The tears fell down her cheek like sliding diamonds, and the wind blew goosebumps onto her forearms. It was startlingly quiet; so quiet the echoes of the silence made music in your ears.
He sat in a crowd of people, glancing up anxiously ever so often, every muscle in his body longing to stand up and walk away. A girl raised her eyebrow at him, but he made no eye contact with her, moving closer to the fire and staring at the ground.
She was barefoot, and the sharp rocks cut her feet as she walked, leaving a trail of bloodspots behind her. The air was freezing, and her teeth chattered as she wrapped her arms around herself.
He pushed up from the ground and turned from them, walking towards the magnetic force which pulled him from this spot. Away from the fire, it was devastatingly cold, and a shiver ran up his spine as he zipped his jacket and folded his arms against his chest.
She tripped over a thick tree root and fell to ground, the rocks cutting her knees. Blood got on her dress, and she pressed it against the scratches before standing up and walking again.
He walked without thinking, as if someone was calling his name and he was moving toward them. His shoes crunched on the small rocks and he heard the sound of the creek rushing in the distance.
She pressed ever forward, breathing deeply through her nose; her tears making the breaths shaky. Her feet stung from the cuts and she could feel sand implanting itself into them.
It was beginning to get dark, and he felt that he should probably turn back, but somehow, he couldn't. Something kept him moving forward, though he had no idea where he was going.
She heard footsteps in the distance, finally, making their way towards her, and she clasped a hand over her mouth and cried out quietly, joyfully, her tears flowing more freely; now tears of exultation.
He heard something like a voice up ahead of him, a quiet, gleeful noise, and his heart began to inexplicably pound in his chest.
She removed her hand from her mouth and broke into a run.
He heard footsteps in front of him, and something made him run.
She saw his shadow before his body.
She was beautiful and bloody, a white dress lapping at her knees.
She fell to her knees in front of him and reached for his hands.
He collapsed to his knees and felt his fingers intertwine with hers.
She leaned into his chest and let out a sigh of relief. "I missed you," she sighed.
He put his hand on her hair and rested his cheek on her head, closing his eyes. He did not recognize this girl, but there was something familiar in her touch.
"I missed you, too," he whispered, with confusion and relief in his voice.
© 2011
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