The Night We Met

Part I: Chapter I

    Before technologies and other inventions were made...

    The sharp petals of marigolds run deep along my skin. A meadow full of all flowers shine brightly at my face. The wheatfields bow down to the sunset of golden hour, and a bleeding night falls to Earth. I walk towards the front door. The tractor bows me goodnight and the lanterns towards the farm flicker off to a new tomorrow.

I walk to my bedroom, with a hanging sign above stating my name. I open the croaky door and enter to my childhood room. A million of books sorted into alphabetical order, a row of marigolds and cornflower buds in pots and thousands of more portraits of me, my family and the farmer's field. Across my bed was some letters I had found from my father's mailbox.

Some said: 'We have missed you so much in Camelot!', others said swears that would have broken me down on the first day. The letters were scratched and dusty, with red marks and foreign stamps of Britannia. I gazed upon unfamiliar names and addresses — some I knew from my father's stories.

I leapt onto my bed with my pastel mattress bouncing me up and down like a trampoline. I leaned over to get my sketchbook, but my hand returned empty with no scratch. A sigh came over me. I forgot, my father gave it away to the nearest shopping centre to pay the bills of our barn.

I walked up to my bookshelf. I read almost all of the books except for one area - the 'D' section. Almost all of the books were about those dramatic 'fate and destiny' stuff. Some included demi-gods, others included death. My bedtime was at nine, so I had plenty of time before it was sleeping hour.

I started reading the demi-gods book. It was very interesting for the first few pages, but the next chapter was really boring. I only read up to Chapter Three of the book and let the story run through my imagination. The next book was about a girl named Diane. Diane was an itty-bitty girl who changed the world. Now this story piqued my interest — until the girl met a giant fairy god name Harley.

The next story was about destiny. I didn't quite understand it at first, but the next five chapters of the book was filled with talent and suspense. This was my favourite book of all the others. The second-last book was about death. I wasn't scared of death, but the more I think about it, the more I sunk into the drowning river of overthinking.

The last book had no name. I was very confused, because the book had no words. It only had pictures. Pictures that symbolise the past and the events of time. Each turning page was like a thorn to the heart - showing goddesses, demons and so much more. I even saw the 'King of the Giants', who looked exactly like Diane!

The running and sprinting through books led me into hunger. My father wasn't back yet, but he never is. He always arrives late. I walked out of the door and closed the croaky entrance. Before entering the kitchen, I caressed the sign that had my name nicely handwritten in a wood-carving font.

Elizabeth.

I stop my hands from continuing to touch the sign. I walk slowly to the kitchen and create some soup. It reminded me of my mother, whose emerald earrings I have kept for myself these twelve years.

A dazzle of light crossed my eyes from the window. It was my father! He has arrived earlier than expected. His car stopped suddenly on the country road, and I greeted him inside the house.

But instead of my father, it was a man. A man I didn't know about. He had a grey beard and purple-shaded eyes. He was wearing army-like uniform and wore a 'Major' badge on his right side. He stood upright and rang the doorbell.

I ran to the door and twisted the doorhandle. The man looked at me, staring at my sapphire eyes. He looked around sadly, making sure I took this with comfort. I knew what he was doing. He thought I was a naïve child, an ordinary child. But I knew that wasn't the case all along. He's covering up something. Of course he was. The man thought I was an 'ordinary' child.

The man began to talk. His hoarse voice made the conversation flow. My eyes started to swell and dwell with tears. His final speech was:

"Your father died in action."