The girl awoke with a jolt. She sat up quickly, not knowing where she was. She felt the velvety fabric of her futon, in her room, under her. She could make out the shapes of her bed and drawers through the moonlight that trickled through the window and spiderwebbed across her pale skin. She slowly looked around the room, feeling anxious, though she wasn't sure as to why. A shadow fell across her face, making her gasp even as she realized it was her own hair. She was scared, so she glanced around the room again. Her room wasn't too glamourous, she had both a bed and a futon, as well as a drawer and bookshelf.The drawer held an old tv, a candle, and an elephant statue. The bookshelf was loaded with books of various thickness. Her off-white walls sparkled in the moonlight. One wall had posters of movies and boy bands, while the other wall held pictures. One wall had a shelf at the top and held her stuffed animals. The girl's mirrored closet doors reflected the moon's light and gave the room a ghostly glow. The girl was glancing about the room yet again, when her eyes stopped on a, small dark object, that caught her breath in her throat.
The girl's eyes grew wide as she slowly unfolded herself off the futon. She hissed as her feet hit the icy wood floor. She crossed the room, her footsteps reverberating off the walls. She bent down and tenderly picked up the object. The object you see, was a baseball. To you and me this was nothing to get worked up about, just a standard issue, leather ball, the only thing special about it was a signature. But, the girl let out a soft sob, and as the crisp night air filled her lungs, she sank into the cold hardwood floor the ball clutched to her chest. Tears rolled down her face as she remembered.
It was a cold rainy day, and the air was damp and fresh. The girl was sitting under and ancient willow tree. She was nestled against the trunk, and the long slender branches wrapped around her, cutting her off from the world and giving her her own. She listened to the soothing whisper of the rain, she was soaked to the bone, but she didn't mind. Her parents were getting a divorce, and she felt like this place was the only thing keeping her whole. Her clothes clung to her like a second skin. All she wanted was to believe in something, or someone. She had always been a hopeless romantic, but with the disaster in her own home, she was lost. She liked the quiet here. other than the rain, everything was still. Out of nowhere, she heard someone approaching. She panicked, thinking her parents had found her,but was most surprised when it was just a boy from her school. "Are you okay?", he asked. "I'm fine." she responded. He looked her over. "If you're fine, why are you in the woods while its raining?" His bright green eyes sparkled as his face stretched into a grin. She didn't know what to say, so she simply ignored him. Without warning, he sat down next to her, his long lean frame stretching out beside her. She stood up to leave, when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. "What do you want?", she snapped. She looked at him, his green eyes, his tender smile, his dark curls damp against his forehead, and for some reason she felt better. "I want to make sure you're okay." his soft voice washed over her and she sat down.
His name was James, and after that day, they were inseparable. He was just what she had needed. The would always go to that tree, where he had even carved their names, and get lost in their own world. This was the place where he first told her he loved her, and this was the place he said they would find their forever together.
This memory led to another, that flowed through the girls mind like the breeze of the night.
She was at a baseball game. It was her high school's championship. The atmosphere was thick with excitement and the smell of popcorn and fake nacho cheese. The bleachers were a steady hum, that became a roar, whenever the team got a run. She was in the midst of the stands, as much a part of the crowd as everyone else. The cold air bit at her cheeks, blushing them. Her eyes were bright and shiny from the cold. She wore a hoodie supporting the team and despite the chill, her long legs were clad in shorts. The diamond was lit up like the gem it was. The light sparkled down, and glimmered off the players. The second she saw James walk onto the mound, the crowd was gone. All she could hear was her own heart, which was quick in her chest. Her eyes were glued to him. She could tell their breaths were matched and she was all but on the mound with him, as his first pitches sailed to the catcher. On the last pitch, the pitch that would decide the game, she knew he was in his element. The pitch sailed perfectly into the catcher's mitt, and the bleachers erupted. The school poured down onto the field, and she ran desperately to him, her feet thudding against the soft ground. Once they caught sight of one another, she ran straight into his arms. He picked her up, twirling her over his head, before bringing her down and kissing her softly. He left her, to run to the coach, and after a quick talk, came running back. He handed her the game ball, with his signature and a note, "For my biggest fan, I love you forever and always."
The girl looked up from the ball, and quickly stood up. The shadows danced around her room, as she donned one of his hoodies, and grabbed her shoes and keys. She sprinted through the house her heart racing, as some unknown desire urged her on.
She exhaled sharply as the cold night air tore down her throat and bit at her legs. The night was dark, with the moon's light giving only a pale, mournful glow. She got into her car, the engine shattering the night's silence as she drove away. She drove down a long, dark, tree layered road. She knew this road with her eyes closed, so mind wandered back to that night.
Everyone was ecstatic about the team's win, and parties were everywhere. She and James stopped at one. The house was full of people, and the atmosphere was celebratory. Music was blaring from speakers and people were dancing, and celebrating. After being at the party for a couple hours, James was ready to leave. They said their goodnights and climbed into his truck. She cuddled with him in the cab as he drove away. "I love you," he commented, kissing the top of her head. "I love you too." she responded, grabbing his free hand and entwining their fingers. The drove in silence for awhile, the song on the radio, and the truck's engine. He stopped at a red light, when out of nowhere a drunk driver slammed into his truck. All she remembered was a blinding flash and a blood curdling screech.
The girl focused once more on the road, her eyes now glistening with tears. She hit the pedal, because she knew what she had to do. she reached the end of the road and shut the car off quickly. She ran into the darkness, the moonlight making the path look haunted. She listened to the whisper of the trees and knew she had to hurry. She reached the willow tree and paused, not sure what she would find. A warm breeze urged her forward, and in her heart she knew. She walked through the branches, and her heart soared when she saw him waiting for her. "I knew you'd be here!' she cried. "Of course I would." James smirked. She ran to him, breathing in his woodsy scent as he wrapped his arms around her.
" I was starting to worry you wouldn't find your way here," He smiled. "I had to go home, I didn't know. I felt like it wasn't real." she stammered. "Shh, its okay," he soothed. "It's time to go." he pushed her towards the moonlight. "I'll miss them," she whispered. He grabbed her hand and they walked into the moonlight together, the light surrounding them until they were gone. A light breeze whispered through the trees causing the branches to part. In the space where they parted, the moonlight glowed down on a smooth marble stone. The stone had no names for the names were above, carved into the tree. The only thing on the stone was the quote "In love forever and always,".
