Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Those letters, the color of raven, wouldn't stop dancing on his sight. Those black-dressed men he saw were just like the black spots inside his chest. His lips, white as if the blood had drained from his face. His hands couldn't stop shaking while his feet were completely frozen. It was really hard for him to move, as if there were magnets beneath his shoes and the ground was made of iron. He lost his soul, he lost his spirit, he lost himself.
All that he'd got were lost.
♦◊♦
"If there is only one nation above the sky, will we meet again?"
Daylight had gone, the night started to fall. The colorful lamps that were entwined on the trees started glowing phosphorescence light. Two people, a man with his adolescent spirit and a girl with her young adult soul walked on the narrow paved lane with tall trees on its sides. The cold late December breeze wouldn't stop blowing on their cheeks and ears.
"Why do you ask such thing?" he asked her, just wanted to know why she did ask him about that.
She made noises as her shoes stepped on the fallen leaves. Her steps were just like the ticks of a hanging clock on his wall. Her hair was full of leave sheds but she didn't seem to mind it. She was cold, but instead of tucking her hands in her pocket, she flung both of her arms in the air.
She shrugged, "I'm just curious," she answered. Her accent made him giggle inside, "Imagine, if there is really one nation above the sky. Everything will be so much easier. There's only one country, one language, one religion, one land, one currency. We can love anyone without being judged. We can meet anyone anywhere we want without people wanting to know our names, where we are from, or how old we are. Life will be beautiful up there."
They kept on walking. They walked in silence—a comfortable silence—through the mounds of autumn leaves. Sometimes they kicked them with their feet. She made distance, a few steps away in front of him, then spun her body and jumped around the lane. He smiled unconsciously. He'd never thought this girl would be an important part of his life. Moving thousand miles away from his homeland to this city and arranging how he would spend his life there were all planned, but being in love with a local girl was not.
After she jumped and moved her body for a while, she walked back to him and took his hand in the pocket of her oversized sweater. Their fingers intertwined inside, embracing the warmth. He said nothing to her. His hand never left hers along the lane until they saw some cars passed by, which meant they were approaching the street. There were no more trees hovering over them, all they could see were old buildings: coffee shops, book stores, and some patisseries.
"Where are we going?"' he asked.
"I'm not telling you."
"Why?"
She answered him with a smile. Her grip on his hand tightened. They continued walking. None of them cared about the cold air. They just wanted to enjoy every breath they inhaled. They walked further until they reached the downtown, the busiest spot in the city where pedestrians waited for the green light to turn red and crossed the street together. They were getting closer to a familiar building across the street. Her smile widened as she strode faster. He looked confused, his brows were frowned.
