You Never Returned
...
The Graduation Day arrived sooner than either of them had expected.
The campus buzzed with laughter, cameras flashed from every corner, and students exchanged flowers, farewell gifts, and promises to stay in touch. Graduation caps flew into the air as cheers echoed across the grounds.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
Do you have somewhere to be?
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
Then... Can we go to the place we always go after this ends?
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
The riverside park? Sure.
It had become their favourite place they would always come to. No matter what time, day, sorrows or happiness.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
*looks at the sky* It's strange.. We grew up too fast. Didn't we?
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
*Smiled faintly* We were kids yesterday.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
And now we're graduating.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
Four years... they disappeared so quickly.
She tightened her grip around the small gift hidden behind her back. Her heart refused to slow down. This is it. Five years... She is finally going to tell him. She inhaled deeply before forcing a smile.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
Can you wait here for me?
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
Where are you going?
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
*She hesitated before laughing nervously* It's a surprise.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
You always have surprises.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
Just... don't leave, okay?
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
I'll be right back in 5 minutes.*smiles widely*
With those words, she turned around and hurried away, almost breaking into a run.
She wasn't running to escape. She was running home to bring the diary that had held five years' worth of feelings she had never been brave enough to say aloud.
She disappeared around the corner, her figure growing smaller until it vanished completely.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
*I smiled to myself* Five minutes...
I slipped both hands into my pockets and wandered closer to the riverbank.
The evening breeze brushed against my face as ripples danced across the water. One minute passed then another.
I picked up a pebble and tossed it into the river. Plop!!
I watched the circles spread before disappearing. Five minutes. Too long.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
She's taking her sweet time.Huh?
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
*Texts* Where are you?
I tossed an empty can lying near the path. Another stone. Another pebble. I got furious.
The sun had nearly disappeared beyond the horizon. Streetlights flickered on one after another, painting the riverside in a dull amber glow.
I called. Once. Twice. Thrice.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
She told me not to leave. *laughs bitterly*
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
And she's the one who disappeared.
The sky had turned completely dark.
Only the sound of crickets and the flowing river remained. Time passed and it was past mid-night. I waited. I ignored my growling stomach. Another text and I shoved my phone back into my pocket.
My pride finally won the battle against my concern.
I picked up one last stone and hurled it across the river with all the frustration I had been swallowing. Ugh!!
It skipped once... Twice...
Then vanished beneath the water.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
Next time... *mumbles*
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
...don't ask someone to wait if you don't plan on coming back.
I began walking home, each step heavier than the last.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
I won't be the first one to talk to her.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
If she wants to explain...
But my pride won against every wrong feeling.
...
I walked home. Trying to convince myself... That I didn't care. I unlocked my phone. No messages.
I stared at our chat.
Waiting for the typing bubble.
It never appeared.
I convinced myself...
She was probably asleep.
Or her phone had died.
Or...
She simply didn't care enough to reply.
I muted our conversation.
Locked my phone.
And went to bed.
That night...
I slept.
She fought for her life.
The next morning...
Someone kept banging on our front door.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
*I groaned* Who the hell is it this early?
Her brother stood there.
His clothes were stained.
His eyes were swollen.
He looked like he hadn't stopped crying.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
*My smile faded* What's wrong?
He couldn't answer.
He kept trying to speak...
But nothing came out.
Finally...
He whispered...
— Senior
*heavy breathings* ..Can you...
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
*My heart skipped*
...Why?
He lowered his head.
His voice broke.
I could make no sense of it at all
— Senior
...It's my sister.
Everything around me went silent.
The birds.
The traffic.
Even my own breathing.
I completely froze.
I kept begging my thoughts to stop.
— Senior
There... was an accident.
It felt like the world crumbled at once under my feet.
— Senior
...She keeps looking toward the door.
— Senior
...I think.... she's waiting for you.
— Senior
She keeps uttering your name..
Without another word... I ran.
Ran like my life depended on it.
I didn't even lock the front door.
I just...
Ran.
Barefoot.
Not properly awake.
