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One could see him lurking in the shadows of the lantern festival. Buried deep in between the trees, he was seeking a soul so precious and bright. The moonlight shone upon them earlier that night. They danced like it was their last living day. Maybe because it could be. They danced while, slowly, bit by bit, their cancer consumed them. Despite all that, one could see that nothing mattered to the two. The dragons were friendly and the fish were funny and the girl's giggles filled the chilly air. Her dress, he'd noticed, gold and full of ornaments, flowed as if being carried by the wind. She'd been admired by all but none admired her the way he did. He'd admired her like there was no one else, not just in the streets, but in the world.
A little walk wouldn't hurt anyone. Or so they thought. "Let's take a walk until the cliff and back." Her beautiful, melodious voice sang out. "Let's!" The charming, young man replied, adrenaline pumping through his veins. It was their first time in China but that cliff was very well known to them. They strayed away from the lantern festival, lurking towards the forest that leads to the cliff and as they did, the music and bright lights faded away along with the exhilarating feeling that was experienced along with the festival. Aliya was astonishingly courageous for a girl as young as 17. Her adventurous mind followed a tiny, illuminating firefly through a part of the forest that remained undiscovered to them. She walked astray, not noticing the absence of a certain someone's presence behind her. The sharp light at the opening of a tunnel caught her eye first. Then came the doodah that was
inside the cave. The mysterious grotto lured her closer to it like a child and a lollipop.
"This is such a beautiful cave" She beamed, directing her excitement towards the boy she left behind. With no response coming from him, she snapped her head in the other direction in search for him "Noah?" Her gentle voice came out in a soft whisper, afraid to face the world on her own. The moonlight felt dimmer and the excitement in her had disappeared and she was now all alone. Curiosity, as usual, got the better of her and she traversed deeper into the dark cave. She wandered until she reached the light she saw earlier and the sight in front of her left her speechless. The fireflies that surrounded her attracted her like a moth to a flame. Her mind, completely focused on the beauty in front of her, was oblivious to the worry of the boy. While her mind was captured by the fireflies, the boy's mind was racing with worry. Worrying about Aliya.
Noah paced back and forth, looking for Aliya everywhere, from the cliff all the way back to the festival. His eyes wandered to the tiniest of spaces, hope rushing through his veins. He was looking for her dress, the one that stood out from the rest. And her smile, the one that could be spotted from a mile away. It was angelic, he'd say. She was angelic. He traced his footsteps to the forest and looked around for anything. Anything that would lead him to her. He came across the same sharp light at the opening of the tunnel that Aliya came across and he bent over, gazing around the inside of it. He instantly lit up thinking he would find her now. The fireflies surrounded him, welcoming him into their humble abode. He, too, was mesmerized by the beauty around him.
Then, out of nowhere, the fireflies zipped through to the other end of the cave, leaving the boy curious. He followed the bright bugs and saw a sight more beautiful than anyone had seen. Then all at once, he turned his head and there she was, under the swarm of fireflies, the most beautiful girl he had lay eyes upon. She stood there like it was the lantern light that was dimly shed over them. She laid her eyes upon him and as she did, ran forward holding on to him tightly.
They walked back to the lantern festival, hand in hand and gazed into each other's eyes before they sealed the night with a kiss.
