Part 1: Do you see the light around me?
Spring meant streets paved with wind-swept marigold petals, trampled by bare-footed children all eager to be free from the house arrest of winter.
They're trailed by exasperated parents, constantly being called upon by street vendors making the most of the season.
Many prefer being outside but safely within their gardens to avoid the sudden sensory overload after the muteness of winter.
Others thrived in the chaos.
She walked in step with the children. She's learned that, somehow, the best way to avoid getting tackled is to skip and bumble around as they do. He, on the other hand, walked slowly, almost slithering amongst the kids playing tag and avoided stray marbles and beads.
She turned left to exit that street as he turned right to enter it. A mere brush of elbows, barely even a collision, yet everything changed at that street corner.
Gravity fumbled, sound wavered, light shifted. The wind carried a hint of rosemary. She froze. Salt water breezed past him. He froze.
She recovered faster, turning her head to see a broad back clad in light blue, and wind-tousled black hair. He seemed to still be frozen. She could've disappeared into the crowd and never matched a face to that scent. She could've gone about her business, easily forgetting about whatever the hell this is. But she could not seem to move, not until he noticed her too.
This was so jarringly unlike her.
His senses came back to him slowly, vision hazy, almost blinded by that sudden whiff of salt water. He's never been to the sea, but he knew that scent, as though he'd wrestled with sea storms his whole life.
He turned his head, desperate to find the source and locked eyes with a dark-skinned, freckled angel. His eyes are golden brown, so steadily focused on her bottomless black pools.
Her breath hitched at his attention. The busy street grew quiet, people bumped into them but went unnoticed.
He looked from the top of her neat, coily hair puff, to her dotted nose, her pale pink lips open in a gasp, all the way down to the wiggling toes of her bare feet, peeking out of the long red sundress she wore. The journey his eyes took was a short one, she is a small thing, perfectly small, perfectly shaped, perfectly just perfect.
She revelled in his blatant ogling, the sun feeling like a spotlight. All her focus was on his face. Almond-shaped, honey-coloured eyes that were quickly overtaken by dilating pupils. Thick eyebrows almost hidden by thick, wavy hair. Full lips in a firm line, sharp jaw locked in determination.
Again, she recovered first, and this time, she took her chance to escape. She offered a thin-lipped smile and continued skipping away even though her body rebelled against it. Not aware of the whys or whats of her actions, she swiftly unclasped the thin beaded necklace she had on and dropped it where she stood before leaving. That placated her rebelling body some.
The whole time, he did not blink, couldn't, until that small smile turned into a quickly retreating back. He snapped out of whatever the hell that was and moved to follow her but in her perfect smallness, and surprising quickness, she disappeared into the crowd of people.
He inched forward, nose in the air, hoping to find her by scent instead. He found the beaded necklace on the ground. It was a simple chain of grey, white and purple beads in a repeating pattern. It smelled so doused in sea water that it shouldn't have even felt dry.
His angel was a sly one. She alluded him today but he would find her. He wore the necklace around his neck and tucked it under his shirt.
He would absolutely find her.
{AN: This is my first time posting something I've written. It's actually quite fun. Constructive criticism is definitely appreciated but be nice please, I'm just a girl.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy it!}
Playlist for anyone interested
The Light I See - Watever Bipeur
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4cy6iwdBBpsB72LlNTzYJH?si=QWjKMvdbTnyL2O06rOjyeA&pi=9dz7J7NOSs-vC
