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[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Epilogue

The door unlocks and the detective steps in. Sitting across from her under the dim lights, he spoke, “Carry, I take it.” “Why am I here? Why was I arrested? I didn't do nothing.” “Care to tell me all the details?” “I want my lawyer. I will not speak without my lawyer present.” “There is no lawyer coming to save you. Nobody wants to defend you. Now come on and spit it out. Where are the bodies?” “It's not fair, I tell you. It's not fair.” “Talk to me Carry. You may get a lighter sentence if you just confessed.” Though Carry was putting a stubborn front, on the inside, she was scared of going to prison. Her attitude could only take her so long before she realized just how much hot water she was in. “I was supposed to get a reward! I revealed the pervert but I didn't get paid. I need money. I'm desperate. I'm telling you, my daughter was dating a pervert and it's all my husband's fault. He allowed my sweet little angel to date a super pervert. You have to believe me. I turned him into the police and had him arrested. I was supposed to get a reward from it.“ “But that doesn't explain why you killed them?” “It's all the police's fault. You were supposed to give me a reward. I was desperate to pay rent and I'm too old to get a man. I had to do it. I had to take my revenge. I had to kill them.” “Where did you bury the bodies?” “I'm not telling you anything until you let me go.” He slammed his fist on the table as he got up. “Get her out of here. I don't want to see this sick person anymore.” When two guards entered the room, her hysterics turned to pandemonium as she resisted arrest. “I want my reward!” she kept shouting as the detective took his leave. - - A great void was what welcomed Johan as he opened his eyes. Nothing but darkness as far as he could see. But upon turning around, a strange light in the distance could be seen radiating from a horizon. “Finally, you're awake,” a voice said. “Lucy?” “In the flesh... oh wait, sorry. That was quite rude of me to say.” “What happened? Where are we?" “My mom found us and murdered us. Oh well.” “Oh well?” “It's okay. It doesn't matter anymore. It's over.” Though he should have been shocked at how nonchalant she was about dying, there was actually a sense of relief and calm within him. “Yeah. It really is fine, but it feels wrong.” Lucy laughed. “Silly boy. You don't feel anything. We're spirits now.” “We are, aren't we.” She ran up to him and held his hand. “Come on. Let's go.” “Go? Where?” “Where else? To the light.” Johan's attention was now in the distance where the mysterious rays of light were emerging from an unknown parallel. “What do we do once we get there?” “What else? Live together, as we've always wanted to. Just like those waiting for us.” Looking at the perimeter surrounding the light, he could see other people waiting underneath in a rather small patch of land with trees and grass. “Wait, I know of them.” “You should. We've been seeing them all our lives.” It took him a moment before it dawns on him that the people lounging around all had familiar features. They were a group made up of handsome men and young pretty girls, all of them having the same features that he could relate to. A smile grew on his face and an elation emerged in him. Taking her hand, both started walking into the distance into an eternity that they so longed for.

--

Note from the Author

I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who has read Eternal Lovers here on Tumblr, which according to the analytics, may be none. Looks like I didn't get any traction from this site so not many readers may actually be reading this.

This is not the only site this story is published on as I wanted my story to be posted in as many places as possible. But if you so happen to be one of the few who have read this story on this site, you have my thanks and I hope you look forward to my next story.

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Final Chapter

Johan was as prompt as always, but the early bird known as Lucy was already ten minutes late. He sent her a text message to which she replied that she was on her way. He took a seat in Lucy's usual spot, watching all the people going from one place to another, and remembering the first time they met on this very same platform. 'It seems like a lifetime has passed. To think it would lead up to this.'

Lucy finally arrived and Johan got up to his feet. Lucy was quite shy at this moment as she waved at him with her fingers. He could tell that she was a bit nervous as the feeling was mutual. “Excuse me, Miss. I'm looking for someone and she's running late. You wouldn't happen to have seen her, would you?”

“Oh. And who is this girl you are talking about?”

“Well, the only way I can describe her is that she's a very pretty girl, the prettiest in the world. You can't miss her.”

Lucy couldn't contain her giddiness. “She must be so lucky to have a friend like you. I'm looking for a boy, but he's nerdy and would rather sit in his apartment to write his books. If only he was as outgoing and as handsome as you.”

“Hey, now,” Johan was miffed but Lucy only laughed as she approached Johan and gave him a hug, an action that immediately made him forgive her.

She backed away a few steps to get a good look at him. With a sweet smile on her face, "So, have you decided?"

Johan returned the smile with one on his own. "I have. Have you decided?"

Lucy grabbed onto his hand and clasped it with the other. Johan took his hand and placed it on top of hers. "I have."

The End

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 74

"I told you, you didn't have to cook anything," Norman said.

"But you hardly know how to cook," responded Lucy, "and you can't keep eating takeout. That's not healthy. You didn't buy any, did you?"

"Looking after my health now, are we?"

"Come on, Dad."

"I came straight home, I swear. I'm actually starving."

When the meal was set and both took their seats, Norman took a bite out of his chicken casserole. "This is really good."

"Thanks, Dad. I did a bit of shopping around here. I'm surprised at how good the food is in this area."

"It should be for the price."

"So this is the life you've been living, right?"

"It has been but it's all coming to an end. We're going to have to move out of here by the end of the month. It's too expensive for me to afford and the legal fees are going to take a lot of my money to settle. Looks like I'm going to live the impoverished life for a while."

