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Summer Romance [self]

Postby crow » 06/18/2016 5:18 AM

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The evening was just starting to grow cool in the woods around the old church. "Aren't we a bit too old for this?" Tanner complained, trudging a few steps behind. His sneakers crunched through the dried leaves and twigs, and he flinched at a cloud of mosquitoes clustered under the trees in the path.

"My mentor says age is a state of mind," said Melody blithely, forging on ahead. She was carrying a small backpack, the jars inside clinking against one another with each step. It was a good thing noise wouldn't bother their quarry, or they would never have gotten anywhere close.
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Re: Summer Romance [self]

Postby crow » 06/25/2016 5:48 AM

Tanner's expression soured at that, and he grumbled something under his breath, which Melody just as blithely ignored. She jumped onto a fallen log, wheeling around to face him. "Come on! We're going to miss them!" she said.

Tanner rolled his eyes, but as soon as she turned back around, he broke into a small, indulgent smile. "Yeah, yeah," he said, still feigning exasperation. He crossed the log with long brisk strides, drawing up next to her. "You know fireflies will stay around for hours, right?"
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Re: Summer Romance [self]

Postby crow » 06/30/2016 11:24 AM

"That's just what you think," she replied. At this, Tanner bristled anew, quickening his pace to overtake her, scowling.

"Hey, who's the human here, Miss I-Don't-Have-Any-Memories?" he said. He might have said something more, if he didn't trip over a branch on the log and fall backwards, landing sprawled in the leaf litter. Melody broke into a laugh and Tanner sighed again, glaring off to the side. "Yeah, yeah, get it out of your system," he muttered.
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Re: Summer Romance [self]

Postby crow » 06/30/2016 8:09 PM

He was a little surprised to see her reaching a hand out to him. He stared at it for a moment, and Melody became hesitant, pulling back slightly as if she meant to retract it. He grabbed it before she could, and let go just as quickly when he regained his footing, brushing himself off as nonchalantly as he could. "Where'd you say these fireflies were anyway?"

"Just past the creek. The corner store owner said there's a clearing, and they all come out when the sun goes down," she said. He snuck a glance at her, but she was staring off in the direction of the church, lost in thought.
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Re: Summer Romance [self]

Postby crow » 06/30/2016 8:43 PM

He straightened, and watched her a moment longer. Words crowded around in his head, dancing at the tip of his tongue; he wanted to break the silence, say something. It was ridiculous, he knew it was, but she looked like something... else standing there in the fading light of the day, her eyes distant and her face full of shadows. Like she was some strange unreachable thing, and any moment now she would vanish, and leave him behind. He wanted to say something, to break whatever strange spell had been cast.

But he couldn't find it in him to speak, and in the end it was Melody who broke the silence. "Let's go," she said, more softly this time.
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Re: Summer Romance [self]

Postby crow » 06/30/2016 9:47 PM

The sun had already vanished behind the trees by the time they arrived at the creek, and the darkness was setting in. The bugs were setting in too, this close to water. The clouds of mosquitoes had the benefit of breaking the strange mood that had fallen upon them, sending them both running and yelling and ruining any sense of decorum. Thankfully, they abated when the two reached the clearing, and Melody doubled over slightly, breathing hard. "You know, I think I miss not having to run anywhere," she said, between breaths. "And not being bitten by bugs."

"Don't complain," Tanner shot back. "You're the one who wanted to come out here in the first place."
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Re: Summer Romance [self]

Postby crow » 06/30/2016 11:03 PM

The clearing was still empty, or maybe it just wasn't dark enough yet to see anything worth seeing. Tanner wandered around the perimeter of the clearing, kicking at shrubs. Melody stayed on the edge closest to the creek, catching her breath and listening to the sound of crickets, already starting their nightly chorus.

She found a rock to perch on, and sat there with her eyes closed, listening to the song. Something about all this felt terribly familiar, but she was afraid now of pursuing that thought, picking at the thread that it offered. She remembered what her mentor said about the fragility of a reaper's forgetting.
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Re: Summer Romance [self]

Postby crow » 06/30/2016 11:07 PM

She wasn't supposed to remember anything until much later, when the distance would have been enough, and she would have learned enough not to want to go back. That was what he had said. The idea of having been human once--- having been human at all--- still felt alien, but it was beginning to feel less so every day. It was the body, she hoped.

What was so terrible that it had to be sealed away? Not this, surely. The descending summer night was cool against her skin, and there was nothing to be heard but the sounds of Tanner moving through the brush, and insects.
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Re: Summer Romance [self]

Postby crow » 06/30/2016 11:11 PM

Ever so faintly, she felt something settle on her skin, and opened her eyes to find a tiny pinprick of light on her arm. "Oh," she said softly. She didn't quite dare to move. Glancing up, she could see other fireflies drifting in the air, flashing and bobbing like something out of a dream.

Tanner, who had made his way back to her side, jerked his head at her firefly. "Aren't you going to catch it?" he asked. He was holding up one of the jars that he had brought, but Melody shook her head.

"I was going to, but they look so peaceful now. Let's just watch them," she said.
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Re: Summer Romance [self]

Postby crow » 06/30/2016 11:18 PM

"Alright, your call," he said, taking a seat beside her on the rock. Almost without thinking, she edged closer and rested her head against his shoulder. She could feel him tense, but she only closed her eyes again and waited for him to relax.

He was alive, she thought. His page in her tome had gone dull, and then blank. And he was going to be alive in three months, when she...

"Do you wanna take a selfie?" she said.

"What?"

"A picture. To commemorate, um... The first day of summer vacation. I want to remember this." She was already fumbling in her pocket for her phone, pulling up the camera application.

"You make it sound like you're going away," he said. "And you've only been in school for... what, two weeks?" But he edged closer and smiled impishly as soon as she held up her phone, and she pressed down on the button. Click.
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