Post by .:Lion:. on Jul 20, 2011 23:13:39 GMT -5
Sunlight glanced off a passing Sudan, leaves rustled overhead, and voices hummed together as the Park teemed with life. Summer was well on its way, and the beaches were probably overflowing with people taking advantage of the nice weather. As I walked down the long pathway, reveling in the feeling of the wind gently caressing my skin, I listened. The park was always filled with interesting sounds. Kids' gleeful cries, birds singing in the trees, my flip flops smacking rhythmically against my heels – every little thing proved that life was here and now. I smiled to myself, pausing to glance over the green lawn at the people with their dogs, throwing Frisbees and wrestling with their beastly best friends. My smile faded. Life-loving Lily – everyone at school called me that. My friends. My not-so-friendly acquaintances. It was both a compliment and an insult. It's true that I'd suffered a long time after my dog and closest companion, Kael, died. I closed my eyes and sighed, remembering.
Kael looked up at me with big, bright eyes, licking my fingers as I prepared to head out for school.
"I'll miss you, too, buddy. Love you lots," I said, leaning over and kissing my dog's wet nose. I stroked his soft, golden ears thoughtfully, thinking. He looked up at me curiously, his head tilted and his ears perked. The expression on his face was a question.
"I got a boyfriend yesterday," I muttered a last, patting his neck gently, leaving one hand tangled in his long, soft fur, "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just needed to think about it, you know?" Kael blinked at me, as if telling me that yes; he did know.
"Well. I don't know how things will be from now on. I'm not used to having someone to talk to other than you, buddy boy." I smiled and kissed Kael's cool wet nose. He wagged his tail and barked happily.
"I'll see you after school." I said, stroking his floppy ears before turning to leave. I heard a whimper behind me. Kael's eyes were big and filled with a pleading expression.
"I'll be back, bud. Don't worry, no boy could replace you. If you were a human, you'd be my soul mate." I laughed, then turned and walked out the front door. I had no clue then that it was the last moment I would spend with my best friend.
The memories were fresh and painful, as if I had seen them pass but a moment ago. My feet ceased moving as my hands fell to my sides, fists clenched. Why had I been so stupid? I lowered my head, remembering well the events that led to losing Kael.
"Hey, Lily!" I turned and glanced at my boyfriend, Justin. Justin's eyes sparkled as he caught up to me, grabbing my hand. I was still unused to all the attention, and I'd rather he just give me a little space for once.
"What's up, Justin?" I smiled.
"You don't have soccer after school, right? Want to go out to eat?" He asked hopefully.
"Well… Kael will be worried if I don't come home, so…"
"Don't worry! We'll be home by five," Justin assured me. I nodded, giving in. Having lunch with my boyfriend was better than going home and watching TV. We went out to Justin's favorite fast food place, Dairy Queen. I didn't mind that it wasn't a very fancy outing. I was just glad to be spending time with my boyfriend. We talked for what seemed like minutes. One thing that had attracted me to Justin was the fact that we could talk about anything. The next thing I knew, it was already past five o'clock. Justin wasn't worried, but I was. Kael always became really agitated when I didn't come home in time. We got into Justin's car, and I tried not to pester him about getting me home quickly. As we neared my street, I looked out the window and saw something lying in the road, close to my grey-sided house. My eyes widened and my mouth gaped open in horror as I screamed, causing Justin to slam onto the breaks. I flung the car door open, throwing my seatbelt off in a panic. I ran outside, the sobs already wrenching from my chest.
"Kael! Kael!"
It had taken me a long time to get over losing Kael. After my parents' divorce, he'd been the only one I could talk to, really. I had no siblings, and I didn't want to burden my friends. So I'd confided my feelings in Kael, and he'd always acted as though he knew what I was talking about. His weird blue eyes with the little black sliver in the left one would stare up at me with a look of complete understanding. Seeing them turned to the sky, lifeless, empty… it had broken my heart. It was probably stupid to break up with Justin over it, but I didn't need his comfort, and he wouldn't give me time to grieve. He never understood. The one thing I'd loved about him, how we could talk about anything, was taken away when Kael died. I couldn't talk to him about that. He just couldn't comprehend what my best friend had meant to me. Maybe it was best that way. Maybe I would've only gotten hurt if I'd stayed with him any longer. Either way, he wasn't "the one" or anything. Life would move on for everyone. Except Kael.
