We Used To Be Children
“Lucy, where are you taking me?”
We decided that morning to take advantage of that beautiful day to visit the cliff that had so many of our childhood memories etched into stone. We quickly packed a lunch, got into the car and drove off to the park. The ride was pleasant and nostalgic. We shared stories, cracked jokes, and giggled like the little girls we once were. Hopefully, the cliff would bring back memories of days long forgotten, even if just for a moment.
After graduation, we hardly saw each other. She went there, and I stayed here. We used to make yearly trips out to the cliff: First with both of our families, then with just mine after her parents died in a tragic accident. Although we were the best of friends since preschool, it was after the accident that we bonded like sisters. The car came to a stop. We stepped out and looked around. The parking metre was out of order. Things were looking up already.
There used to be an immense old-growth forest here, but much of it was cut down years ago. We took part in a protest against the loggers, with many people taking up residence high up in the treetops. The loggers were not fazed and we eventually lost the fight. One night, we received a dreadful message: Her parents were still in a tree and fell with it. We made our way to the side path. It was longer than the main trail, but the birds always seemed more musical here and we loved their songs.
I wasn’t going to tell her to stay. She received a scholarship to study her life’s ambition, while I was left here to see what I could encounter. Just barely after classes started, she was selected to participate in a breakthrough research project. Everyone said she was set for life, while all I had was a job. With the birdsongs behind us, we exited the path into the open field just before the cliff. Starting to fill with youthful glee, we raced each other towards the cliff’s edge.
Our parents always told us to stay away from the dark rocks. They told us how careless kids would slip and fall off the cliff to a watery grave. We stayed far from the edge as kids, but as we grew older, we became more fearless, and dared each other to go further towards the edge. We soon realised that as long as the rocks were dry, they were relatively safe. The two of us sat at the edge of the cliff, staring out to the horizon, taking turns recalling our memories. I saw a glimmer of light reflecting off a rocky ridge nearby.
“Lucy, where are you taking me?”
I found myself holding her hand, pulling her behind me as I led her towards the ridge. I could hear her panting behind me, but I did not stop. She pulled on my arm, but I did not stop. Something urged me to reach the glimmer.
“Slow down! Look! The rocks here are getting dark!”
I paid no heed to her warnings. I had to keep moving, running, until I reached the border. It felt like I could almost reach out and find something. Something that was not clear to me. I had no idea what I was looking for, but I had to find it. She slipped.
“Help me! I can’t hold on!”
I looked over the edge and saw her hanging onto a protruding branch. She screamed at me. Her life was in my hands. I shook my arms and lowered them towards her. I reached out, but I suddenly felt compelled. I retracted my arms.
“What are you doing?”
I got up.
“Lucy!”
I turned around.
“Why are you doing this?”
I took a step.
“I thought we were like sisters!”
I took another step.
“Please, Lucy, please!”
I stopped.
A shrill scream pierced my ears, and faded away into silence.
We decided that morning to take advantage of that beautiful day to visit the cliff that had so many of our childhood memories etched into stone. We quickly packed a lunch, got into the car and drove off to the park. The ride was pleasant and nostalgic. We shared stories, cracked jokes, and giggled like the little girls we once were. Hopefully, the cliff would bring back memories of days long forgotten, even if just for a moment.
After graduation, we hardly saw each other. She went there, and I stayed here. We used to make yearly trips out to the cliff: First with both of our families, then with just mine after her parents died in a tragic accident. Although we were the best of friends since preschool, it was after the accident that we bonded like sisters. The car came to a stop. We stepped out and looked around. The parking metre was out of order. Things were looking up already.
There used to be an immense old-growth forest here, but much of it was cut down years ago. We took part in a protest against the loggers, with many people taking up residence high up in the treetops. The loggers were not fazed and we eventually lost the fight. One night, we received a dreadful message: Her parents were still in a tree and fell with it. We made our way to the side path. It was longer than the main trail, but the birds always seemed more musical here and we loved their songs.
I wasn’t going to tell her to stay. She received a scholarship to study her life’s ambition, while I was left here to see what I could encounter. Just barely after classes started, she was selected to participate in a breakthrough research project. Everyone said she was set for life, while all I had was a job. With the birdsongs behind us, we exited the path into the open field just before the cliff. Starting to fill with youthful glee, we raced each other towards the cliff’s edge.
Our parents always told us to stay away from the dark rocks. They told us how careless kids would slip and fall off the cliff to a watery grave. We stayed far from the edge as kids, but as we grew older, we became more fearless, and dared each other to go further towards the edge. We soon realised that as long as the rocks were dry, they were relatively safe. The two of us sat at the edge of the cliff, staring out to the horizon, taking turns recalling our memories. I saw a glimmer of light reflecting off a rocky ridge nearby.
“Lucy, where are you taking me?”
I found myself holding her hand, pulling her behind me as I led her towards the ridge. I could hear her panting behind me, but I did not stop. She pulled on my arm, but I did not stop. Something urged me to reach the glimmer.
“Slow down! Look! The rocks here are getting dark!”
I paid no heed to her warnings. I had to keep moving, running, until I reached the border. It felt like I could almost reach out and find something. Something that was not clear to me. I had no idea what I was looking for, but I had to find it. She slipped.
“Help me! I can’t hold on!”
I looked over the edge and saw her hanging onto a protruding branch. She screamed at me. Her life was in my hands. I shook my arms and lowered them towards her. I reached out, but I suddenly felt compelled. I retracted my arms.
“What are you doing?”
I got up.
“Lucy!”
I turned around.
“Why are you doing this?”
I took a step.
“I thought we were like sisters!”
I took another step.
“Please, Lucy, please!”
I stopped.
A shrill scream pierced my ears, and faded away into silence.
Comments
clap
clap
clap
clap
clap
clap
clap
clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap
Un-fucking-qoute.
fap
fap
fapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfap