The Girl Who Stole My First Kiss

Ending - LingOrm

Ling

Three years. It had been three long years since I last stepped foot in Orm's apartment. Coming here had always been too painful, but I'd kept the place exactly as she left it - a shrine to her memory. Stepping inside, a wave of familiarity washed over me. It felt... comforting, like stepping back into a forgotten dream.

The weight of those years settled on my shoulders. Depression, a suffocating cloak, had threatened to steal my breath. Self-harm, a desperate attempt to escape the hollowness, had been a constant battle. But Mommy Koy, bless her heart, had never given up on me. Slowly, I clawed my way back from the brink.

With a shaky sigh, I sat on the worn sofa, placing the box Orm had given me on the coffee table. It had remained unopened all this time, a physical manifestation of the grief I couldn't bear to face. Now, here I was, finally ready.

Lifting the lid, I saw a camera - the one Orm always carried - and a worn leather-bound diary. My hands trembled slightly as I opened it. Messy, childish handwriting filled the pages. A diary, it seemed, that spanned her entire life.

The first entry made me smile.

Dear Diary, it began, Today I wrote in a diary because I met the most beautiful fairy ever! She looked just like a forest goddess, with a gorgeous green dress.

The image of a little Orm, all wide-eyed wonder scribbling her first diary entry, warmed my heart. And the subject? Me, of course.

The next entry brought a soft chuckle to my lips.

Dear Diary, it read, The forest goddess visited me today, and we played! Her blue dress is so pretty, and my heart goes pitter-patter whenever she smiles.

Little Orm, a heart overflowing with innocent affection. How could anyone resist that?

Turning the page, I read:

Dear Diary, it said, Today, the teacher asked us about our dreams. I want to be a doctor, and I want to spend the rest of my life with the forest goddess.

I couldn't help but shake my head, a small smile playing on my lips. Forest goddess. It seemed she was a recurring theme in little Orm's world.

Flipping the page, a new entry caught my eye.

Dear Diary, it read, I asked the forest goddess what her dream was, and guess what? She said she wanted a cozy house filled with stuffed animals, musical instruments, books, a TV, speakers, and a super soft couch! Well, forget becoming a doctor - her dream is my new mission in life!

A grin stretched across my face. No wonder this apartment felt like stepping into one of my dreams.

The next few entries took a sharp turn, the childish scrawl replaced by a shaky, more mature hand.

Dear Diary, it began, It's been... four years since I last wrote in here. Sorry for the radio silence, but I was in a coma for the whole time. I'm scared. Scared because everything feels so foreign. Yesterday I was a kid, and now I'm suddenly a young adult. But thank you, diary, for reminding me of a happiness I thought I'd lost forever. I still have no clue who the forest goddess was, but this doll is all the comfort I have. I just know I'll get my memories back soon.

My heart ached. Four years. Four stolen years of her life.

The entries continued, each one a snapshot of Orm's struggle.

Dear Diary, it read, two years later, Still nothing. Should I just give up? Was she ever real? Or was she just a figment of my lonely childhood imagination?