||A short story that was inspired by the Eraserheads' song - "Ang Huling El Bimbo"||
She moved her body gracefully into the soft, sultry music that played in the background. He watched, mesmerized by her grace and beauty whenever she was on stage.
...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The door to her bedroom clicked and a deafening silence ensued when he could no longer hear her even breathing. He swept his eyes around her small apartment, noting that there wasn't much sign that it was treated like a home. It was leaning towards being a confinement facility than an actual livable space. The white walls clashed with the dreary atmosphere. No pictures were put up anywhere, half-expecting a cute couple picture of Harley and Nate.
Huh, they must have broken up.
Not a single object here even had a touch of Harley except for her old record player which was displayed by the corner of the living room, collecting dust. The atmosphere felt empty and cold in which Harley was the complete opposite. She used to be brighter than the sun. My sunshine.
The intensity of her light had died down over the years. Here he was, living the life he wanted while Harley was suffering alone. He couldn't protect her after all.
Leaving Harley to rest was the best option for now. Gray then decided to see what he could prepare for when she wakes up from her nap. As expected, she didn't have food in her fridge. All her cabinets were empty, leaving Gray to just reheat the food that her grandmother had prepared for her later. Two hours after, he decided to check on her. Entering the room quietly, Gray was surprised to see her sitting upright, staring blankly outside her window. She looked sullen even if the light hitting her face made it a tad brighter. The exhaustion from her face was clearly evident. It was as if the life was literally sucked out of her that probably even included her soul as well. It was a heart-wrenching sight to see the one person who was his source of strength that made him believe in himself. She always believed in him.
Gray stared at her a little bit longer until softly knocking for permission to disturb her and asked, "Did you sleep well?"
Instead of replying, she responded with, "I told you to leave."
She didn't dare to look up to see the hurt that marred his face. This was all for the best, she repeated over and over. We live a life that was only temporary. Some people believed in the concept that there was the illusion of timelessness. The amount of time you spend in this life was already counted, mapped and decided. She didn't get why people hang on to the idea of perpetuity. It would be a tiresome wait but we all eventually disappear from this world without a trace. It was just another name, carved in stone, of a life that once walked this earth.
He didn't listen as he walked over to her side. Kneeling down, he reached for her hand and buried his face into the soft sheets of her bed. Surprisingly, she didn't try to pull away this time. Harley was too busy with her thoughts when she felt a slight jolt of tranquility that flowed through her arms. Astounded by the unusual sensation, the dark clouds from her thoughts cleared out, bringing her attention somewhere else. Looking down, she saw Gray in a position that meant that he was trying to beg silently for her to come back. And for a moment, she did.