"I don't care where we move to, as long as we can stay here in the city."

"Why is that?"

"I'm finally starting to make friends here. It took a while, but I'm starting to open up to them."

"That's great news, but dear, it may be possible that I have to move to a new state. This city is very expensive."

"I know. I'm just really hoping. Mom used to move from place to place so I couldn't make any friends without losing them. I don't want to lose the friends I made here."

He sighed. "Then I'll figure something out. If you don't want to move, then I'll just figure a way to remain in this city."

She smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

They continued to savor the meal she created, enjoying their conversation as the casserole whittled down to a few morsels.

"That was very good,” Norman said after he finished his meal. “I've never had something better."

"Stop it, Dad. It wasn't that great."

"But it was. You are a good cook. You should be a chef."

"No, I'm not that good. I just follow the video's instructions."

She took both of their plates but Norman stopped her. "Let me take care of the dishes."

"Do you even know how to use the dishwasher?"

"No, but I know how to wash a dish."

"You should learn to use the dishwasher."

He took both their plates to the kitchen, "What's so bad about cleaning a few dishes? Even I can do that." His remark would immediately be regretted upon finding the sink full of dirty pots, pans, and utensils.

He looked over at Lucy who was smiling, "A bit of trial and error was required to get that casserole."

He simply laughed it off, "Go do your homework already."

After twenty minutes of washing dishes and cleaning the sink, he wiped his hands on the kitchen towel and took a seat on the couch. He grabbed the remote but hesitated to press the power button. Putting the remote away, he got up and walked towards the window, overlooking the night sky, and gave out a sigh.

At this point, Lucy came out of her room. "I'm done with my homework."

"Well good."

"Dad, I've been meaning to talk to you for a while."

"Well, I'm free right now."

Norman sat on a reclining chair as Lucy took her seat on the couch. "Like I said, I've started making friends again. But there's one friend who I consider... more than a friend. He's a boy and... I have strong feelings for him."

"I see. So you're at that age, huh?"

"That doesn't make me an adult, you know."

"I know, Lucy."

"But I don't know what to do about this. I mean, on the one hand, I know I shouldn't be with him right now. I got so many things to do, and I want to get to know you more now that I have the chance to do so. I don't know anything about you, Dad. I figure we can make up for lost time. But at the same time, I really like him. He's very special to me. I really want to be his girlfriend."

"I know exactly what you are going through. I felt the same way when I was your age. There were a lot of girls that I liked, thought that I was head over heels for them. But unfortunately, I don't know what would have happened because I avoided them. My parents would never approve, telling me that the only thing I should be doing is studying. I just did what I was told and never bothered with having a girlfriend."

"So you never fell in love?"

"I'm afraid I haven't. But even at my age, I would love to think that I can still find someone. I still feel strongly that there's someone out there for me."

"But this is more than just my feelings. He also likes me. He confessed his love for me earlier. We even kissed. But afterward, I felt kind of bad."

"And what gave you this guilt?"

"Because we went out once and it was a disaster. He was very uncomfortable and I felt that people were staring at us. I feel like I did something bad but I really just wanted to make him happy. I felt like I was doing something terrible."

"So you're trying to figure out if you should continue seeing this boy?"

"It's not like I'm planning on never seeing him again or anything, it's just that... we really like each other very much. When we were lonely and thought nobody loved us, we were there for each other. The more lonely we got, the more time we spent, and the more time we spent, the more in love we became. I won't forget those precious moments we spent, but they were full of pain and sorrow. I don't want to go through that again."

"Sounds like this is too much for you to handle. Why not put this decision aside? After all, waiting is also an option."

"Well, even if we did wait... he's different than other boys. Like, there's a... rather wide difference, let's just say."

"A 'wide" difference, huh?"

"Yeah and waiting won't change that. So even if we waited till I graduated high school or even college, I will still be in the same situation."

"Then tell me, why do you want to decide right now? Surely you can wait, right? Or is he pressuring you to answer?"

"We just told ourselves that we'd think about it, but I assume we'll have to decide on Saturday."

"Okay. I think I understand now. Would you like to know what I think?"

"Yes, please."

"I think that you're too preoccupied. Consider your responsibilities. You have school, you have homework, you got new friends to attend to." He got up from his chair and sat next to Lucy to give her a hug and a kiss. "You have your father, and your father loves you very much." Lucy couldn't help but smile. "And there's going to be more and more responsibilities put upon you in the coming future. There's so much to do because you're still so young. In a few years, you'll graduate middle school, then you'll enter high school. Then there will be college and after that, you got to find a career, and maybe start your own business. Either way, you got a lot to do before you become an adult. So why bother worrying about this? After all, he likes you, right?"

"Yeah, he does."

"Then he can wait, can't he? If he's not pressuring you, he'll understand you have too much going on in your life. If he is being pushy and demands you give him an answer, he's not worth it. He'll just use you and take advantage of you."

"He's not like that, Dad."

"Do you really know that? Do you really know who he is?"

"Dad, he's not a bad person. He would never do anything terrible to me."

"Alright. I'll take your word for it. But my point stands, you are thinking too much about this when you should just be living your life. Your young, you're healthy, and you got a lot to look forward to. So go have fun and be with your friends. You already have enough to worry about. A boy isn't worth it right now or ever. So tell him, 'I'm not ready to make a decision so you're just going to have to wait.'"

