To Forget is Unthinkable

Just a short story about how love always works out.

Legs dangling, she perched delicately at the edge of the cliff, her gaze lost in the obsidian depths of the night. The stars above shimmered like fragments of forgotten dreams; their brilliance unnoticed by her. Those celestial constellations, once her confidants in the darkest hours, had now faded into insignificance.

The relentless sea roared beneath her, its rhythmic cadence sending tremors through her very soul. The moon, resplendent in its full glory, cast a silvery spotlight upon her.
Her raven hair cascaded in a waterfall of ebony curls, framing her shoulders like a night cloak. Her almond brown eyes, like twin pools of liquid warmth, captured and held the ethereal light, causing her form to blend seamlessly with the celestial canvas above.

It was December 30th, 2020, a date etched in her heart.

Could a mere year diminish the memory of someone so dear? Not for her. She could never forget the way he kindled her days, the resonance of his deep laughter that once made her heart somersault
with joy, his unwavering attention as she rambled on about stars, comets, and meteors. And then, the heart-wrenching moment when he walked away, leaving her with nothing but a few meaningless words and a void in her chest, exactly one year ago.

In the solitude of her world, she stood alone, bereft of care and devoid of those who cared. Every emotion, once vibrant and alive, was now buried deep within her. But each morning, a melancholic smile graced her lips, for she cherished the timeless memories she had woven with Hartley.

Her days had become a hazy whirlwind of labour, meals, slumber, and the endless cycle of mundane tasks. It was as if she had lost her anchor to the world, drifting aimlessly in its vastness. That's what had led her to the precipice of those ominous cliffs, but there, on the verge of despair, she found herself unable to take that final step.

Deep within, her heart yearned for more than mere existence. It ached for the vibrant pulse of life, for the exhilarating dance of her spirit as it once had, and most of all, for the intoxicating embrace of love. It refused to surrender to the shadows, steadfastly compelling her to turn away from theprecipice, to embrace the warmth of the sun, and to seize the chance at a life.

Every day, she clung to the hope that he would return to her, just like those melodramatic scenes in the romance movies she secretly despised. But for once, a wave of longing so intense washed over her that tears threatened to escape her eyes.
As she gazed back on those memories, she couldn't help but feel that her belief in a fairytale ending had been foolish. There had never been any explosive, cinematic sparks between them, no overpowering urge to be openly affectionate or unabashedly expressive. Their love had always been quieter, more understated.
Of course, she thought, we never had a future. All she had were his parting words, whispered to her, "The heart never forgets." Her scientific mind couldn't help but analyse them, attempting to decode the message with numbers, codes, and even reversed alphabets, but nothing had yielded clarity. And finally, she had accepted her fate. He wouldn’t return and she wasn’t going to be happy ever again.
Your heart did forget, she thought bitterly.

In the realm of belief, it's said that the Universe listens keenly to the whispers of the heart, attuned to its deepest desires. And on that fateful day, when Clara's heart snapped, when her world teetered on the brink of collapse, the Universe was there, bearing witness to her pain.
With a heart-wrenching sob, Clara's once-stoic demeanour crumbled, her façade falling away like fragile porcelain. In that raw moment of vulnerability, she allowed herself to embrace the pain, to feel every ounce of it. It was at that very moment, as her tears fell like crystalline rain, that she felt the warm, reassuring presence of a pair of arms enveloping her from behind.

Without a second thought she knew that Hartley’s heart had never forgotten her just like how her’s hadn’t forgotten him…

- Achala .K

Reviews

[schlanks]

A very visual exploration of grieving a love you can't bear to lose. It feels equal parts personal to this character and grand in capturing this experience for anybody. It reads more like a passage and less of a full story, but a passage worth reading nonetheless. Well written.

[Sho Aishe]

nice! i like your writing style

[Achala]

Thank you!!

[NONBINARYBOOKWORM]

Love it. It has a bit of that home tragedy feel.

[Achala]

Glad that you enjoyed reading!!! What’s romance without a bit of tragedy??

[Darkmage]

very well written enjoyed reading this

[Achala]

Thank you so much❤️

[HarleyCola]

This is quite good, very tragic, but I like the sense of ability at the end.

[Achala]

Thank you❤️