"Hey, wait!" I turned at the sound of a voice close by, my eyes widening. Something grey was leaping at me, and in an instant it had slammed into my leg, throwing me off balance. Just as I was about to right myself, something large and solid rammed into my side. I fell over, gasping as a painful shock ran up my arm. Crap. I thought, wincing. I looked up into a mess of gold, feeling my mind wandering to when Kael and I would play together. He'd wrestle with me and lick my face, and my vision would always be filled with the soft gold color of his fur, almost like it was now. Suddenly the person that had fallen on me pushed himself off of me, leaving me breathless.
"Oh man, are you okay?" I looked up at the person, whose face was maybe five inches from mine as he leaned over me. He was a tall, sort of lanky guy, with pale skin, a slightly arched nose, and shaggy blonde hair that seemed to sweep across his forehead, partially hiding his eyes from me. But as I looked up into his face, I was startled to see that those eyes were a soft, familiar blue, with a black streak running through his left pupil.
"Kael?" I asked weakly, forgetting the pain in my arm for a moment. I tried to fight the sting of tears when I looked into those big eyes. The boy blinked, and the magic was gone.
"Um, yeah. Have we met?" He looked at me thoughtfully, as if trying to decide whether he actually knew me or not. I shook my head.
"Never mind. I-" My voice caught in my throat and I winced in pain as I tried to sit up.
"Aw, geez. I think your arm is broken. It's hanging sort of weird…" Kael said, frowning in concern. I tried to tell him it was fine, but he'd already flipped out his phone. With lightning speed he pressed a couple buttons then held the cell up to his ear. "Yeah, hey, mom. Could you come pick me up? I'm by the old baseball diamonds. No, no. I ran into a girl and I think she might've broken her arm. Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Bye." He hung up and then turned to look at me.
"Thanks." I said feebly in response to his worried expression.
"It's my fault, so don't worry about it. I was so intent on catching that rascal I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Kael placed his hands on his hips comically, fixing the grey blob that had unbalanced me with a stern glare. I turned and saw that it was a small creature, like an oversized mouse bred with a squirrel or something.
"A chinchilla," I said, startled.
"Her name's Jeanie. She's a little devil sometimes." He sighed, shaking his head, "Can't catch her once she's got her mind set on escape. Look, I'm seriously sorry. I'll pay for all the medical bills if it's really broken." He looked really flustered. Somehow I was reminded of Kael when I'd come home a little late. He'd be scampering about, his big eyes looking at me and asking where did you go?
"My mom should be here in a few minutes. Can you hold tight until then, Lily?" He asked, brushing a lock of my hair out of my eyes and back behind my ear. I looked up at him, shocked.
"How did you know my name?" I asked. He frowned.
"Oh. Uh, I'm not really sure. I'm right, though? It's Lily?" He looked at me with those big eyes, that earnest expression, and I tried so desperately not to think of my best friend, but the human Kael before me was so much like the dog Kael had been, and I couldn't really even guess why.
"Yeah," I said at last, my voice quiet, "I'm Lily." A car pulled up nearby and a heavyset but pretty woman leapt out, rushing towards us.
"I told you that running about in the park with that pest of yours would end badly, Kael! Can't you listen? Ah, Larry!" I looked up at Kael, frowning. Larry?
"She tries not to cuss," he said in response to the question in my eyes.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Kael's mother, I assumed, leaned over and held out her hand. I took it gratefully and the woman helped me to my feet. Kael stood, as well, and touched my shoulder with a hand in a comforting sort of gesture. When I felt his touch, I was shocked by how warm his hand was; it was warm and soft, like velvet. He smiled at me with the sort of open expression you didn't seen often. Mrs. Boone introduced herself, insisting that I call her Emily. Kael helped me into the car, and together we drove to the hospital, Jeanie taking her place on Kael's lap.
"She's such an odd little thing," I commented, watching how she curled up and closed her eyes, her ear flicking in response to my voice. Kael stroked her back, smiling.
"Yeah. She used to belong to my uncle, until he… passed on. No one wanted to take her so I volunteered."
"She seems grateful." I watched how Jeanie slept with her face tucked into her paws, and was sure my words were accurate. She seemed so relaxed, it was hard to imagine otherwise. Kael smiled at me, and I was surprised to feel my heart beating like a little fist, pumping against my chest as I took in the bright face of the boy beside me.
"She is, I'd bet." The rest of the ride passed mostly in conversation with Mrs. Boone – or Emily, as I kept reminding myself to call her. Kael's mom was pretty fun, and her jargon successfully distracted me from the pain of my injured arm. When we arrived at the hospital, I was taken into a room and examined. The arm wasn't broken badly, but I still needed a cast. I looked down at the rugged purple bandaging and sighed. This would put a damper on my summer for a while. I made my way out into the waiting area, wondering how I was going to get home.