"That's kind of mean to say."

"Then say it more courteously. Any way you say it if you two are meant to be together forever, then waiting a few years isn't going to hurt your relationship, is it?"

"I never thought of it that way."

"That's what I would do if I was in your shoes." He got up from the couch. "Take it from me who's been living his life under another person's whims: youth, just as life, is too short. Enjoy what little of it you have and minimize your restrictions. If you feel that anything will hold you down, then don't try to rationalize it. It's not worth it in the end."

Lucy followed and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Dad."

After he patted her head, she headed towards her room.

"Lucy.” He said as she was opening the door. “Your newfound friends. One of them wouldn't happen to be that young man you were with at that train station, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah. Johan."

"He seems like a nice guy. I'd like to meet him one day."

Lucy smiled. "I'd also like you to meet him." She turned around and resumed going to her room.

Norman sat back on the couch and pondered, 'I have no idea what I'm doing.'

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 73

"Come on, Dad," Margaret said as she talked on her phone. "It's not that bad. I'm doing fine, aren't I? Just enough to get by... Yeah but... All that matters is that I pass, right? I'm not going to spend every waking minute studying. I want to have some fun every now and again... Dad, that's none of your business. Besides, I'm doing okay in my classes... I'm not some super genius, okay? Why can't you just accept that my current grade is acceptable?... Don't be unreasonable, okay? Look, I got to go, alright?... Yes, I do study but when I do it is up to me, okay? Alright, I got to go, bye." After hanging up, she let out an exasperated groan. "He just won't quit bugging me."

Continuing to walk across campus, Johan entered her view causing her to stop. 'Maybe I should wait till he's gone, but I've been meaning to talk to him. It's been a few days, after all.' Standing by the sidelines, she twiddles her fingers before walking towards him.

"Hey, Johan."

As if surprised Johan responded, "Hi, Margaret. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, but more importantly, how are you doing?"

"I'm okay. Had a lot to think about since that day. Sorry about leaving you like that and the way I acted. I was going through some emotional issues."

"I bet you were, but you seem to be yourself today. What happened during that time?"

"Well, if you must know, after you left I met someone at the train station nearby."

"Someone I know."

"Not particularly, but... it was a surprise to me. It was perfectly timed in fact, like we were destined to meet up."

"Really? Then what happened?"

"Their train just so happen to stop at the same time I was in the train station, but the doors closed before I could reach her. I had to drive all the way to another city that I wasn't familiar with. It was kind of amazing now that I think about it."

"So what happened when you arrived in this new city?"

"I went to the train station and thought I lost her forever, but like a miracle, she actually got off in that same terminal. I couldn't believe my luck, or so I thought because turns out that she got off expecting me to rescue her. She was heading to a far away place, one where I would never be able to reach her. I couldn't have been any happier at that moment."

"So let me get this straight. At the exact moment when you left our date, this girl you happen to know just so happen to be on a train that stopped at the exact time you were there. When the train continued its destination, you drove for miles to its next stop, to a place you've never been to, one she knew she had to get off because she trusted you were coming for her?"

"Sounds about right."

"Sounds too good to be true."

"But that's exactly what happened."

"You sure you're not telling me an excerpt from your latest novel?"

"It's the truth, but that's not a bad idea though. I'm already writing notes."

"You're something else, Johan. But I'm glad you're feeling better."

"I am. I very much am."

"But that doesn't explain the change, though. What did you do when you met this girl?"

"Oh... that. Well, let's just say that's between me and her."

"Oh, really..."

"Now put that smirk away. Don't go running wild with ideas."

"Johan, I told you, I know what makes a man smile. You met a girl who you drove all the way to an unknown place just to meet her. What do you expect me to believe? You both shook hands like good friends?"

"That is possible."

"Not even you would do that. After all, you left me alone in the rain to get a taxi."

"I said I was sorry."

"Yeah, and apology accepted because I'm happy that you found true love."

"Yes. True love. Still feels weird to me."

"Look, I don't know what really happened. I just find this story to be a bit exaggerated, but I do know that you made up with Lucy. Yeah, I don't know who she is, but when a man loves a woman, he'll do anything to get her back. I should know. Some guy took a flight and followed me all the way to Rome when I was vacationing there last year. Love drives you to do things you wouldn't normally consider."

"I heard that guy was a stalker."

"Oh... yeah... he kind of was, but it's the thought that counts."

Johan chuckled at this. "I guess you know more about this than I do. In that case, let me be candid. I didn't want to talk to you about this as I was thinking that you were still mad at me, but since we're in good spirits, I figured it's a good time right now. As you have guessed, that was Lucy who was on that train. Now that I think about it, it is such a strange story that I don't blame you for thinking it's fiction, but it really happened. I was at the lowest I'd ever been and she appeared before me in my time of need. I still can't believe that I drove my car to another city, hoping that I could reach her in time. Trains are faster than cars, however. I felt I didn't have a chance, but she had so much trust in me that she stepped off that train at some random stop because she believed in me. I was so happy that I hugged her tightly." He took a deep breath. "She then kissed me... and I kissed her back. At the time, I wasn't thinking straight, my emotions took over, and now that I think about it, I don't know if I did the right thing in returning that kiss."

