Liriko 2 Playoffs Entry
Song: I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz
Lightning flashed and thunder boomed in the distance, as the shrill whistle of the wind filled the air; yet, amidst the heavy downpour, there he was, moving swiftly through the forest. He easily dodged low branches, skipped over jutting large roots and seemed to be undisturbed by the rain, for his dark cloak was still dry as if it was not even raining hard. His movements were hurried as he navigated through the woods but it was hushed as he neared a lone house hidden behind huge trees and bushes. He squinted at the house under his black hood. It was made of wood and build to look larger than a bungalow, while its roof was made of crookedly patched rusty galvanized iron sheets that had too many holes for the rain to flow into. He could see a faint glow of light from what he presumed was an oil lamp coming from a curtained window sporting a broken glass, but other than that, the house was already dark.
He quietly walked up to the illuminated window and gingerly touched the broken glass with his pale fingers. Sighing quietly, he rested his forehead on it and focused his hearing on only one thing, on only one sound. He leaned closer at the glass and closed his eyes. His erratic heart relaxed a bit as a faint beating of a heart coming from the other side of the window reached his ears. As if on impulse, his heart began to beat in time with the heartbeat from the other side – slowly, rhythmically, but faintly.
"Patricia." He stilled when an elderly woman's voice rang out through the window from the inside.
"Stop staring at the light and go to sleep now. You need it."
He heard shuffling from inside the house and soon, the light was put out before a voice that made his heart skipped a beat answered the elderly woman that spoke first, "Yes, mother. I'm going to sleep."
A smile made its way onto his lips as he heard her sweet voice, but an aching feeling crept onto his heart as the years of waiting caught up to him – Millennia of it. Wandering and searching for a thousand years could make one's soul weary and give up. But this did not even cross his mind, not even for a second. Even if it takes an eternity, he would never grow tired of searching and waiting... He patiently waited for this moment.
He released a sad sigh as he reluctantly moved away from the window and stood there gazing at nothing as he became lost in his thoughts. He needed to see her, to make sure that she was really the one that he was searching for, and to see that he had not given himself false hope again. He had to be sure before he rejoiced.
He took one last sweeping glance at the now darkened house, before he turned his back and faced the three cloaked figure that stood before him. He narrowed his eyes at them, and he sensed their shame at his glare, as they lowered their eyes and refused to meet his eyes. He knew why these three followed him. Just like him, they also yearned to see her again, that they have conjured the guts to disobey his orders.
He sighed tiredly and gazed up at the dark, weeping sky before addressing the one at the center, "Take me into her dreams."
"Are you sure that she was her?" Agitation and excitement underlined the man's voice as he raised his eyes and looked at him with wide eyes.
"Are you sure, father?"
"Just take me into her dreams, Morpheus, so we could be sure," There was so much sorrow and pain in his voice when he answered his son's question, while he again looked at the moonless sky with unseeing eyes. "I need to see her."
"Of course, father. I'll take you into her dreams."
He looked at his sons after Morpheus stated those words and he found them smiling encouragingly at him. Each of his sons understood his sufferings. They knew and felt it, too.
