User blog:Chimpurin/Fragment of Memories - Chapter Nine

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Summer was always being many people's least favorite season, they hated the heat haze and they could barely do anything under the sun without get drenched in sweat, or get their skin burnt. However, there was at least two or three people who loved summer.

One of them was Ann. Her hair had grown past her shoulders, and she was no longer the girl who cried, she was an independent, strong, and mature woman. Her dream to became a doctor would soon be reached, as the very next year, she was among the few people who finished their education in less than four years.

"Mother and father will be very proud of me, right?" She mumbled to herself, flipping the medical book she was currently reading.

That was when the breeze blew, she closed her eyes and enjoyed it. At this moment, her heart was at ease, however, her eyes suddenly widen when she saw a figure standing in front of her.

The said figure was a boy around fifteen years old, and his face looked oh so familiar to Ann. He had wavy black hair which bangs framed his face, and bright emerald green eyes. A gentle smile spread across his face.

The figure wore a long sleeved white dress shirt which sleeves were rolled up just below his elbows, a neatly tied black tie, suspenders on his shoulders, three quarter black pants, short white socks, and black shoes. Bandages covered the boy's right eye and left cheek, he hid his hands behind his back.

"S- Samuel..." Only those words that came out of Ann's trembling lips. She couldn't believe that her best friend who was transferred school came back to her, still looked the same like when she last saw him; hadn't aged even for a single bit.

"It's been a while, isn't it, Ann?" He closed his eyes, smiling towards her.

"Yeah it is, Samuel. Why did you came back after you left me without any words?" She asked the boy in front of her, clenching her fist and gritted her teeth. Her anger towards him hadn't fade away despite the three years gap.

"I just want to talk with you, no, it's more like telling you something very important," he replied with a smile.

"There's nothing to talk with you again, not anymore! Don't think I'm someone who you can ditch when you don't need me anymore!"

Samuel didn't respond to her, he only walked closer to her with the smile still on his face.

"What do you think... About the reasoning of my disappearance?" Samuel asked her with a serene tone. The sudden question of the boy made Ann jolted, chill sent down her spine.

"Disappearance? Weren't you transferred school before your sixteenth birthday?" She was confused by the question he asked.

"The sudden transfer was only a cover to conceal the truth behind my disappearance, Ann. In reality, I went missing due to some circumstances, even my family wasn't able to tell you why," he clutched his wrist tightly, his emerald eyes lost the warm shimmer he had.

"So... Everything was a lie?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"In a nutshell, yes. But I think my father and mother have a good reason to hide the truth from you. They knew I've been the victim, and they don't want the same thing happened to you," he stated, letting out a sigh.

<p class="MsoNormal">"From your condition, I can tell that you're okay despite you live all by yourself. I'm happy for that, even though I know that you really hate me now." Ann was silenced by what he said, but soon her body was shaking and tears fell into the ground.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes, I- I do hate you for leaving me. But I have to admit it, there isn't any single day I don't think about you. To make sure I don't lose face in front of everyone, I have to say a lot of lies that don't come from my heart. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," a soft sob escaped from her lips.

<p class="MsoNormal">Ann was surprised when she felt Samuel's arms around her. Closing his eyes, he embraced the woman and knelt in front of her, allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I don't blame you for resenting me, Ann. I should be the one who was blamed for breaking our promise. I promised that I won't leave you, but I left you all alone. It must be hurt, right?" He mumbled, rubbing her back with his hand. She kept on crying until she eventually calmed down.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I should be the one who apologized for making you cry like this."

<p class="MsoNormal">"You don't need to apologize. Being able to see you again is enough to make me feel relieved," she said, wiping her tears away. A smile could be seen on both of their face.

<p class="MsoNormal">The same breeze passed by again, and they separated from the embrace. However, something that she saw from the boy made her eyes widen.

<p class="MsoNormal">Samuel's body gradually started to fade away.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Why?! I didn't even do anything to you!" She yelled. The raven haired boy only let out a chuckle.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I guess this is time to say goodbye..." He stated with a shaky voice.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I'd love to talk with you more, I'd love to spend more time together with you. If only I could reverse time, I wouldn't have to see that it'll end like this, right? I wouldn't ended up being missing and you being lonely."

<p class="MsoNormal">She nodded her head, tears kept flowing down from her eyes. It was true that she hated him for leaving her, but after he told her the truth, all of her anger were thrown away. She reached her arm to him, too bad that when she caught his hand, it grew more transparent.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Don't leave me, Samuel. Please," she cried.

<p class="MsoNormal">"It was hard for me to not leaving you like this. I don't want to leave you, but my time is up now. I'm sorry Ann," he answered to her, wiping away her tears with his still visible hand.

<p class="MsoNormal">With every ounces of strength his body had left, Samuel held her close. He leaned in and kiss the periwinkle haired woman's forehead.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Goodbye, Ann. May you be smiled upon."

<p class="MsoNormal">The black haired boy then stepped back from Ann, and she could only watch as Samuel disappear into nothing. But before he faded away for good, he whispered something to her, something that she couldn't hear. Tears rolled from his emerald eyes, and she understood what he was saying to her. It made her smile.

<p class="MsoNormal">''"I'll always be your friend. I'll always have my eye on you." ''

<p class="MsoNormal">When she opened her eyes, she spotted a man sitting by her side. The man had silver hair that was combed neatly, and blue eyes that shone brightly like topaz stone. He had glasses with thin gold frame on his face.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I'm so glad that you have awaken, Ann," he breathed a sigh of relief.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Where am I, Nathaniel? What in the world is happening?" She asked the silver haired man.

<p class="MsoNormal">"At the university's infirmary, you suddenly fainted this afternoon. Not to mention, you were sleep talking while the doctor took care of you, were you having a sort of nightmare?" Nathaniel answered her. Hearing his question, she gave him a reassuring smile.

<p class="MsoNormal">"No, it wasn't. I met someone else that I miss so much, he was a childhood friend of mine. He went missing before his sixteenth birthday, however." She replied, her face showed a mixture of sadness and guilt even with the smile on her face.

<p class="MsoNormal">"That's very unfortunate of him, honestly. Have you found him?" Ann only shook her head towards him.

<p class="MsoNormal">"But I believe that someday we'll meet each other again, I am sure of it," she said.

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<p class="MsoNormal">End of Chapter Nine

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