Forbidden Love

Part 5:

If only there was a way to predict the future...a way to look into the past...a way to understand the present...a way to know how things are going to end...

Elizabeth's POV

"What happens now?" Is the last thought that crosses my mind before I fall into a dreamless sleep...however, that sleep doesn't last very long, especially since I'm laying on the top of a concrete building.

I look over to Isaac and whisper, "I'm sorry," knowing that he can't hear me while he's asleep...and that's the point. That's the closest I've come to talking in years.

A note is left before I go...the only trace of my existence that's left.

The time on my watch reads 1:14am. The sky shows nothing but the darkness and an array of clouds above my head, blocking away the faint light from the stars and the reflection of the sun on the moon.

---

In front of my eyes, I see nothing but a wall covered in ivy. I reach my hand out to touch it, then look around me to make sure nobody's looking as I spend my last few moments inside of the hell of a community that to others seems nothing but perfect.

However, what is perfect? The truth is, there's no definition of perfect, but from what I know, it's the opposite of this.

My hands reach up to grasp onto the vines, and I slowly climb up the wall. I waste no time in looking back until I am nearing the top. I can almost see over when I begin to hear voices come from below me. "Get her!" "Don't let her escape!" 

Gunshots are heard, probably waking up everyone within the community. As I begin to climb over, I hear another gunshot, followed by a sharp pain at the side of my left foot. 

I look down to the other side and realize that there is no longer ivy to help me climb down the other side. The only options are to either go back, or to jump.

Taking no time to think, I go with my first instinct, and I don't look back...Why don't I look back...? Because my body feels paralyzed from the moment my hands and feet hit the ground...following soon after is darkness.

---

Dear Isaac, 

I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry...for everything.

You may be wondering, where am I? The truth is, I don't know. I could be free...on the other side. I could be dead...shot down by policemen. I could be imprisoned, having my memories erased at this very moment. You don't know, and neither do I because the future is never guaranteed.

However, there is one thing I do know, and that's the reason why I left.

All I want to do is remember the way that it used to be. I want to take it all back, but I can't rewind. I've learned something though...it's impossible. I know: nothing is impossible, the word itself even screams "I'm possible," but I can't go back to fix things, or even just to relive the very few happy moments in my life.

I can't remember everything from the good days, but I want nothing more than to make better days that I'll never be able to forget. 

I left to start a new chapter of my life...a new journey. The reason for it? We're all just a life that fate's taken a chance on. We have to live life until we're dead. I want to live, not just survive in this place that we can barely call "home."

I want to experience freedom. I want to experience life without rules. I want to know what it's like to not be afraid of being afraid. There's one thing in life that I've learned so far; it's that we're all a little stronger than we think so far. I want to prove that to myself so I can learn how strong I am...so I can learn that I am more than just a broken shell of a person.

I've never talked to you. You have no idea how much I've wanted to, but it's hard to force words out of my own mouth when I can't believe in them myself.

Writing, however, is something that I've used to communicate, but only rarely if something is important. Honestly, I don't know how important this is, but I think it's time that I share with you my story...

My name is Elizabeth Marie Johnson. I haven't spoken since I was very young, probably around the age of four or five. I've had these dreams...dreams that I can't escape...dreams about my past. Freedom is something I've always looked for, especially since the day of the accident...the car accident that caused my parents' deaths. I can't even remember them, and I feel bad for only having the memories of that day...the day that my whole world and my whole life got turned around. I've lived with my aunt since the day of the car crash, and she's the closest to a mother that I've ever known. 

My school life hasn't been going very well. I've never made any friends, at least, until you came around. Nobody would talk to me besides my boss before you did...well...ex-boss. He saw the two of us together and fired me, saying that I was 1. breaking the law, and 2. wasn't helpful because I couldn't verbally interact with the customers, who from what I could tell didn't mind and probably thought that I had a disability. Never mind that though, I wanted to say something that could probably change things between us...that is, if we ever see each other again, though I doubt it. 

I know it started out with us as strangers, but how else would it begin? To be honest, I was pretty annoyed at you because I didn't understand why you would talk to me, and I still can't answer that now. Over time, I started to notice a change in both of us the more time we spent together: we became closer. It may have been hard to tell, but at the same time, it might've been easy to notice, and I didn't know how I felt about it.

I only have one regret in life: having regrets. 

If we don't regret, we can't suffer, right? We have to learn from our mistakes, no matter how many we make. 

I regret not using my voice for so long because I became afraid of myself for it.

I regret not spending the short amount of time that I had to encourage myself to do better. 

I regret being such a burden to others who didn't want me around.

I regret avoiding everyone and not trying to make friends.

However, my biggest regret is falling in love...I don't regret it because it was you that I fell in love with. I regret not knowing it sooner. Right now is the moment I'm finally admitting to myself that I'm in love. I'm sorry, but I have broken the biggest rule in our community, and I don't care...

I love you, Isaac. 

Remember me,

Elizabeth

---

And...that was the end of "Forbidden Love." How many of you expected that? I didn't. I just started writing not knowing that I was going to end up changing this chapter so much that it doesn't even follow the plan I had for the ending of the story.

Honestly, when I first had the idea of the book and when I titled it, I didn't expect it to turn out even somewhat like it did, and I don't know whether I'm happy with the changes or not, but I'm just gonna go with it.

When I first came up with the story idea, I wanted it to end with the two characters falling in love, escaping together, Elizabeth talking again, ya know, cheese to the extreme. Obviously, that didn't happen, but it is a little bit different from the gazillion stories I've read within the past year or so that even somewhat relate to the same/a similar topic.

Also, so so so sorry that I took a million years to update. I have my reasons, even though I HATE excuses, but I'm about to be that person. 

I've been busy with school, and when the 3 day weekend came around, I got sick. I didn't think anything of it until I went back to school and realized that about 15% of just my grade had been absent some time during that week...that's a lot of people. Now, I'm sitting here an hour after I probably should've gone to bed writing this when I have to be at school early for choir practice...yay...

Anyway, let me know how you enjoyed the short story, or even if you hated it. I don't care. Send me as much hate as you'd like because I wouldn't say I'm proud of what I've written, but for the most part, I'm pretty happy with it. 

DUBAI! (Goodbye)