As The Storms Roar

Shattered

"Tell me a lie." She said, her arms tight around the boy she loved.

"I love you." He whispered.

That was when her wholeworld broke apart. The feelings meddled up in her busy open. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

He slowly pried her arms off of his waist.

Her knees gave way and she ended up weeping on the floor. Her vision blurred.

This can't be happening, she thought, This is not how it's supposed to happen.

Somewhere in the back of her mind lay images of her and Ross lying in each other's arms and watching movies together; going on romantic dinner date; going to amusement parks.

But now, all of them lie shattered like broken glass.

She glanced up, only to see the retreating figure of Ross walk out of the door and into the pouring rain.

He had left her. He had seriously left her defenseless in this cruel world.

They had promised never to leave each other's side.
But, well, since promises are meant to be broken, aren't they?

Her brain was a medley of emotions. She wanted to cry, laugh, and tear things apart, all at the same time.

Is this how you slip into madness? she asked herself.

She gathered up all the energy left in her and stood up.

She slowly walked up to an empty canvas and pulled out the paint.

She knew exactly what she was going to paint.

And this would be her last.

-

She stood at the edge, looking up at the stars.

She wondered about the world beyond.

Would Laura, her best friend who died an year ago, welcome her to the paradise?

She looked down at the busy street spread below her. Because of the height, she couldn't make out the shapes of the cars. But she could see their lights, flashing like stars in the distant sky.

When Laura committed suicide, all she had was the art studio.

That was until Ross came along.

Ross used to accompany her after school. They'd both meet at the studio and let their emotions and thoughts bleed into the canvas. They'd create worlds together.

But now all those worlds were shattered. Just like her heart.

"I'm sorry, Ross." Miali said as she took the plunge.

-

Someone's POV

After he heard the news, Ross knew exactly where to go.

Tears made its way down his cheeks as he ran.

He had to go to the place where he broke Miali's heart- the art studio.

They both knew that they had had feelings for each other. But all of it unfolded at the wrong time and Ross had to break her heart.

The door to the studio was unlocked.

Ross walked in. The studio war the same fron when he had first come here. Two ceiling to floor windows illuminated the room.

Or rather something in the room.
It was a canvas, draped with a white cloth.

He pulled the cloth off and was wonderstruck.
It was the silhouette of him walking out if the front door and into the rain.

He knew where this came from, when this had happened.

His heart broke into two and clammered against his ribcage.

His knees gave way as he sobbed.
Through the tears fogging his vision, he saw a folded piece of paper near the painting.

His hands shook as he unfolded it. He read it, slowly, taking in the arrow of guilt and agony. Tears that were threatening to fall now flowed out his eyes.

It was in Miali's handwriting and it read-

Thanks you, Ross, for being there for me. Thank you.

Tears now made kaleidoscope in his eyes.

The never-ending pain struck him as he remembered all the things he said to her; all the things which broke her heart.

But he had to do it. He had to break her heart.

Because, he couldn't tell her that he's diagnosed with cholera and would die in two days.

-

- Pranamya