Norah_

Beautiful when they fall but fizzle out as soon as they are caught in the palms of one's hands. As if they never existed. This very moment felt so akin, hence the irony.

I...no words in this world could describe what I was feeling. My insides were a chaos. The pain, it was like an icy wind choking the breath from my lungs and making a noose around my neck. My heart constricted in its wake as if not sure if it should go on beating. It was raw, the realness of a person consumed by pain that knew no end or limit. It was like someone reaching inside me and pulling my guts out with their bare hands.

My senses had abandoned me. No tears left my eyes, as if my eyes had forgotten to cry. I don't remember much but I have a vague recollection of screaming mindlessly every few minutes. Then I would go quite, just panting. Not knowing how to cope.

Those eyes, those beautiful blue eyes that still haunt me to this day. The way he looked at me the very last time. Like I was the stars when all I'd ever felt like was the dark nothingness between them. And how my voice deserted me when I looked at him. How pain corroded my throat impeding me from telling him that I loved him, with all my heart. That while I was searching for Leevion within him I fell for the beautiful little snow sprite I found in him.

Beyond everything, what hurt the most was not being able to tell him how I really felt. How I let him encounter the cruelest kind of love. Made him think that he fell in love alone. Made him feel cursed for falling in love.

And now, I remembered it all.

I laugh at myself, a bitter remorseful laugh. "You're so mean Rhiam...Your kindness is so mean. You made me forget the memories of your presence just so I would always smile. Just so the things we once shared no longer bring tears to my eyes. But did you ever stop to think that if I ever woke up what ruthless fate awaited me? Did you know that if getting past the pain meant forgetting you, then I would rather choose to suffer my entire life?" I can feel my cheeks wet with tears. I haven't cried for a very long time. It is as if the walls have finally shattered and I knew exactly what is wrong with me, "You bad man," I wail. "You bad bad man. You woke me up just to say goodbye. I hate you so much...but how is it that I love you just as much! It is so cruel and it hurts like hell...But I refuse to go back to sleep and pretend it was all a dream. I refuse to do that. I absolutely refuse to do that." I yelled into thin air.

And then I cried. Until I couldn't cry anymore I cried.

Alona_

I had never seen my mother cry like that. In fact, I had never seen her cry at all. Her pain was so vibrant. It was exhilarating the entire atmosphere. I could even feel it in my guts, deep and warm but not in a nice way.

I knew then that she remembered. And I halted in my steps to go to her. I wanted to give her space to grieve.

When I finally went to see mom, she looked frail and her eyes had frozen over, robbing them of their usual warmth. As if just a gust of wind could wither her away. She was in there, I knew it. But it's like she just took a huge step back from life. I wanted to rekindle her heat but her insides were too damp with years of uncried tears. I always knew she had pain inside, but now it was visible on her face and I wished it would go away.

"Mom!" I said.

Her tired eyes looked up at me. She somehow managed a smile, how? I was not entirely sure. "Alona." She sighed, "You came." She sounded worn-out.

"I had a dream I used to have often before. It was a beautiful dream...but it never made sense to me. Before today. The landscape was a wide field of waxen white. And gradually I see a silhouette. It belonged to a man. He says my name in the most heart-rending way. I'm about to see his face...but then he fades away. I never had any control over it. I couldn't make it last longer. But today...today was different. I finally saw his face. I finally did." She was crying again. And I didn't know what to do. So I did the only thing I could for her.

"Mom, I have something for you."

She looked at me with teary eyes and I handed her what she inadvertently had been searching for her entire life.

She looked at the dairy in confusion.

"Open it mom."

"What is this?" She asked.

"It is for you," I replied.

She was hesitant for a moment but then she finally opened it. And when she did, it was as if a spell had been lifted. The entire room was bursting in a shaft of white light, and then I saw an outline from within. The silhouette of a man. Then I saw him.

Rhiam.