"Can I be the first to sign it?" Kael surprised me. I thought he'd have gone home or something while I was getting examined, so I hadn't expected to find him waiting in the lobby.
"Yeah." Mrs. Boone was sitting beside him. She held up a permanent marker with a slight smile on her face. Kael walked up to me and wrote his name in long, scratchy writing.
"You want a ride home?" He asked, gesturing towards his mother.
"I don't want to give you any trouble. You've been very helpful." I said meekly, giving him a shy smile.
"It's no trouble, especially since this is all my fault to begin with. Let's go." Kael took my hand and led me outside. I guided him to my house and he got out of the car before me, taking my hand and leading me to my door. He looked up at the dark-tiled roof, the brick walls, and the neat little windows and then turned his attention to me. He hadn't released my hand, and the heat radiating from the places our skin touched was getting to me. He took a step forward – his face was close enough for me to feel his breath on my cheek.
"Hey, Lily… do we… know each other somehow?" Kael looked into my face, his expression serious, "I feel like… I know you. Like I've seen you before." I didn't really know what to say. I couldn't tell him I didn't feel the same way, because I did. I turned away, slipping my hand from his grasp.
"I had a dog once named Kael," I said, my voice soft, "He died three months ago. April 4th. Around five thirty, maybe." I sighed, looking up at the dark sky.
"I did, too." I started, turning. Kael held out his arm to me, his right one. I looked down and gasped. A long scar ran across the skin, from his wrist to his elbow. I remembered my dog's body, the long cut on his leg. His right foreleg.
"But, what…?" I looked up into his face, confused.
"I was certifiably dead for ten minutes. A car accident. The paramedics brought me back. But nothing was really the same after that. I couldn't remember a lot about the old me. Everyone says I've changed. Plus, there's this." He gestured to his face. I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"After the accident I had this black color in my eye that wasn't there before. I don't really know where it came from, and neither do the doctors. But I figure it's sort of unique."
"Kael…" I murmured, my eyes wide.
"And there's another thing…" Kael took my hands in his, bringing them close to his face. I held my breath, seeing the expression and suddenly remembering how he'd looked the last day I'd seen him.
"My dream. She's always standing in the doorway, always saying 'if you were a human, you'd be my soul mate'." I gasped, staring up at him with wide eyes. He smiled at me hopefully.
"I've come back, Lily. I'm not sure from where, but we know each other. I may not remember, but it's true, right?" I looked up into his eyes, speechless, wondering if this were really possible. Then, with a strangled sob, I threw my arms around his neck. He buried his face in my shoulder, wrapping his arms around me tightly.
"I'm back, Lily. I'm back." He soothed. I tried to speak, tried to say all the things I had wanted to tell him since he left me. But they wouldn't come, the tears choked me. Finally, I sighed, releasing the tension in my body and just trusting this chance fate had given us.
"I missed you."
Kael looked up at me with big, bright eyes, licking my fingers as I prepared to head out for school.
"I'll miss you, too, buddy. Love you lots," I said, leaning over and kissing my dog's wet nose. I stroked his soft, golden ears thoughtfully, thinking. He looked up at me curiously, his head tilted and his ears perked. The expression on his face was a question.
"I got a boyfriend yesterday," I muttered a last, patting his neck gently, leaving one hand tangled in his long, soft fur, "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just needed to think about it, you know?" Kael blinked at me, as if telling me that yes; he did know.
"Well. I don't know how things will be from now on. I'm not used to having someone to talk to other than you, buddy boy." I smiled and kissed Kael's cool wet nose. He wagged his tail and barked happily.
"I'll see you after school." I said, stroking his floppy ears before turning to leave. I heard a whimper behind me. Kael's eyes were big and filled with a pleading expression.
"I'll be back, bud. Don't worry, no boy could replace you. If you were a human, you'd be my soul mate." I laughed, then turned and walked out the front door. I had no clue then that it was the last moment I would spend with my best friend.
The memories were fresh and painful, as if I had seen them pass but a moment ago. My feet ceased moving as my hands fell to my sides, fists clenched. Why had I been so stupid? I lowered my head, remembering well the events that led to losing Kael.
"Hey, Lily!" I turned and glanced at my boyfriend, Justin. Justin's eyes sparkled as he caught up to me, grabbing my hand. I was still unused to all the attention, and I'd rather he just give me a little space for once.
"What's up, Justin?" I smiled.
"You don't have soccer after school, right? Want to go out to eat?" He asked hopefully.
