Unrequited

Chapter Nine: An Autumn Chill

Hazel's POV:

Leaves swirl all around us, trapping us in a miniature tornado. We stare up at the clouds, making their shapes to entertain the people of the earth. Quietly I tear my eyes away from the dancing formations of the sky, to look at the wondrous boy beside me. I find that he's looking too, with his chocolate pudding eyes, and the grin if an ape. He grabs my hand, then I blush, squeezing his back. We just stand there, in the eye of the tornado of leaves, holding hands, just staring at each other.

But slowly he slides his hand out if my grip. And his grin slowly disappears, as he walks backwards into the swirling fury of leaves. He reaches out to me, but continues walking. I stretch out my arms to him, but my feet seem to refuse to move. Not even an inch, like I'm sinking in quicksand. His pace hasn't slowed, and now he has raised up both arms, open, like he's about to embrace someone they love. I struggle and fight my way to him, but there's no hope. My feet won't budge, there's no way to get to him. So with a pouting lip and sad glinting eyes, he turns around and begins to walk into the rapid tornado.

The fiery leaves of red and orange have slowed their rampage. Soon, there is only one large wall of leaves, and he is in the middle. Like if you were to lay in wet cement, you would sink until submerged and one with the wall. His eyes. Are closed, and he looks like a sleeping angel. But soon the leaves start to swirl again. Starting from the bottom, they make their way into their cyclone of amber waves.

First his feet vanish, with the swirling air, without a sound. Then his legs, away with the wisp of the wind. After that, his chest, gone like the winds that once howled to the moon. But midway he stops and stretches his hand out to me again. His face full of sadness, begging me to do this for him. There's a crunching of leaves and they come from the first rep of my foot. Eager, his expression lights up, hope filling all of his features left. I start to run toward him, his face already starting to disappear. I reach out for his hand, turning into a cool Autumn chill. Our fingertips brush over, before I get a full grip on his hand. Then quickly he pulls me into the rage of roasted leaves. At first I shut my eyes in fear, but when I open them...

There's nothing.

Dylan's POV:

She stands in front of me, her scarf neatly wrapped around her neck to keep out of the autumn chill. We sit, hand in hand, I'm trying to scoot closer, and she's trying to cover her face with her scarf. The leaves fall gently around, as if dancing to the rhythm of the swaying breeze. The roasted orange and red leaves sway side to side, looking for a place to to safely land. A bright fiery orange one lands softly upon our intertwined fingers. I move my hand to brush it away, so does she. Giggling, she grabs my other hand and kisses it lightly, before letting go, to pick up the leaf resting on our hands. She holds it close to her heart, she whispers something to it, then blows it away, to let it lay on the ground, with the rest of its friends.

Suddenly, an amazing aura had appeared to the side of me. A woman seemed to be walking out of it, or with it, the aura seems to glow off of her. I feel the urge to move, to break away from my perfect scene with Hazel, to go to this woman. Not knowing a single thing, but curious enough to want to break this moment. Slowly, I slip my hand out of hers, and stand up. I don't dare to look behind, I don't want to have to see her pained face, I don't want her to see mine. I start walking toward the woman, and with every step, to glow seems to brighten. When it seems like I'm right in front of her, it's so bright I have to shield my eyes. I reach out to her, and I feel the warmth of the light, but then it suddenly vanishes.

I look around but there's no one with me, even Hazel, who was just sitting on the bench a few minuets ago. I close my eyes in frustration, I just gave up a perfect moment with Hazel, for some lady I didn't even know. What a jerk. I scratch the back of my head, and open my eyes, sighing. I jolt backwards a bit, surprised to see Hazel standing in front of me.

Her expression is pained, and saddening. Like she got her hopes up, but they were just crushed. I want to hug her, to say sorry, to kiss her, to do anything for her. But all I can do is stand in front of her with a blank expression. She reaches her hand out to me, I want to reach out and grab it and never let go of her, but my body refuses to move. I can tell my expression has turned into a begging face, for her to understand. I will my arms to move, even just a finger, but nothing budges. I look up, her expression has turned from pained to saddened, begging me to come to her. Sighing, she turns around and starts to walk away.

The leaves have started to swirl around her, as if calling to her to come with them. At first, just a few, but then a whole bunch rain down and join the twister of toasted leaves. She steps out, facing the tornado of fiery leaves. She turns around one more time to face me, her expression blank, as if she doesn't know what to do next. Somehow, my legs started to move, her expression immediately lightens. Hope now surrounds her in an angelic way. I sprint toward her, my legs burning with the passion of egging to her. I finally reach her, and she smiles, that brilliant smile of hers. She reaches her hand out to me again, this time, I willingly take it. She blushes, and walks backward into the fury of leaves, taking me with her. Not knowing what will happen next, I still follow her. I close my eyes, letting her guide me through the unknown. But when I open them...

There is only darkness.