_Still here_

He stepped onto the stage as though it belonged to him, as though this was always where he was meant to be. The whispers grew louder, confused, agitated-but still, no one saw what I saw.
He knelt in front of me.
The world stilled.
He reached for my shaking hands, his touch impossibly real-warm, grounding, familiar. My breath caught in my throat.
"I told you," he said softly, his voice meant only for me. "I'm still here."

From the author,
[This story was inspired by Forestella's new song, "Still Here."
Although the song and the story are not directly connected, I chose to use this cover as a sign of respect and appreciation for the artist. ^^]