"Well… Kael will be worried if I don't come home, so…"
"Don't worry! We'll be home by five," Justin assured me. I nodded, giving in. Having lunch with my boyfriend was better than going home and watching TV. We went out to Justin's favorite fast food place, Dairy Queen. I didn't mind that it wasn't a very fancy outing. I was just glad to be spending time with my boyfriend. We talked for what seemed like minutes. One thing that had attracted me to Justin was the fact that we could talk about anything. The next thing I knew, it was already past five o'clock. Justin wasn't worried, but I was. Kael always became really agitated when I didn't come home in time. We got into Justin's car, and I tried not to pester him about getting me home quickly. As we neared my street, I looked out the window and saw something lying in the road, close to my grey-sided house. My eyes widened and my mouth gaped open in horror as I screamed, causing Justin to slam onto the breaks. I flung the car door open, throwing my seatbelt off in a panic. I ran outside, the sobs already wrenching from my chest.
"Kael! Kael!"
It had taken me a long time to get over losing Kael. After my parents' divorce, he'd been the only one I could talk to, really. I had no siblings, and I didn't want to burden my friends. So I'd confided my feelings in Kael, and he'd always acted as though he knew what I was talking about. His weird blue eyes with the little black sliver in the left one would stare up at me with a look of complete understanding. Seeing them turned to the sky, lifeless, empty… it had broken my heart. It was probably stupid to break up with Justin over it, but I didn't need his comfort, and he wouldn't give me time to grieve. He never understood. The one thing I'd loved about him, how we could talk about anything, was taken away when Kael died. I couldn't talk to him about that. He just couldn't comprehend what my best friend had meant to me. Maybe it was best that way. Maybe I would've only gotten hurt if I'd stayed with him any longer. Either way, he wasn't "the one" or anything. Life would move on for everyone. Except Kael.
"Hey, wait!" I turned at the sound of a voice close by, my eyes widening. Something grey was leaping at me, and in an instant it had slammed into my leg, throwing me off balance. Just as I was about to right myself, something large and solid rammed into my side. I fell over, gasping as a painful shock ran up my arm. Crap. I thought, wincing. I looked up into a mess of gold, feeling my mind wandering to when Kael and I would play together. He'd wrestle with me and lick my face, and my vision would always be filled with the soft gold color of his fur, almost like it was now. Suddenly the person that had fallen on me pushed himself off of me, leaving me breathless.
"Oh man, are you okay?" I looked up at the person, whose face was maybe five inches from mine as he leaned over me. He was a tall, sort of lanky guy, with pale skin, a slightly arched nose, and shaggy blonde hair that seemed to sweep across his forehead, partially hiding his eyes from me. But as I looked up into his face, I was startled to see that those eyes were a soft, familiar blue, with a black streak running through his left pupil.
"Kael?" I asked weakly, forgetting the pain in my arm for a moment. I tried to fight the sting of tears when I looked into those big eyes. The boy blinked, and the magic was gone.
"Um, yeah. Have we met?" He looked at me thoughtfully, as if trying to decide whether he actually knew me or not. I shook my head.
"Never mind. I-" My voice caught in my throat and I winced in pain as I tried to sit up.
"Aw, geez. I think your arm is broken. It's hanging sort of weird…" Kael said, frowning in concern. I tried to tell him it was fine, but he'd already flipped out his phone. With lightning speed he pressed a couple buttons then held the cell up to his ear. "Yeah, hey, mom. Could you come pick me up? I'm by the old baseball diamonds. No, no. I ran into a girl and I think she might've broken her arm. Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Bye." He hung up and then turned to look at me.
"Thanks." I said feebly in response to his worried expression.
"It's my fault, so don't worry about it. I was so intent on catching that rascal I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Kael placed his hands on his hips comically, fixing the grey blob that had unbalanced me with a stern glare. I turned and saw that it was a small creature, like an oversized mouse bred with a squirrel or something.
"A chinchilla," I said, startled.
"Her name's Jeanie. She's a little devil sometimes." He sighed, shaking his head, "Can't catch her once she's got her mind set on escape. Look, I'm seriously sorry. I'll pay for all the medical bills if it's really broken." He looked really flustered. Somehow I was reminded of Kael when I'd come home a little late. He'd be scampering about, his big eyes looking at me and asking where did you go?
"My mom should be here in a few minutes. Can you hold tight until then, Lily?" He asked, brushing a lock of my hair out of my eyes and back behind my ear. I looked up at him, shocked.
"How did you know my name?" I asked. He frowned.
"Oh. Uh, I'm not really sure. I'm right, though? It's Lily?" He looked at me with those big eyes, that earnest expression, and I tried so desperately not to think of my best friend, but the human Kael before me was so much like the dog Kael had been, and I couldn't really even guess why.
"Yeah," I said at last, my voice quiet, "I'm Lily." A car pulled up nearby and a heavyset but pretty woman leapt out, rushing towards us.
