To The Moon (A 10 Signatures to bargain with God Fan Fiction)

One: What if Eva and Neil never existed?

I used to have a dirty blonde hair color. Why do I feel like I did? In a different life, a different me, someone who I used to be. But I never knew what was going on until I met this girl. She bore her eyes on me, and it was obvious that all she felt was pity. She felt like I had no one else in this world to hold on to, and she probably knew that I felt like my life had no worth. I was shivering near an average American dumpster, scavenging for food on a cold, late, crisp night. Who knew that a stranger would come walking around, hoping she'd find an un-orthodox thing on a normal evening? Risa Magdayo saw me helplessly chewing on a left-over sandwich with who-knows-what-kind-of-bacteria that could be in there. I don't really ask for pity, but I smiled because her reassuring face relaxed me, as if I knew she was my guardian angel. She was my answer to the endless questions I never regret asking. A selfless Filipina with a heart fluffier than pillows was all I needed to become this legendary girl in my dreams who Eva Rosalene and Neil Watts used to make Johnny's wish come true. But that was the past, and I need to go back way more in the past. "Hello there." was Risa's first words to me. She quickly scurried beside me to raise my slouched body from the pile of trash I called "bed", then she wiped my filthy face with her beautiful dress. "Wearing a dress during autumn? That's quite unique!" I thought to myself. "You should stay at my house. It's warm, there's food and water, and a bed." the moon shone brightly on her somewhat pale skin, so I needed to squint because a silhouette of her face was starting to form. "A fluffy bed?" I asked, hoping she'd say "yes". "Yes, a fluffy bed." I was relieved, but my relief was brief because I saw the moon again. There's just something about the moon that makes me really sad, and I can never avoid that kind of melancholy unless I don't look at the moon. It's strange how millions of memories flash before my eyes just by looking at the moon. The dreams I always get about two bizarre humans, Eva and Neil who helped a dying man named Johnny fulfill his wish. His wish was to go to the moon. "Do you want to come with me?" Risa asked. I nodded, then followed her until we exited the filthy rubble I called "home". I cried when I saw the somber flames flickering on the hearth. When was the last time I felt warm? I ran towards it and smiled like a child who finally found its lost toy. I always thought that the fire was gloomy despite it being orange and bright. Maybe because it was just really warm, and it made me feel relieved and comfortable and sad at the same time. I sure do have a weird, soft spot. Risa went near me to calm my tears as she introduced herself. "I'm Risa." she said awkwardly, and I can feel the shy purr of her voice. "Come here and put your arms around me." I did what I was told and just tried to stop the crying. I looked really funny for sure, because I always look funny when I cry. Her hug was really reassuring, and I felt like I had a big sister. After I was comfortable enough, I walked around her house and looked at the things I haven't seen in ages, while she was preparing some food that smelled like something I wasn't familiar with. I peered at the bowl that had heaven and I saw that it looked very delicious. It has a dull color for a food, but I think it's good viand. "It's called adobo. It's chicken basted in soy sauce and other delicious seasonings." I tried to say the weird word "Adobo." Risa nodded "You're saying it right. It's a Filipino food, and I hope you like it." I did not hesitate to taste it, but I haven't really held a fork and knife for a very long time, so I just used the spoon to grab myself a mouthful of heaven. It tasted so good. It was the best thing I have tasted in years. I finished it all, and I wanted more, but I was just too shy to ask for more. "You really like it! I'm glad. Don't ever hesitate to ask for more." But I just did. I just shook my head then gladly volunteered to wash the plates. I haven't done that in a while either, but Risa taught me. I had fun, and I wished it never ended. I want fun in my life sometimes because it rarely happened in real life. It only happens in my dreams, when Eva and Neil jokes around. They're so sweet! They are some kind of enemy couple in my opinion. I always wished that they weren't just a fictional figment of my imagination. I always wished that they were real. Because if they never existed, then Johnny would never have had a happy life. "What's your name?" Risa asked me as we were washing the other dishes left by her husband this morning. I sighed. "I don't know." I said, hoping that she won't think I'm stupid. I don't know if I'm River or me. But what if River and me are the same? Same souls, just in a different body and a different era, and sometime in the unknown past, I'm Johnny's true love. I think I sound really cheesy right now. Risa said nothing, and I just smiled at her so that she knows I'm not joking, and that I owe her every ounce of appreciation there is to give. I had a plan. Then, there was the fluffy bed. Risa tucked me in bed and sang me a song I'd love to hear her sing everyday. Although I did not understand the words she sung, the melody put me to sleep, so I never even got a chance to initiate my plan of saying thank you to her. I wasn't able to kiss her, just like how I used to kiss my mom, and sadly, it was her who gave me a peck on the temple, as I fell into my deep trance, back into the world of my dreams where Johnny and River were happy, and they were able to visit the moon.