's time for you to move on?"

"Who says I haven't? Moved on?"

"You are deceiving only yourself if you think like that."

This time he didn't reply anything- just stared at her and thought, thought that- She was looking so beautiful, just sitting there and he wished for everything to stop, wished that nothing would change- ever again.