"I told you that running about in the park with that pest of yours would end badly, Kael! Can't you listen? Ah, Larry!" I looked up at Kael, frowning. Larry?
"She tries not to cuss," he said in response to the question in my eyes.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Kael's mother, I assumed, leaned over and held out her hand. I took it gratefully and the woman helped me to my feet. Kael stood, as well, and touched my shoulder with a hand in a comforting sort of gesture. When I felt his touch, I was shocked by how warm his hand was; it was warm and soft, like velvet. He smiled at me with the sort of open expression you didn't seen often. Mrs. Boone introduced herself, insisting that I call her Emily. Kael helped me into the car, and together we drove to the hospital, Jeanie taking her place on Kael's lap.
"She's such an odd little thing," I commented, watching how she curled up and closed her eyes, her ear flicking in response to my voice. Kael stroked her back, smiling.
"Yeah. She used to belong to my uncle, until he… passed on. No one wanted to take her so I volunteered."
"She seems grateful." I watched how Jeanie slept with her face tucked into her paws, and was sure my words were accurate. She seemed so relaxed, it was hard to imagine otherwise. Kael smiled at me, and I was surprised to feel my heart beating like a little fist, pumping against my chest as I took in the bright face of the boy beside me.
"She is, I'd bet." The rest of the ride passed mostly in conversation with Mrs. Boone – or Emily, as I kept reminding myself to call her. Kael's mom was pretty fun, and her jargon successfully distracted me from the pain of my injured arm. When we arrived at the hospital, I was taken into a room and examined. The arm wasn't broken badly, but I still needed a cast. I looked down at the rugged purple bandaging and sighed. This would put a damper on my summer for a while. I made my way out into the waiting area, wondering how I was going to get home.
"Can I be the first to sign it?" Kael surprised me. I thought he'd have gone home or something while I was getting examined, so I hadn't expected to find him waiting in the lobby.
"Yeah." Mrs. Boone was sitting beside him. She held up a permanent marker with a slight smile on her face. Kael walked up to me and wrote his name in long, scratchy writing.
"You want a ride home?" He asked, gesturing towards his mother.
"I don't want to give you any trouble. You've been very helpful." I said meekly, giving him a shy smile.
"It's no trouble, especially since this is all my fault to begin with. Let's go." Kael took my hand and led me outside. I guided him to my house and he got out of the car before me, taking my hand and leading me to my door. He looked up at the dark-tiled roof, the brick walls, and the neat little windows and then turned his attention to me. He hadn't released my hand, and the heat radiating from the places our skin touched was getting to me. He took a step forward – his face was close enough for me to feel his breath on my cheek.
"Hey, Lily… do we… know each other somehow?" Kael looked into my face, his expression serious, "I feel like… I know you. Like I've seen you before." I didn't really know what to say. I couldn't tell him I didn't feel the same way, because I did. I turned away, slipping my hand from his grasp.
"I had a dog once named Kael," I said, my voice soft, "He died three months ago. April 4th. Around five thirty, maybe." I sighed, looking up at the dark sky.
"I did, too." I started, turning. Kael held out his arm to me, his right one. I looked down and gasped. A long scar ran across the skin, from his wrist to his elbow. I remembered my dog's body, the long cut on his leg. His right foreleg.
"But, what…?" I looked up into his face, confused.
"I was certifiably dead for ten minutes. A car accident. The paramedics brought me back. But nothing was really the same after that. I couldn't remember a lot about the old me. Everyone says I've changed. Plus, there's this." He gestured to his face. I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"After the accident I had this black color in my eye that wasn't there before. I don't really know where it came from, and neither do the doctors. But I figure it's sort of unique."
"Kael…" I murmured, my eyes wide.
"And there's another thing…" Kael took my hands in his, bringing them close to his face. I held my breath, seeing the expression and suddenly remembering how he'd looked the last day I'd seen him.
"My dream. She's always standing in the doorway, always saying 'if you were a human, you'd be my soul mate'." I gasped, staring up at him with wide eyes. He smiled at me hopefully.
"I've come back, Lily. I'm not sure from where, but we know each other. I may not remember, but it's true, right?" I looked up into his eyes, speechless, wondering if this were really possible. Then, with a strangled sob, I threw my arms around his neck. He buried his face in my shoulder, wrapping his arms around me tightly.
"I'm back, Lily. I'm back." He soothed. I tried to speak, tried to say all the things I had wanted to tell him since he left me. But they wouldn't come, the tears choked me. Finally, I sighed, releasing the tension in my body and just trusting this chance fate had given us.
"I missed you."
