Isaiah & Isla

Chapter 1: Inception

Chapter 1

   Isaiah Meraki 

Graceful carriage, long silver locks, mild-mannered appearance, and a casual outfit. Different from who she was before, I couldn't recognize her immediately. Yet when she glanced at me, I felt a familiar presence, it's warm... She stood out from the families and friends dispersed in the park, spooked by her presence I could only say the name that went through the top of my head upon seeing her from the distance.

"Isla?" my eyes grew bigger as she approached me while I was sitting on the park bench.

"The one and only." she had a grin on her face.

"What are you doing here, I thought you were-." Isla placed her finger on my mouth.

"I live here, silly. Only a few people know about this. Ever since, my mom died things changed a lot. That's why I'm here." she sat beside me and told me why she never got to live abroad.

Fergox Company went bankrupt after her father, the CEO, fell into a deep depression that caused him to lose interest in everything that he used to love. A man who used to be so successful and well-known by nations is now a drunkard who lost all of his credibility and riches. According to Isla, her father takes his rage out on her and a few months after the bankruptcy, a bunch of guys took away all of their possessions and they were evicted from their home. Now, they live in poverty and the dying wishes of her mother was forgotten and never fulfilled.

"She wanted me and dad to go to Dianthus and live with Grandma Grace. I'm sure things would be better if dad was the one who died."

Viewing her from the side I felt the magnitude of her words. Double edged swords cutting deep through me, if I told her that what she's saying isn't true, how would she feel? I guess it's pointless to think about it, but all I can do now is to support her.

"You've changed a lot in these past years. Back then, you were the strongest girl I knew in class. Not even the big guys dared to mess with you, and you were so mean to everyone as well. Now look at you, I'm glad you've changed for the better." I took her mind off of the topic we discussed earlier.

"I wonder if this change is for the better," she sighed and then smiled. "When will you ever change though, you're still as kind and caring as back then."

We smiled at each other and held hands, like we used to before—as friends.

"Don't you think we're a little too old to be holding hands like this?"

"Just a little longer. I haven't held anyone else's hands in a while, a lot of our friends don't even recognize me anymore. They just pass me by and act like we don't know each other."

"Alright, but just for a little longer." 

We sat there in silence as we watched the people pass us by as though we were invisible, we recognized a few faces, yet we were too immersed in this supernatural feeling. The children played around in the slides, see-saw, the swings, and the sandbox. Their loud laughter rang through our ears and our grips tightened as we reminisced about the time before life took out all of our innocence. Even though there was a crowd it felt like the both of us were alone in a park decorated with evergreen flowers and fruitful trees, birds in their nests, and the spring breeze blowing to our faces in the afternoon. In the playground, wooden benches that were worn out over time are placed so that the parents could supervise their children, and we were sitting in one of those benches sharing the warmth from each other's hands.

"Hey, how would you feel if someone close to you died today?." yellow and blue eyes focused on me as she asked this question without any hints or context.