Where are you now, my love?

*Set in the 1960s.*

“...Everything about Johnny is running through my mind... I really miss him...

I remember when we first met... It was that certain vacation where my parents were thinking of buying a house on the Floridian coast... and, I had trouble persuading my folks to let me go to the beach on my own. I had just turned 18, yet they were worried I'd run off with some missionary. I had real problems getting them to trust me. But they saw Lisanna as an angel, and as long as I was with her, I could do anything. I'll never forget how joyful I was when they granted me and my sister permission to go out on the town. They were gonna go visit Auntie Lucy who was staying nearby. It was so perfect. I remember, when they said I could go, I was so thrilled. I had no idea I'd meet the man of my dreams there.

Lisanna told me she was meeting Floyd at the beach and that he was bringing a friend.

Lisanna was a real rebel, looking back. She had greaser boyfriends and learned how to smoke... and take it up as a hobby. I didn't look up to her in that sense though... I didn't look up to her much at all. I was only slightly proud of the fact that I was the little sister of a girl who knew what she wanted and how to get it.

Anyways...
I didn't expect much of the "friend" situation. No man had ever taken a second glance at me previous to that night. I guessed he'd be loud and he'd want to hang out with Lisanna and Floyd. I had it in a little capsule at the back of my mind that he'd be three years older than me... like my sister, but I didn't pay attention to it. I'd always got on better with people older than me before, so why would I have a problem tonight?

We made our way down to the beach at sunset. Floyd and his friend were all ready waiting on the sands. I remember Lisanna whispering to me,
"When you meet a guy, always be fashionably late. That way, they can never bullshit with you for wasting their time." I haven't always stuck by that phrase, but I can understand why she thought like that.

In the shadows, the friend looked promising: a broad silhouetted figure with swift brown hair. Lisanna ran up to Floyd and greeted him in a frenzy of hugs and kisses, while I arrived soon after. I kept my distance. I wanted to observe the stranger who stood before me. He seemed to have the same thing in mind!
However, he approached first and held out his hand:
"Hi there, I'm Johnny Bradley."
"Penelope Walker," I mumbled, shyly, "nice to meet you."
I had kept my head down throughout our first moments of shared dialogue, so I had no idea how close we were... but then I looked up. He looked even more gorgeous up close. He had such striking features that I couldn't take my eyes off him. I remember hoping that he didn't think I was a weirdo, but his kind smiles returned my stares.

Lisanna interrupted our moment by commenting that she and Floyd were gonna take off. We were leaving in a couple of days and she wanted to remember Floyd in ways no words could ever attempt. I thought it was corny and clichéd and I hoped that Johnny wouldn't make any sudden advances of that kind on me.

After Lisanna and Floyd took off, Johnny offered to take me out to the movies. I couldn't say no; he was so breathtaking and I couldn't get enough of the way he talked. His deep and rich voice was so intense... and impossible to describe. We went to catch a movie, a funny one that made me laugh out loud - although on occasion, I didn't want to send out a brawly impression to my new beau.

After that, he took me to the Hound Dog Diner; which became one of our popular hang-outs. And in there, we shared a plate of chips and a chocolate milkshake with 2 straws. Once there was no more liquid left in the tall misty glass, he paid for our meal petite, and then we set off for a little walk around the town.

Music and electric lights would blare out at us everywhere we walked. There would always be a hooker or two just glancing at Johnny's tanned body and sweet eyes...
I can't possibly convey how overjoyed I was when we moved to Florida. Lisanna was just as happy. My parents still didn't know about Johnny, and honestly, I didn't want them to know just yet. I intended to wait until I was that little bit older, so it would seem like I hadn't been with a guy since the moment my parents had put their trust in me. My parents had a feeling about Floyd, considering Lisanna hadn't stopped talking about him after the vacation...

I loved the look in his eyes whenever he was happy. I remember when he received news of his new car and how he said he would take me to paradise. I remember the moment well; his eyes twinkled and shone and he gazed into my face smiling. I smiled back and kissed him. I remember waiting for his hand to slip from his side to my waist, and slowly further down to my thighs. At that point I would wrap my arms around him and he would pull me close to him. So close, I could hear his heart beating. And then he'd ask me what the matter was, because sometimes I used to cry. And I'd reply,

“As soon as this night is over, we’ll have to make tracks... and I won't be able to let you go.”

And then he would wrap his coat around me and himself and we'd hug and kiss softly as the moon shone above us.

Oh how I miss his lips glued to mine. I'll never be able to feel the same way about anyone else. Oh God, why did you have to pick the only man I was good with? Why Oh Why did you let that horrific car crash take place on my birthday? Worst of all, why did you take him away from me and let me survive? Why couldn't you keep both of us on the planet?

Anyway I must get on, as I will only see Johnny in my dreams.

Painfully and truly yours,

Penelope

 

Author's Note

**WARNING: UNFINISHED!! The piece may seem a bit hurried and rushed, but only because I want to note down all the different thoughts going through my head. Apologies.**

Reviews

[Amber Victoria Tudor]

The story was nice, but then at the end, I was a bit stunned at how quickly you ended it. I also saw penny as 16 rather than 18 because she was so bound by her parents. I know you have a warning in the begining, so what I would do would be go back and fix that rushed ending. It leaves the reader feeling a bit ungratified. I would suggest suddenly relating his memory to sounds of screeching tires or twisted metal. Give the reader that detail you supplied the whole time before.