"Because you're not allowed right?"

"Yeah."

"Are you ever planning on telling me why you can't be with her?"

"I tried telling Wendy but I just couldn't, so what chance do I have telling you? I've accepted that I can't tell anyone about this. I'm skating on thin ice by simply telling you this."

"I can't understand a situation where you can't tell me that you can't be with a girl. That is if... you know... the secret lies within you, not her."

"What does that mean?"

"Oh, you know. How you reject women so easily, yet you seem to be chummy with men."

Johan groaned, "Will you ever stop thinking that way about me?"

"I'm sorry but I only have our date as a reference. Men can hardly keep their hands off of me. You, I was struggling to hold your hand."

"I was being a gentleman."

"A bit too 'gentle' for my taste." Margaret chuckled.

"But I'm serious, Margaret. I'm in a bit of a pinch because I have to make a decision now. I had confessed my love for her on that station and now I got to follow it up with a decision. Do I follow through with my feelings and reciprocate them, or must I rescind them and remain friends? I don't know what to tell her."

"Can you at least tell me the consequences of each?"

"If I accept her feelings, I'm responsible for not just mine but hers. I can hardly control my feelings, let alone that of a girl. I'm thinking if I tell her I want to be her boyfriend, I wouldn't know how to handle it and may end up hurting her later on. There's also the stigma about dating her. If people find out, it's over for both of us. We'll be back to being burned at the stake."

"Whoa, really? That's a bit much."

"As for just being friends, that should technically be the right thing to do, but you know what? I've had enough of that. Doing the right thing only caused me anguish. We both have strong feelings for each other. This makes it so difficult to just be friends. I truly, really, am in love with her and I'm at a point where I've had enough of people's judgmental ways. If anything, it just draws me closer to her. Maybe someday I'll even enjoy seeing them livid." Johan puts his hand on his mouth before slowly lowering it. “I guess those were my real feelings coming out.”

"My, oh my. Johan, you're really growing up now. About time."

"Are you just going to make fun of me?"

"Okay, fine. Then let me tell you what I think. First, as I kept telling you, you should forget about what everyone else thinks. I don't know who this Lucy is, and frankly, I may not want to know, but I know that if you really do love her, then it's nobody's business. After all, if we kept on worrying about what other people think, we wouldn't have the guts to fight off oppression, and progressiveness wouldn't exist. Equal rights came from disrupting the system, right? Fight for your love, Johan."

Johan straightened out his tie, "I don't think this applies to that, Margaret."

"Okay, I'm exaggerating, but my point is, people bringing you down isn't helping you or anyone else. It's just their egos doing all the thinking without reasoning. And as for making a decision on whether you should be with her or not... well... if you really are struggling to make a decision, and this is a complicated matter that will change everything, I guess all I can say is to listen to your heart."

"You mean, turn off my brain and listen to my heart?"

"Like you did earlier.”

“Really? I never thought that was the reason.”

“I think this is a matter of just doing what you think is right. Just forget about the world for a moment. Just forget about school, forget about me, Wendy, even Lucy, and especially your brain. Just listen to yourself for once. I bet you haven't even considered your own personal feelings in this. You seem like the kind of guy who thinks of others before yourself, but this is a situation that is impacting you more so than any other person, yet you put aside your own feelings on a whim. I mean, you said earlier that she kissed you, and then you kissed her. Why the guilt? That's normal. It's normal for two people in love to kiss."

"I'm certain most people would agree with me more than you in this matter."

Margaret rolled her eyes. "There you go again, blaming yourself, putting yourself in a time-out, turning on that brain of yours. Just clear your mind and ask yourself, what is it that you really want?"

"What I want?"

"You ever thought about what you really want, or have you just been thinking about what everyone else wants? It's okay to be selfish at times. Think about yourself and what you want out of life. Then the answer will come."

They eventually reached the parking lot where they approached their cars. Upon entering her car and starting its engine, "Be a man, Johan. At least for once in your life, be a man. I told you this, didn't I? Keep going and stop worrying so much. Turn off that brain on occasion and just do what you need to do." She closed the door and pulled out of the parking spot.

As she exited the campus, with a big smile on her face, "You can't fool me, Johan. I know who you really are."

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 72

The pain was nothing more than a slight sting but to Jenny, it felt like her arms were begging for mercy as she dropped the scrubber. “Oh, I've had enough! I don't want to do this anymore.”

At this time, Lucy appeared before her with a lawn mower. “Okay, the lawn is done.”

“Wow, you did that fast.”

“I guess I had fun mowing the lawn.”

“You did? I can't stand that stupid machine. But whatever, let's go have some fun.”

“But you still got to scrub the fence.”

“This is stupid. I don't know why Mom wants me to scrub the fence when nobody else does it. She's just being mean.“

“That's right,” Mitsy said who appeared before them. “I'm being mean just like how you were mean to that Jonah boy.”

“I told you, we broke up.”

“No, you broke up with him because you were being selfish. If that boy didn't want to let his friends know about your relationship, you should have respected that. You just wanted the attention. You took the advice of TikTok influencers too far after I told you not to listen to them. That's bad advice.”

“But Mom, it doesn't matter. Jonah was a jerk anyway.”

“Don't bad mouth him. We both know it's your fault, and I'm sure Lucy understands it as well."

"I do?" Lucy asked.

