We Found Each Other

'Incredibly Beautiful'

A memory of middle school flashed through my mind, when I came home sobbing from a school picnic; because of bullies. Being too scared to even consider riding on a rollercoaster made me a target of the snickers.

Dad couldn't see me crying and took me to an amusement park. In the short queue of the rollercoaster ride; we were standing, I fathomed the reason that we were even here while nervousness made my stomach lurch.

"Dad, I can't- I can't." I tried to free my hand from his grasp as we were about to sit on the rollercoaster. "Listen to me, Lin, calm down," he hushed me.

"Do you trust your dad?"

"I trust you, dad," I mumbled.

"Then hold on to my hand and jump in, don't let your fears decide what you can do."

Despite being reluctant, I was unable to let him down so I hopped in. I clenched his hand and sleeves, squeezing my eyes shut as my gut twisted and made me nauseous.

I was tightly strapped into my seat but it wasn't enough reassurance. A bell echoed and the cart started racing to an awfully high point. I clutched his shirt more tightly.

"See, it's not that scary, let yourself loose and enjoy," Dad yelled as it was hard to hear him with all of that screams and the gusting wind. "Try to open your eyes, Lin!"

I squinted open my eyes, only to find that we were probably at the most elevated point at the moment. As we plunged to an invigorating dive, I let my fear subside and felt the butterflies instead of knots in my stomach.

I understood what Dad implied, I had decided by myself that I couldn't ride on this rollercoaster when I had never even experienced it before. I enjoyed the remainder of the ride with my hands in the air, screaming my lungs out and laughing with Dad.

"How do you feel, does it still scare you?" He asked when we rested on a bench.

Truth to be told, my head was still dizzy as I glanced at the serpent-shaped rollercoaster which had petrified me a few hours ago. But was I still afraid of that exhilarating experience? No.

"No, dad, it doesn't. I didn't know it would be super awesome!" I giggled, ricocheting on my toes with excitement like I had achieved something colossal.

"So right from now on, you will never let your fear control your actions. It's simply in your head, limiting your capabilities." He advised, "Our fears always demands to be explored, if you don't face them head-on, you don't overcome them."

Never once in my life after that, did I follow his advice. After he left me, I had lost my confidence just as my will to confront my fears. Now, I preferred running away. Since it was easier and it wouldn't require the presence of anyone by my side.

However, If I wanted the answers no one but this person in front of me could provide, running away from him was not an option. At this very moment, I had one fear. Not the obstacles I might confront, instead, 'I might end up regretting the choices I make now.'

But I had to face challenges; I had to face my fear head-on this time. Feeling anxious or afraid is inevitable while making decisions that might change your life forever.

It scarcely took me a couple of seconds to remember this long-forgotten lesson and come up with my decision. I gave my hand into his, and when I did, the stone of his pendant glowed. This time, the brightest I had ever seen it glow.

"You would want to Look around!" He told me, smiling.

His voice made me realize that I had been observing his pendant for quite long. As I took my eyes off of the pendant, something more surreal awaited them. To my wonderment, we were floating in the air in an enormous bubble of violet glow.

This bubble looked so fragile yet had a sense of security that I wasn't anxious of the height anymore. The silver ocean of the tremendous wheat field was right below me and as far as my eyes moved. It was the most orphic and excellent night of my life.

"It's incredibly beautiful!" My soul was rejoicing.

"Do you know what else is incredibly beautiful?" He asked as the moonlight spilt over his head and broad shoulders, glimmering in his eyes.

'You,' I thought.

Finding my way back from the trance his smile sent me in, I managed to ask, "What?"

"Your eyes, " he said, "They are silver with a glint of green and honey freckles. Just like Enchanted Tanzanite, this pendant." He deciphered with fascination.

The stone of the pendant was still glowing, perhaps because we were still holding hands. The unusual resemblance was quite uncanny, it indeed was the shade of my eyes. And he was the first person to ever figure out the colour of my eyes.

Hopeful that the faint moonlight was not enough discern my face flushing crimson, I could meet his eyes. Yet I didn't have the foggiest idea to reply to him.

"In this new journey of yours, I can't promise that you won't meet disappointment, or mess it up once in a while. Of course, you should be ready to make mistakes because you can't prevent the inevitable." He paused for a moment to scan my face. "But one thing I can promise you, is my presence. You'll never be alone. I'll be there with you, every time." There was tenderness in his voice that comforted me.

'If I want to go down this path, I must trust his words. But why is he wasting his time on me? Why would he help me in my journey?' I wanted answers so I confide in him.

"And why would you do that?" I asked.

"Since I need you as much as you need me." He stroked my hair.

It took me a moment to register what he had just said. Then he said all the more but I didn't hear him. I was completely swayed away by his words and actions. I let my guard down too easily when I was around him.

"They will get worried if we're out for too long. We need to return," I confided.

"I'm sure they will–" He held my other hand too–"But do you really want to go?" He raised his one eyebrow, half smiling.

To be honest, I didn't. I wanted to stay in this bubble of magic. I wanted to enjoy this orphic night. However, Falling into temptations was something I couldn't afford.

"Yes, let's go back," I answered.

As he latched his gaze on mine, the bubble went down as deliberately as I wished, allowing me to absorb the sight within my soul and diffused when we reached the ground. Specks of violet glisten filled the air all around us now, and kept vanishing promptly.

"You're surprisingly calm. It's refreshing to see this kind of reaction." He drew my attention.

"What kind of reaction did you expect?"

"Nothing much, but atleast the normal ones like screaming? Calling me a Monster or something like that?"

I shook my head while sighing. "Why would I do that? It's already upsetting that being called such things is a normal and anticipated reaction for you."

He stared at me as if I did something unbelievable and then laughed. "Are you trying to comfort me right now?"

"Can't I?" I scowled. "I just said what I felt right. Now don't make me regret it by laughing on me."

He held back his laughter, pursing his lips. "My bad. Sincere apologies."

"I'd think about forgiving you later."

Again, there, the look in his eyes changed. Maybe I was imagining it, but at that time I was certain his eyes carried unprecedented warmth before he smiled looking at the ground.

With that, he moved his fingers in a mysterious manner, voilet arcs of shimmer swirled delicately from his fingertips and mingled, weaving a black hole kinda thing in front of us.

"It's the portal we came here through. I can cover your eyes again if you want," He spoke.

"I'm fine. I can go through it." I didn't know if I was speaking to him or convincing myself.

He tightened his grip around my hand, glimpsed at me and grinned as we ambled through the portal. After a quaver we were back in the vacant hallway upstairs.