I kept begging it must be a "dream" . But it hurt. It hurts.
My chest felt like exploding as I ran.
I had never prayed before.
Not sincerely.
Not desperately.
But as my feet carried me toward the hospital...
I kept repeating the same words.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
Please let her be okay.
I finally entered the hospital.. I rushed through the entrance. People bumped into me. I whispered her name.
Her brother grabbed my wrist
Every step down that corridor...
Felt heavier than the last.
The smell of antiseptic filled the air.
Machines beeped behind every door.
My heartbeat was louder than all of them.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
*I couldn't move* ....No..
He didn't glance at me he simply uttered
My entire world...
Stopped.
Bandages wrapped around her forehead.
Bruises stained her pale skin.
Tubes covered her body.
A ventilator breathed for her.
No...
This wasn't the girl who had smiled at me yesterday.
This wasn't the girl who ran away saying, "Wait for me."
I slowly walked closer.
Each step felt unreal.
As if I were trapped inside someone else's nightmare.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
*I called out her name*
No response.
I held her hand.
It was cold.
Far colder than it should've been.
A tear rolled down my cheek.
Then another.
And another.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
I thought you forgot about me...
Her fingers twitched.
Just once. The heart monitor quickened. Her eyelids slowly fluttered open.
She found me.
Even through the pain...
She smiled.
A small...
Fragile smile
Her voice was barely audible.
Almost carried away by the ventilator.
She tried to lift her hand.
She couldn't.
So I held it tighter.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
You don't have to speak.
She slowly shook her head.
As if there was something...
She had to say.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
*I called out her name*
As she smiled through it.
I buried my face in her hand.
Crying like a child.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
You're going to be okay.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
You promised you'd come back.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
You still have to show me what you wanted.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
T..ears.. Don't.. suit you..
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
You promised you would be back.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
So you must keep your promise.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
I shouldn't have let you go on your own.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
It's.. not.. your fault..
She looked toward her brother.
With the last strength she had...
Her brother nodded through his tears.
— Senior
I'll... give it to him.
She looked back at me.
Her lips parted one final time.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
Say whatever the amount. But save her.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
CALL THE FREAKIN' DR.
Her brother rushed.
Doctors were here.
But no one uttered another word.
Everything around me felt too noisy. Dizzy.
My eyes were fixed on her.
I was still holding her hand.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
*Grips tighter on to my hand*
I leaned closer to hear her.
Her injured blue lips trembled to say something she wanted to.
Her parents, her brother and I were all in tears.
I still begged God for this to be a terrible nightmare.
If not, then take away all her pain.
For I can't bear to see her in pain.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
...My time.. has.. come.. sorry.. i..
..couldn't.. keep.. my.. ...promise..
*she calls out my name holding tighter onto my finger*
She fought to say the words she couldn't.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳
I.. ...really... ..lov..
The monitor screamed.
A single, endless note.
The doctor rushed past me.
Nurse Preparing epinephrine!
CPR!
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
What are you doing...?
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
You said she'd be okay...
A nurse gently tried to pull me away.
"Sir, please step outside."
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
No!! *I yanked my arm*
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
I am not leaving her.
...
The doctors surrounded her bed.
One...
Two...
Three compressions.
The defibrillator was charged.
"Clear!"
Her body jerked.
The monitor remained flat.
"Charge to 200."
"Clear!"
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
She's scared of hospitals...
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
You'll wake her up...
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
*my voice cracked* Please....
One of the doctors looked at the clock.
The room fell silent.
He lowered his head.
"...Time of death."
8:46 A.M.
Everything inside me...
Collapsed.
Perhaps God must have heard it right when I said "Take away her pain" But he was wrong. I never meant to take her soul away to not let her feel the pain.
I fell to my knees beside her bed.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
This isn't funny anymore.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
You can wake up now.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
You promised... You said you'd come back...
I rested my forehead against the back of her hand.
It was already losing its warmth.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
I should've looked for you. I should've called again. I should've gone after you.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
I shouldn't have left.
— 𝘏𝘪𝘮
I thought...