Jenny continued, “I don't get it. You said I can fool around with boys.”

“Fooling around is one thing, having a boyfriend is another. If you want to fool around, you can't have a boyfriend. If you want a boyfriend, you can't fool around.“

“You're just confusing me now.”

“You will someday. So if you want to go back to fooling around, then get all your chores done, otherwise you're not going anywhere.” Mitsy turned to Lucy. “That's enough charity from you, Lucy. Now leave Jenny to her chores and come inside.”

Lucy turned to Jenny. “Sorry Jenny but at least I mowed the lawn.”

Jenny just scowled before returning to scrubbing the fence which Lucy took as a sign to go back inside.

“Thanks for helping my daughter,” said Mitsy, “But this is a punishment. You should have only done half of the lawn.”

“I actually enjoyed it. I never mowed a lawn before but I had fun.”

“Then you should come more often then. That machine is too much for me.”

“Alright, no problem. But I don't understand why Jenny is being punished. I thought you gave her the freedom to date boys.”

“Yes. She can do whatever she wants with whatever boy she wants. She can fool around as much as she wants. Fool around that is.”

“I don't understand.”

“If she wants to fool around with all the boys at school, I don't care as long as they wear protection. She's a teenager after all, so it's going to happen. But having a boyfriend, that's a different matter. Turns out my Jenny was seeing other boys.”

“She cheated on Jonah?”

“Pretty much. If you want to fool around with other boys, that's okay, but once you decide to be in a relationship, then that boy is the only boy you stay with. Even I know that cheating is a terrible thing.”

“I'm sorry, I didn't know that.”

“No need to apologize on her behalf. This is all a learning process. I'll be having many talks with her about this for sure. As much as I'm fine with her having fun with boys, she has to decide if she's going to get married or not. In fact, I rather she get married rather than live this lifestyle that I went through, but I can't force her to do anything she doesn't want. I'm going to have a lot to tell her now that she's growing up and finding interest in boys. I can't have her destroy her life as I did mine, I got to make sure she doesn't do the same mistakes I did.”

“I see. Well, I wish you luck with that. I guess she's not available to hang out with me today then. I'll be taking my leave.“

“You don't have to leave yet. Why don't you stay? Let's have a chat.”

“Chat? What could we possibly talk about?”

“Well, since the topic was brought up, how about your boyfriend?”

Lucy paused momentarily. She opened her mouth to reply but relented just as quickly. She sighed and followed Mitsy toward the kitchen.

"So, dating a college boy, huh?"

"We're not dating. At least not after that disaster."

"Disastrous date? Oh dear, what did you do?"

"I wish to forget that day."

"That bad, huh? Well, it was your first date. Maybe you should've tried this with one your age instead before moving on to an older boy."

"Are you really okay with me being in love with an older man?"

"Oh, in love. It gets even better. And he likes you back, right?"

"Yes, but is this okay? Because no matter how much I ask online, they keep telling me it's wrong. That he's taking advantage of me and that he's a creep. They don't even know him."

"Asking strangers online was your first mistake. They're so judgmental. That's why I keep telling Jenny to stay away from Twitter and Tiktok. It's a terrible place. The things she picked up from that site. I got some deprogramming to do with that girl."

"But why are you okay with this? I understand that was your life, but why are you so okay with being so open about being... promiscuous. I'm sorry, there's no other way I can say that."

"It's just who I am. I'm just a party girl who likes to have some fun, you know? I've seen it all and there's still much more to see. Nothing really shocks me anymore. Besides, my daughter deserves someone better. I don't mind being her mother but I know she would've been better off with someone else. Instead, she's stuck with me. I'm just doing the best I can with my own philosophies. As for you and Johan, he sounds like a good guy. I presume he's a gentleman. He is keeping his hands to himself, right? He's not touching you or anything?"

"No, I can assure you he's not."

"Then he's fine by my books. As long as he waits till you're good and ready, I find no problem."

"No offense but I'm having a bad feeling about this talk."

"Alright, settle down, Lucy. In that case, just tell what's going on inside you. You're a good girl. A bit nerdy but we could use more people like you. So stop asking strangers online and let me know what is going on."

Lucy took a moment to take a deep breath before continuing, “I need to decide what to do next. Should we be boyfriend and girlfriend, or remain friends? That's what I'm trying to figure out.”

"I had a feeling that was the case, so let's consider both possibilities then. What if you said, 'yes, I will be your wonderful girlfriend' and he takes you in his arms and whisks you away to a wonderful castle where you live happily ever after."

"I don't think that's going to happen."

"But doesn't it sound nice? I mean, I'm sure you've fantasized about something like that."

"I have, I'm embarrassed to admit."

"So what's keeping you from saying yes?"

"Because I'm just... scared, I guess."

"What's scaring you?"

"I guess it's the idea of actually being with an adult. It's not like I can just be his girlfriend, I don't even know what that means. And everybody else will look at us weirdly. I mean, I've noticed people would stare at us whenever we hung out. I don't want that to happen all the time."

"You're afraid of what others will think about you, huh? In that case, what about if you say no? What if you just want to stay friends? Nobody will look at you funny if you're just hanging out. Of course, there's no kissing allowed either. I bet that would be the worse of it."

"Oh... you know?"

