He couldn't quite believe how his day was going. And he thought it was just going to be the same as always. He entered the usual cafe. Ordered the usual coffee, which was handed to him by the same barista who seemed to smile just a little unnaturally. But that day, he turned around with coffee in hand, and, before he could head out the door, saw her.
He had known her since college and they had been friends. But that didn't stop him from admiring her or wondering if they could have been great together. Then, graduation came and they fell out of touch.
Yet, there she was, as if some ten years hadn't passed. Wearing a blue sundress that defied the gloomy weather outside. Sitting as she drew, her hair tied loosely to allow strands to create a thin veil over her face as she worked. Strands she brushed away from her face to smile at him when he tentatively called out her name. Her smile was wide and her eyes crinkled just so, and he felt his heart skip a bit at its familiarity.
They spent long minutes talking as their coffee dwindled, her hand lightly resting on the journal she used to draw out her designs. Wonderful designs meant for practical use, the kind that made normal things a little bit more special to look at. She always had a different view on things. It's why asking her out seemed so daunting then.
But that was then, and this was now. He had just had his heart broken, and he had nothing to lose. He asked her out, already planning out that special date if she said yes. She surprised him by saying yes, and surprised him again when she said they should go on that date right there and then.
They walked. And they talked about everything. He gathered his courage and held her hand. She merely smiled at him and adjusted her fingers to better fit among the spaces between his. Sometime during their second hour together, -- but really, who keeps time when enjoying the moment so fully? -- he realized that he was never going to let her go. He would ask her to be his wife... maybe on the third date, if he thought it wouldn't freak her out.
But you see, they were never going out on that third date. Nor the second.
The cloudy skies just turned ominously darker, and it was a change stark enough to make him worry about rain. As he turned to her to suggest going elsewhere, he saw her eyes turned to the skies. He looked as well, and saw the sky literally break open. Lightning flashed, but it didn't dissipate. Instead, a crack formed in its wake.
He watched in horror as the crack widened and shadowy movements could be seen in the space it opened. What little light they have left illuminated parts of a creature too horrible to define, with its monstrous size and even more monstrous visage.
He tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her to run away. But she held fast.
"Aren't you afraid?", he asked.
She finally looked at him. "Yes."
"Then, let's run."
"Do you think we can outrun that?" She had a very valid point. The creature started to reach out of the cracks with one of its limbs.
Suddenly, she grabbed his face in her hands. "But I'm glad that we had a chance to meet again. I never did get to tell you how I felt then. At least we're together now."
Flustered, he tried to think of something to say, but words weren't needed.
As she pressed their lips together, he realized it didn't matter. They were together, after all.
He kissed her back as Armageddon rained down on them.
The End.
***
P.S. I have to credit my friend Mark for the title. It was actually his status post in FB and I felt that it would be a great title for a short story. It's just a short piece because flash fiction is all I'm capable of right now. It's short, raw and, admittedly, very sappy. For some reason, that's how the story shaped itself out to be, and it felt good to just let the words flow. It's been a while.Labels: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Projects, Short Story, Writing
