The Tales of Miss A

Four Minutes

"Is it time yet?"

I kept glancing at the golden pocket watch hidden in my right palm. Its continuous ticking harmonized with the unsteadiness of my heartbeat, causing a mixture of anxiety and thrill to emerge in the form of the shakiness of my entire figure. I tried my best to keep it hidden with my composure but I knew myself that I would not be able to hold it in much longer. After all, it is not everyday that our paths intersect. Our lives were always meant to be like asymptotes; those that would always get closer and closer but would never cross each other. However, rare moments like today could happen. Phenomena like these compelled me to believe that everything in this world, in this universe, would be possible.

Even if it would just be four minutes, I had this chance. I was going to see him. This was possible.

"Mistress," one of the servants called to get my attention. "I believe it is time."

I gleefully grinned and stood up. Without a second thought, I rushed towards the golden gates of the balcony. I closed my eyes as the scenes of our previous meet-up played inside my head. His silvery cloud-like hair would glisten when the light touched it. Even during the moments of darkness, his full glory would still be present because of his innate charm that captivated even the brightest stars in the heavens. Even if he were to be obscured by the intimidating cumulonimbus, he never failed to shine because he continued to smile. He would show his crescent smile at me just like he did previously, a reminder that he would always continue to be here for me.

He is going to be here for me today.

Heaving a breath, I opened my eyes and unlocked the gates. The sky was still in bright cyan blue. With a single step, the sky turned a shade darker. And I took another. The bright blue dimmed another shade. So I took another and another and another as the cheerfulness of morning blue gradually turned to the tranquility of midnight purple. As I heard the servants inside of the castle gasped, I remained composed, comforted by the fact I was closer to seeing him again. I knew several people were afraid of the tenebrosity. I was not one of them because for me, the absence of light made him visible and he would be there.

Just like today.

With one last step, the entire area was obscured with ink-like black. I closed my eyes. Any second now.

As I stood there starting to feel the coldness of the breeze, a warmness suddenly enveloped my being. My eyes fluttered open as the first thing I saw was the silhouettes of two people. A woman standing and a man enveloping the woman into a warm embrace. I looked behind me and there he was with his silvery glow and crescent smile.

"Missed me?" he asked so casually and playfully, just like what he would always do.

"It has been 300 years, what do you think?" I retorted back with a smile of my own that earned a hearty laugh from him. He touched my golden locks as he continued to hold me closer to him.

"We only have four minutes to be like this," he stated, gloom lacing in his voice. "I wonder when will this curse end?"

I cupped his cheeks and gave it a small kiss, just like what I would always do when he worried. "Four minutes is enough. I would always wait for you even for another 300 years."

His crescent smile returned, moving its way up to his twinkling eyes. Though I wanted him to stay with me forever, I knew it was never meant to be. Four minutes with him would be enough. I would wait another 300 years for another four minutes with him because, in this cruelty, it was the only thing that was possible.

We stayed within each other's warmth until our short time was over. After four minutes, as the first ray of light touched him, he faded away. His warmth and his presence remained with me though as well as his final words to me that made me look forward to the next time we would meet again.

"I'll be watching over you."

A tear escaped my eyes as the next rays of light began to embrace me.

"I'll be waiting for you, my love."