With a surprised look on her face, Mitsy replied, “No, I didn't, that was just me teasing you.” Lucy was beyond embarrassed as she covered her red flushed face as Mitsy smiled. "Honey, don't be too embarrassed. I've been kissing men since I was 16."

"Yeah... thanks for the mental image."

"Moving on then, what is the scenario of you two just being friends?"

"Nothing much would change. We'd just do the same thing we've been doing."

"And is that so bad?"

"No. Nothing's wrong with that."

"So why not make that decision?"

"Because we still have feelings for each other. I don't know how he's feeling but I'm sure it's the same thing I'm going through. I really want to be his girlfriend, and I'm sure he wants to be my boyfriend too."

"Yup, sounds about right."

"You know what I'm talking about?"

"Nope. I just said it 'sounds' right. I wouldn't know, I just go out with any cute guy. Is he cute?"

"That's... well... that's subjective."

"Oh, that cute, huh?"

"Will you please stop it? This is going over the line."

"Alright then. In that case, I'm going to tell you what I think. I think you should just decide whatever is best for you."

"That's it?"

"That's it. Whatever you decide is the final decision."

"That's exactly the problem I am having. I don't know what to decide."

“You're misunderstanding me, Lucy. Whatever decision you make doesn't really matter in the end."

"What do you mean?"

"Honey, listen to me. Sometimes we spend so much time thinking about this or that when just making a choice is the best option. It doesn't matter what you choose, as long as you feel it's the right decision. The choices don't matter, it's what you, and only you, believe is the right choice."

"Only me? But Johan is also thinking about this."

"His decision doesn't matter. Whatever he decides is overwritten by yours."

"But that doesn't sound fair."

"Because it isn't. It's to your advantage. Now don't get me wrong, this Johan guy sounds like an upstanding guy, but at the same time, he is much older than you. Even if he is cute, we can't forget he's got more experience than you do. Speaking of which, do you have plans for the future?"

"Kind of. I want to graduate middle and high school, and go to college."

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I want to be a therapist. I want to help people who are going through hard times, as I did."

"Then do just that. Go to college, learn therapy stuff, and get a career in that. Simple."

"Simple? Just like that?"

"Sure. Nothing to it."

"But I got to study hard for that. I mean, I still got to graduate middle school, let alone high school."

"Then do that. Study, graduate, and then go to college. Work hard, get good grades, then graduate. Do all that."

"Mitsy, I don't understand how any of this has to do with Johan."

"Johan is in college too, right? He's doing the same thing, getting his degree in whatever, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Then he graduates, gets his career going, becomes a superstar in whatever."

"Yeah, but where are you going with this?"

"Whatever path you are going in, whatever future you can visualize, tell me, is Johan right there at the end?"

"Uh... I never thought about that, but I'd like to think that he is."

"Now tell me, how is this decision you are making right now going to keep you from reaching your goals? Your dreams? How is the decision you're making going to keep him, or you, from being together in the end?"

"I... don't know. I never considered the future."

"And that's your second mistake." Lucy was perplexed trying to decipher where Mitsy was going with all this as she continued, "You know, my parents were never in my life. Dad left us and mom went to jail when I was very young. Got sent to an orphanage and was raised there. But I wasn't the best at school either and had trouble learning stuff so I didn't graduate high school. I ran away when I was 16 and did what I had to in order to survive. I had pretty looks back then so I survived by being with random strange men, even got to stay in some places for a few weeks. Eventually, I worked my way to being a stripper and earned some good money, did some pornography, and got some fame during my youth. Oh, maybe you are uncomfortable with this part of the story."

"It's fine. I'm kind of familiar with this topic."

“In any case, I'll digress. I eventually got pregnant and had my Jenny. I figured I should quit that industry and live a 'normal' life. That didn't work out. I was still judged for my past. I had a job at a grocery store that hardly paid the bills, and I eventually got fired. I was desperate to make the rent but got too old to go back to the adult lifestyle. That's when I started a YouTube channel, talking about the adult industry. It got me an audience and I started making money. Then OnlyFans came and I did the same thing, just telling my stories. I made enough money to eventually retire.

"In the end, in trying to leave my old life, I had to come back to it. But the irony is that living a normal lifestyle secluded me from society due to my past, but it was that past that welcomed me back with open arms. That lifestyle that everyone shames me for is what saved my life and my daughter's, but it didn't have to be this way if only I had guidance in my early life. What I'm trying to tell you is that your life is dictated by what you do now. You have to think about your future right now when you still have a chance.”

After being in awe at the story, Lucy replied, "That's quite a story you told me."

"And I hope I made my point. Lucy, you are far more fortunate than I am. You have an opportunity to shine when I couldn't. This whole business with Johan is pointless when there's so much more to consider. It doesn't matter what you decide between the two of you. What matters is how it's going to affect your future, and only yours. Let Johan do whatever he's going to do, you have your life to live. Whatever you decide, it has to be to your benefit because you still have much to learn about life. Whether you settle down with him or wait, it can't interfere with your future."

"So are you saying I shouldn't be his girlfriend yet?"

"You can be his girlfriend if you want. Or you can remain friends. It doesn't matter as long as your goals, your ambitions, are not impeded."

"But what about Johan's decision?"

