alone

He was a paradox. He skin was dry and hard, yet as the callouses on his rough hands traced the outline of her face, there was a softness to his touch that she had never experienced before. They had known each other such a short time. Yet from their first encounter, she felt her life was destined to intertwine with his.

And then, as the early morning sun slowly climbed, and the birds chattered, he was gone.

She had not wanted to leave him. He completed her, she knew that. Now more than ever. Yet somewhere inside of her, she felt an overwhelming destructive urge to fight; to fight all that she knew was good and right. It was 'the Gods way of telling her not to be too content with simple pleasures', her mother had told her. It was a family trait. In the blood. She was powerless. Yet this time, she had wanted to fight it. Her whole being was tied to him, and the life they were building together. Now she was alone. Free, but alone.

She turned her head, shook away the far away thoughts and rose to her feet and surveyed the scene she had left the previous night Her eyes stung. She had cried for hours - she remembered now. An interesting first thought, she reflected, when surrounded by such beauty. The grand old stone building looked every day of its 500 years, but perched atop the small mound, it watched over the clearing and the forest beyond, with the keenest of eyes. An old general marshalling its troops.

And with that she turned to the door. No, she thought. Not while he was still so close. If he was to be part of this future, she wanted him to be real. Here. She had left him with no clues, no reason to suspect her whereabouts. But destiny, destiny is stronger than logic. Isn't it?

And it was then that she realised..A cold tangible feeling of dread consumed her. What had she done. The door was no longer important. Her feet began to wobble, she was going faint. She fell to the hard ground. She waited for the pain. The pain; that normally makes it better, makes it real. But nothing. It did not come.

He made her real, she knew that now. He was her future, her dreams, her love, her life. She had given it all up. To be free. But how can someone so empty ever be free? She was alone, she knew that now. There was no destiny, no him, and therefore, no freedom.