My Immortal

Chapter 2

Penelope played with a pen on top of her upper lip. She stared at the man writing in front of the whiteboard. Watching his slender fingers, with each stroke of numbers, Penelope yearned for the days she felt his warmth by holding hands together.

Without knowing, Penelope's ears had turned red again. But it quickly dispersed as she let out a sigh.

"It really is a shame that he forgets about me whenever he reincarnates in each life time. Every time, I would have to start from square one again to earn his affections!"

Penelope leaned forward and rested her head on a palm, whilst still continuing to stare at the back of his head. She began to reminisce of the past.

In the beginning of their story that happened a thousand years ago.

Penelope was just a lowly spirit that wandered the earth aimlessly. Her only mission was to protect flowers from being trampled by humans. Penelope had no feelings back then, no emotion whatsoever as the only purpose for her birth was to be a guardian of the earth's flowers.

But that changed one day.

In her garden that contained all colorful species, both blossoms and buds of different flowers, situated away from all the likes of human society and villages, a young man came.

He wore a round straw-woven hat and pale coloured clothes with blue drapes over his shoulders, he looked just like any common man of the eastern ancient times. But he carried the scent of virtue and a face filled with youth.

With bright eyes, he stared at the field of flowers with awe. The buds swayed softly with the wind, as if it wanted to dance along too. It was the first time he had seen such a beholding sight. He couldn't hold his excitement any longer and thus, approached the garden for a closer look.

The man crouched down. Before he could pick up a white flower, the sound of grass being crushed and a soft voice spoke behind his ear.

"What could a mere human want to do with this 'one'?"

Surprised, the man stumbled down to the ground. He looked up and saw a young woman with an apathetic expression.

The woman's appearance was strange, no, it was out of this world. She had an enchanting beauty and wore a simple piece of white cloth. She emitted an aura so pure and radiant, she couldn't be any ordinary person.

"You...you are...a deity?" The man was bewildered. He quickly kneeled on the ground as he realized his mistake. "Please forgive me! Oh, holy one! This lowly being has entered your domain! I ask of you to punish me!"

During the ancient times, people had believed that gods and goddesses lived among them. Anyone who looked out of the ordinary and unearthly was deemed to be one but such a situation happened too rarely. Those who were blessed by their presence were only of a few and could only be counted with one hand.

The woman raised an eyebrow, as she could not believe the sight before her. "There is no need for you to kneel. I am neither a goddess, a deity nor any holy being. I am simply a spiritual guardian."

"Even so, you are still an immortal spirit far above us mere humans. Please do give me punishment, O' higher being." The man continued to kneel, stubborn his personality was.

The guardian spirit felt that no matter what she says, he will still continue to kneel. She began to ponder in thought of a punishment. She looked around.

The sun was slowly going back to the mountains, which meant night time was nearing. The upright flowers continued to sway along with the breeze, unaware of its surroundings. Frogs, insects and other small animals alike came out from its hiding. Only the spirit and the human remained still, they were the only two people in the vicinity.