"Johan is an adult, or on his way to adulthood as I see it. He's already figured out what he's going to do, or at least he should at this point. He's been on his path longer than you have. You are no consequence to him whatever you decide. Your path is still being built. It's good that you have a road map, but you still got a long way to go. Do not decide based on the feelings of Johan, or your own feelings even. Consider the path you are taking, and how your decision will impact your life. Whatever you decided, it should have no bearings on your way to success."

"I'm sorry but I don't think this is helping me. I still can't comprehend what you are telling me."

"Then let me put it bluntly. If Johan could dictate your future, what would you want him to tell you?" Lucy sat straight up as if she was pulled upright. The question left an impression on her that she was speechless. "Don't think too hard, Lucy. Just rest on it, let the words simmer, and then later it'll make sense. But don't take my word for it. I'm just telling you my own philosophy. For all I know, maybe it won't actually help you but it's something to consider, I guess."

After the initial impact had faltered, leaving her more profound than when she came in, Lucy smiled. "Thank you, Mitsy."

"Any time. Well then, you can go home now, and hopefully, I gave you something to consider."

"Actually, about that story, you told me. I'm sorry but I got to confess something. My mother, well, she was just like you. She too was a party girl, always going out late at night. But she left me. I only have my dad, and he was also quite neglectful. Only now he's trying to make it up to me but I may never see my mother ever again."

Lucy turned to the side attempting to hide her tears. As she tried to control her sobbing, Mitsy wrapped her arms around from behind and patted Lucy's head. "I'm sorry dear. I'm glad your father is still in your life but looks like not every woman in our shoes can be like me."

Lucy sighed. "Thank you. I guess I just needed that. You resonated with me with your story. Jenny is lucky to have a mom like you."

Mitsy lets her go. "Thank you, dear. But don't worry, I'll be a good mom to you."

"Wait, what? My mom?"

"Yeah. From now on, I'll be your mom. You can be my honorary daughter."

"I... I don't think that's..."

"A bit embarrassed about me?"

"No. I don't judge people."

"Then come over here and be my kid."

"I still have my dad."

"Is that so? Your dad like older women?" Lucy was shocked at what Mitsy asked but after seeing her laugh, she eventually started laughing along. Mitsy patted her on the shoulder. "Lucy, nothing's going to stop you. Just keep your chin up and look towards the good in life. Put the past behind you and look forward to the future. You have a pure heart and we need more people like that. As long as you remain who you are, nothing is going to stop you."

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 71

Juggling the two bags full of groceries, Wendy tilted to the left to reach their pocket only for the bag they were holding beginning to slip. The oranges on top were about to topple onto the ground before a much-needed helping hand reached out and averted disaster.

“I saw you from the window,” Johan said.

“Well thanks,” they responded.

As they entered the apartment, Johan said, “Don't put them away just yet. I need to talk to you.”

“Can't it wait? I mean, I just bought the tea.”

“It won't take long. Just give me a few moments of your time.”

Wendy agreed and after leaving the groceries on the kitchen counter, both headed toward the living room.

Johan exhaled briefly before beginning. "I'll get right to the point. There's this girl I like. In fact, I'm in love with her, but I'm having a dilemma. I've been thinking about it all night long, trying to figure out how to handle this. I have to decide whether or not to be her boyfriend or just stay friends."

"Wait, you have a girlfriend now?"

“That's the thing, should I or shouldn't I?”

“I don't see why not.”

He looks over at Wendy, who was listening attentively with a gleam of excitement. "No matter how much I want to tell you, I'm always held back. Maybe it's because I've lost faith in society, or maybe due to indoctrination. I'm not sure, but just trust me when I tell you that I can't tell you who this girl is, at least not yet."

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. As far as I know, you should just accept her love. I mean, she does love you, right?"

"She does, and she wants to be with me, but even she knows she shouldn't just jump right into it. We're really thinking about this."

"Johan, you're full of mystery, you know? I sometimes wonder who you really are."

"All I can tell you is that I want to be with her, but everybody else keeps telling me I can't... even you."

"Me? But I just said-"

"Trust me, you would say no, and that would be the end of our friendship."

"Really? You really think this girl would break up our friendship?"

"The truth would break this friendship."

"Johan, I don't like how you're saying that."

"But you made it clear."

"When?"

"Again. I can't tell you. I just can't tell you."

"That sounds kind of offending. I mean, why would you think that I would break up our friendship?"

"In that case, let me ask you, what if I left you when you decided to come out? What if I said that I didn't want to be your friend because of who you are?"

"Well, that would be terrible. Johan, are you telling me that-"

"No, Wendy. That's not it."

"I'm sorry Johan but now I'm just more confused than ever. You're not making much sense."

"I know and I'm sorry I can't be clear, but do tell me, what went through your mind about what I said? What if you overheard me saying that I did not approve of who you are and would not want to be your friend anymore."

"Well, I would be sad, and angry, but I would understand."

"You would? I thought you would be furious about this."

"I would. I really would. Nobody wants to be told they don't want to be your friend because of who you are, and I'm no exception, but I also don't want my friends to be dishonest with me. If you don't like me for who I am, then you should just come out and say it. Johan, do you not like me?"

