Moonlight

"In a magical world, in endless possibilities, I met you"

***

One day, I was traveling alone to my hometown through a dense forest on foot, because it was not that far and if I used magic, I'll be able to reach it even quicker.

As I was on my way, I heard a noise, it was coming from the middle of the forest, when I went to check what it was, I realised it was not a noise, it was a melodious humming of a woman.

The woman was sitting on a rock, facing the lake, she was humming a beautiful melody. She was beautiful, bathed in the moonlight, she looked more beautiful than anything I have ever seen, her long silvery- white hair was moving slightly in the soft wind and her black tunic was flowing with the direction of the wind.

Even though I could not take a good look at her from afar, I could not take my eyes off of her.

As I walked towards the woman sitting beside the lake, I stole a quick glance at the lake, it was situated in the middle of the forest. The lake was beautiful, the tranquil water in the lake looked like liquid silver under the moonlight.

When I got close to her, I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could, she stopped her humming and said in a sweet voice.

"beautiful, isn't it"?

I looked at her and then looked around, then I smiled faintly and simply said.

"It is"

She slowly stood up and turned towards me. She had a slender build and a graceful figure, I couldn't see her eyes before, but now that I could, they looked like two pools of liquid silver. I could see a soft silver radiance in the depth of her eyes,her ivory skin seemed to emit a soft silver glow too. Her beautiful face was illuminated by a soft smile playing on her lips.

The words slipped out before I knew it.

"You resemble the moon"!

At that time, I did not know that she would become 'my moon'.

She would caress my cheek, the warmth of her glow still etched into my memory

She would often stare at the moon, bathing in the moonlight, she looked beautiful. She would ask me

"beautiful, isn't it'?

Still looking at her, I would say.

"It truly is...."

On the coldest of nights, she would curl up against me and ask.

"It's cold, isn't it"?

I would answer. "no, it isn't".

"Why"?

I would smile and say.

"Because my moon's with me"

Then she would giggle quietly and embrace me tighter.

She would always come at night and...disappear in daytime like she never existed.

But I knew she was real, she existed, because I could touch her, I could feel her, I knew she was somewhere within me and I knew she existed because, she was...'my moon'.

For 10 years,she stayed with me, creating a deep wound and filling it with her presence without me even realizing it until she was gone. Only the bittersweet memories of her remain, trying to heal the open wound left by her missing presence, but they could never.

The memories of her last moments with me were painful, those were the memories that felt unreal or I just...refused to believe them.

***

I was on my knees, I did not even realize I was crying while holding her in my arms.

My moon was.....disappearing, she was slowly dissolving into ethereal rays of moonlight, each one fading into nothingness. As she was disappearing, I held her tighter. Even in her last moments, she was...smiling. Then she asked me...

"Beautiful, am I not"?

I said "Yes", while crying and holding her.

Then she asked me another question.

"You love me, don't you"?

I said "yes", crying harder, I held her tighter thinking that if I held her tight enough, she would not disappear.

Then she asked, her smile turning wistful and bitter sweet.

"Live for me, will you"?

I felt an indescribable feeling grasping my heart, and yet, I said...

"yes, I will"

Then I asked...

"but you should stay for me, shouldn't you"?

She did not answer, instead she extended her hand and caressed my face, as if she was saying.

"I can't..."

She disappeared, never to appear again. Still on my knees, I watched her figure turn into ethereal rays of moonlight. Then the words escaped my mouth.

"In a magical world, in endless possibilities, I met you. You became my moon, creating a wound I did not even realize was there, which was filled with your presence. But with you gone, the wound opened and now...it bleeds endlessly. It bleeds moonlight".

Author- shivarth singh chauhan