Shine

Due to recent cutbacks and until further notice, the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off.

And then I saw you. It was like my eyes had been opened, like I was seeing you properly for the first time. I had been blind all this time and out of nowhere I saw you. You were radiant. I tried to ignore it as long as I could, afraid of what it could mean, because I knew you would burn me, that your light would be too strong. I closed my eyes, covered them with my hands, hoping, praying that I would be blind once again. But you were there, as clear as a summers day. In that moment I saw you and there was nothing I could do.
For the first time, when you laughed, I saw the way your eyes shone, the sunlight catching them in just the right way, as you threw your head back, the smile on your face filling my heart with happiness. I saw each little crease on your face, your dimples, the freckles on your nose and I watched every movement you made, wondering how I hadn't noticed before what all seemed so clear to me now.
When you were sad, I would see the pain in your eyes as you tried to put on a brave face, the small pout of your lower lip, as you held back tears. I would feel the pain that you felt as strongly as if it were my own. All I wanted to do was hold you and tell you it would be alright, run my hand through your hair and let you cry on my shoulder, staying up late into the morning in that position, because you were too scared to close your eyes. 
And when you looked at her, it was as if she was the only girl in the room, as if nothing else mattered but her. I saw you look at her, the same way I looked at you. I saw you see the shine in her eyes, the pout of her lip. I saw the longing you felt, the longing I felt. Where before I would have been filled with happiness for you, now all that was present was the jealously overcoming me. I felt pain and all I wanted to do was close my eyes and be blind, as I was before. I wanted to unsee all the things I had seen, because my light had burned out and I was surrounded by the darkness left behind. You shone bright, but I was nothing more than a stone on the road, big enough to be noticed, but small enough to be ignored.
Though my heart had been hurt before, I had bandaged it up again and it had begun to heal. As it healed I had felt the hope return. As it healed my light had started to flicker, slowly at first, then faster and faster, switching itself back on, though it was worn, it was just as bright as it was before, ready to lead me out of the darkness I had been living in.

And then, I saw you.

Due to recent cutbacks and until further notice, the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off.