Do we have only one the only and the one? What to do if you lose one? Short story where no one call tell where my real life ends and storytelling begins.
Enjoy the short story and leave your comments below.
Part 1
Mirra was walking downhill from her house to the city centre as fast as she could. She spent too much time trying to make her hair look pretty and ironing her favourite green dress, and now she was late. Late to find him.
— — —
Mirra and Arthur agreed to meet at this spot a year ago.
A year ago they were both different people, scared of fate, fighting destiny, refusing to accept the great order of things. Running away was their way to show objection, to show own will.
” This is real magic, I believe you, but it’s too much, it can’t be true. I have to run away from here. ” , – said Arthur one day.
From here.. and from you , – Mirra read in his mind the ending of the sentence.
” We still have one month ” , – mumbled Arthur thoughtfully. Will she accept this?
” One month.. ” , – she pretended to look like she expected him to say this. – ” That’s more than some people get in their whole life. Let’s have this month. “
I’ll run from you too and I’ll run farther away than you, – Mirra thought to herself.
Running away was objection, gesture of willpower… and their favourite competition. Who would hurt whom more. Let the games begin.
But there’s still no game for another month. And this is where they lost. Lost and won by signing the contract to meet in one year.
— — —
” What are you going to do first when you run away ? ” – asked Mirra standing hugged in his arms.
They were standing naked on a balcony, embraced, looking and the full moon and letting their bodies cool down and hearts stop racing.
” Hmm, ” – Mirra felt Arthur hug her ever so slightly stronger, but he said smirking – ” Do my very best to find somebody like you “
” You know you won’t ” – smirked Mirra back with unbendable confidence.
” Won’t stop me from trying, honey ” – Arthur kissed her gently on the neck right under the ear. – ” I hope you understand.. “
” Of course, I will do the same ” – replied Mirra lightly as if they were discussing weather. – ” But I can’t promise I won’t curse you on the way out, so that you WILL find somebody very much like me so that if would make you hurt even more and you’d never be happy with her because of the memory of me “
” You say it like you thought it through ” – Arthur tried to keep it cool, but couldn’t suppress his unsettling emotions entirely.
” I didn’t, I just read now what will happen ” – Mirra seemed surprised herself. – ” Don’t ask me again, I don’t know where it comes from. “
” I keep wondering if you’re a real witch or just really good at pretending to be one ” – last thing Arthur commented before she kissed him again.
There will be time to deal with practical witch’s curse.. but for now it’s time to be with her. Mirra’s skin looked silky in the moonlight. Arthur thought she’d be much happier to be dancing now naked in the forest with her lot, chanting spells and picking up fern to put it in their hair. Swirling and giggling under the moon’s kisses and not his. But she chose his kisses.
— — —
Mirra and Arthur were sitting in their favourite coffee place. There was still one week still he was running away.
” I leave one week after you ” – Mirra said suddenly.
” What? What do you mean? ” – Arthur said shocked. He was winning all this time. He’s running away and leaving her here.
” I leave one week after you ” – Mirra said, tasting satisfaction in the air. She stroke him when he thought victory was so close.
” But.. what? where? ” – Arthur was still trying to cope with the new information.
” Twice farther than you “, – oh so smitten she was. – ” I checked to be sure ” – Mirra added almost purring from happiness.
They were still competing. Have you ever trying competing when you’re both on the same team? Doesn’t result in anything good.
Mirra and Arthur were to meet exactly a year from now in a place neither of them has ever been.
— — —
She was walking really fast, as fast as you can walk without leaping to a run. Mirra’s green dress wouldn’t stay in place because of the wind and she was worried she won’t look as good as she wanted. And she wanted to look best – after all they haven’t seen each other for a whole year – and he was traveling all the way to see her.
What to say first? – Mirra thought frantically.
One more turn and in the next street she will see him.
The square of the small city was empty. Like some movie crew shot it down for filming. Arthur was standing in the middle of the square close to the biggest tree in town. There was no one else at all. It looked like Arthur just teleported here and murdered all the villagers so that they won’t interrupt.
So that they won’t interrupt a smashing hug Mirra and Arthur created when they run at each other, meeting in the middle of the square.
Arthur lifted Mirra up in the air still pressing her to himself. No amount of traveling could take these powers away from him. He waited one year and some never ending hours of the road to hug her. He will do it right this time.
— — —
” How long will you be visiting? ” – asked Mirra when they came to her house.
Visiting.. That’s not exactly what I’m doing here – thought Arthur slightly irritated. ” One day and one night ” – he replied outloud.
” First one month, now one day – your deadlines are getting tougher and tougher”, laughed Mirra.
Of course they would have to speak tomorrow, but for now Arthur need to rest.
They couldn’t say goodbye even for few hours. Not now. It was embarrassing but none of them could take the charge to cut another one off. So they pretended to fall asleep on the couch while watching a movie.
Mirra was sitting and Arthur was lying down with his head on Mirra’s knees. Arthur was pretending to sleep and not to notice how Mirra was stroking gently his hair. Mirra in her turn was pretending not to see his light smile whenever she touched his hair to stroke it.
Part 2
Next morning Mirra prepared some lunch to go and some fresh coffee. She and Arthur decided to have meal and talk in the bright sunny day out. Close to Mirra’s house there was a meadow perfect for picnics. Mirra new they would need to talk seriously. It’s such a cliches, but why the most important and devastating talks happen on bright sunny day, like the world wants to highlight ” yeah, I really don’t care “.
— — —
— You know, you were right.
— I generally am. What are you talking about exactly?
— About the curse. You were right. I met her.
— I’m sorry.
— No, you’re not.
— Well, a little bit still. I think now it might have been too mean, but I had no control.
— I know. But I needed it. You know why?
— Yes, Arthur. Because you’re a dirty cheater.
— I’m no cheater!
— I don’t mean directly. You’re esoterical cheater.
— What the hell is that supposed to mean?
— You think you can replace universes. You meet only a handful of people in your life that are real universes inside and moreover – they complete yours. And when you’re too scared to accept one of them, you try to cheat – find similar universes, almost identical, but they’re nothing but a deviation of the one where you wanted and lingered to live in.
— But I chose you. I’m here now.
— It doesn’t matter anymore.
— Why?
— We both refused. We found each other and fought to prove we’re strong enough on our own.
— I must say we kind of failed.
— Speak for yourself, cheater. It wasn’t me who tried to find a deviation. I want the real thing, as it was, with all perks and drawbacks.
— Want?
— I meant wanted.
They set in silence for a while.
— I think we should use the word want, – Arthur interrupted silence.
— You sure?
— Well, I am. But I might need a microscope or a telescope – whichever one they use to study universes closely. And maybe there’re some special tools to take of them or fix when needed…
— You know what happens when universes collide, right? – Mirra tried to ease the tension.
— It means we did something great and it’s time to die, hon. If we’re lucky enough – together, while watching the beautiful explosion.
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