...you abandoned me.
A tear landed on her hand.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Then her brother quietly walked over.
He placed a worn navy-blue diary beside me.
A small white ribbon was tied around it.
His voice trembled.
— Senior
She... told me.... ..to give this to you.
I stared at it.
Unable to touch it.
— Senior
*He wiped his eyes* ...You.
— Senior
Five years... Of you..
I held the diary against my chest.
For the first time...
I wished I had never met her.
Because losing someone...
Hurts far more than never knowing them at all.
Three days later.
After the funeral...
After everyone had gone home...
After the flowers had begun to wilt...
I finally gathered enough courage...
To untie the white ribbon.
And open...
Her diary.
My hands trembled.I couldn't bring myself to open it.It felt wrong.
As if opening those pages...
Would make her death real.
After several minutes...
I finally lifted the cover.
On the first page...
In neat handwriting...
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺
"If you're reading this...
You kept your promise.
You waited for me."
My chest tightened.
I turned the page.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞 :
"I saw a senior today.
He's really handsome.
He smiled at someone in the hallway.
I wish someone would smile at me like that someday."
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐨:
"Our hands touched while reaching for the same novel.
He apologized.
I kept replaying those three seconds all day."
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞:
"I fell near the stairs.
He helped me up.
He probably doesn't remember.
I don't think I'll ever forget."
I stopped reading.
I couldn't remember any of it.
Not a single moment.
Yet...
She remembered every detail.
Every date.
Every season.
Even what I was wearing.
I chuckled.. "Silly.. Just like herself"
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫:
"Today he called me his friend.
I don't think he knows how happy that made me.
Maybe one day...
I'll tell him."
The pages became brighter.
There were tiny pressed flowers.
Movie tickets.
Coffee receipts.
Doodles of the two of us.
Conversations.
Jokes.
Memories.
A life...
I never knew I had become.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲:
"Today's the day.
I'm scared. Godd!!
What if he laughs?
What if he rejects me?
At least... I'll finally stop hiding.
I'm going to give him this diary.
And the letter inside.
I hope...
This is ridiculous, I feel like I am dying from butterflies. "
I found her letter it was half written. It was a part of the whole letter.
— 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺
"𝐓𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭,
If there ever comes a day...
when we part ways...
and I'm no longer a part of your life...
Whether I'm simply far away..
or somewhere you can no longer reach (dead)... I know you'd smack my head for writing something this dramatic.
So, I'm writing it here instead.
Maybe you'll never read this.
Or maybe you will.
If that day ever comes...
Don't cry for too long. I know... That's a selfish thing to ask.
But I don't want my absence to become the reason your smile disappears.
I promised I'd always stay by your side.
Maybe... I won't be able to keep that promise the way I wanted.
But I'll find another way.
Whenever a cool breeze brushes against your face... that's me saying,
"I'm still here."
Whenever leaves dance around your feet... or flowers quietly fall from the trees... that's me trying to walk beside you.
Whenever it rains... don't rush to find shelter immediately. Stay for just a few seconds. Let the rain touch your face. I'd like to think... I'm hugging you one last time.
Whenever you see the sunset... look at it until the last light disappears.
Because somewhere... I'll be looking at the same sky with you.
And when the night feels unbearably lonely... Look up.
Every star will be another "I love you" that I never got to say.
Promise me one thing.
Don't stop living because my story ended. Fall in love with the world again.
Laugh until your stomach hurts. Make new memories. Eat your favorite food. Celebrate your birthday.
Grow older...
Grow happier.
Live the life I wished I could watch you live with you.
Because if souls truly exist...
Then mine will always find its way back to you.Not to make you cry...
But to remind you... You were loved.
More than you ever knew.
And if we ever meet again...
In another life...
I hope...
You let me finish saying those three words face to face.
"𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶"
Always.
Yours.
........ ...... ..... ..... ..... .... .... ..... ..... .....
Half of the page was torn.
I found her letter. But it was half. Idk what the other half holds and i never found the other half. She must have probably taken the other half with her.
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