John looked into Wendy's eyes, and then beyond them, trying to find the person he so wanted to see again. "I must confess that I miss the old you. He was cool, collected, kind of thought, but all the same a scatterbrain, but always easy-going and friendly. Now, as Wendy, though you're still the same scatterbrain, you have changed since high school. What hasn't changed are your friends. Your old friends are still around, that includes me. In contrast, you're the only old friend from high school I still have left, and even then that could change in the future. I'm actually quite jealous of you because you have a group of people who support you, but I have none. I lost everyone. So my anguish with you isn't because I don't like the change, it's just that I don't like that you can change, but I can't."

"Johan, I never knew that's how you really felt."

"I guess this is what people call change. Though for me, it's a change for the worse."

"Then why not get it out of your system."

"Get what out?"

"Your aggression. Take it out on me."

"But that's what I'm doing."

"Are you? Because that's the weakest display of indignation I've ever seen."

"But I'm being very rude."

Wendy couldn't help but laugh at Johan's very milquetoast attitude that he felt was coarse enough to feel guilty about speaking his mind. "Are you kidding me? Do you know how many names I've been called? Do you know how many times people have used slurs against me? Far worse things have been thrown my way. Sure, I still have my old friends, but I've made so many haters as well. At least in high school. College is a bit better, but not by much. I guess I got over that phase, but you know what, I don't care what they have to say. I don't care what they think of me. This is the decision I made, and I have to accept it, warts and all. So come on, tell me what you want to tell me. Don't hold back. Say everything you have held up until this point."

"But Wendy, I just did. I really did. I thought what I said was super insensitive and extremely unsupported."

"Is that really all you have? Virtue signaling? That's hardly a scratch for me."

"Well, I guess I'm glad that you can take a hit. I don't have that same kind of protection." Johan got up from the couch and headed back to the kitchen. "I said everything I wanted to say. If that's how you really feel, then I guess that's it. There's no point in getting any advice from you then."

Wendy followed shortly. "Hey, I don't know where you got the idea that you couldn't be with this girl, especially since I didn't even know you were the type to actually fall in love. In fact, I don't recall you ever finding interest in girls when we were in high school. So this is a bit of a surprise to hear from you."

"That's why I figured your advice wouldn't actually help me. Just forget I said anything."

"In that case, I'll just give you a universal piece of advice. Something that transcends anything you believe is my opinion or anyone else's. It's simple: Just do what makes you happy."

"That's your advice?"

"Take it from me. Sometimes people will tell you terrible things, they'll call you horrible names behind your back, even if they didn't know they did. The world will be against you, forcing you to conform to a belief you don't want to be a part of. But I say just forget about them, tell them all to go to Heck. Just do what you think is right. I mean, it worked for me. I'm just saying that if I can't support you in your time of need, if I can't accept you for who you are, then I'm not a very good friend. After all, I don't want my friends to be dishonest with me. If someone doesn't approve of me, I'd rather they be honest and take their leave, than stay and pretend that everything is fine. If I'm not being supportive, if I'm saying things behind your back, then you should tell me about it. I can't be a good friend if I mock you without even knowing it."

"You really think that?"

"Sure. If you really think I will disapprove of who you are, then I should know."

"I just said our friendship was on a thin thread."

"But do you really want to be my friend under these pretenses?"

"No, I don't. I really want us to be honest with each other."

"Then why not? You were honest with me just now and I've been honest with you for years. In fact, I will admit, you're not the kind of person who would do something bad. You're the most wholesome person I know. You're so honest and respectful. I have a feeling this girl you like has changed you and I want to say that it's all her fault, but I know you, Johan. If you say you love her, I believe you. If you say you can't be with her but you want to, I'll believe you. And if you say that this girl will break up our friendship, well, I'll believe you too."

"So you really are prepared for that?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you going to be sad or anything like that?"

"Of course, I will."

"But what if you end up hating me."

"Hating you?"

"What if the secret I hold will make you hate me forever."

"Johan, you're being kind of... weird right now. What did you do exactly? Did you murder someone?"

Johan sighed. "The thing is Wendy, it's who I am that may lead you to hate me. Maybe what I've done just recently, if I told you, you would probably think I was a despicable person."

Wendy's face showed confusion. "Are you for real? It's that bad?"

"That's what I've come to accept after everything I've been through. You could be the best person in the world, but even your best friends will abandon you by simply telling them the truth."

"I want to say that won't be me... but now I'm kind of afraid of asking what it is."

"Well, that's the truth. Things are changing before our very eyes, but we have yet to accept the truth. As you said, Wendy, if I didn't approve of you, the friendship would be over. The only reason why this friendship prevails is that I have nothing really against you as a person. But there was a possibility that was not the case. But I learned recently during all this that sometimes the truth hurts and a lie may be better if it keeps a friendship going."

"That's terrible advice."

"From one to another, I guess. I'm sorry but that's the only thing I've come up with because I'm in love with a girl. I love her so much. Nothing is getting in my way to be with her. I'm sorry to say but, if I have to choose, I choose her. I choose Lucy."

Leaving them with a soured look on their face, Johan passed by them and went into his room.

Laying on his bed, contemplating, he thought to himself, 'In the end, I couldn't say anything. I'm sorry Edwin but maybe Wendy is not working out. I respect them for who they are but I don't think I like them as much as I liked you. If, or when, I tell them about Lucy, then will be the deciding factor. Either way, I guess this is goodbye, old friend.'

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 70

“This is becoming our spot," Lucy said.

"It's all a coincidence, really," Johan responded. "It's right in front of the train after all. It's quite a convenient spot for anyone."

“But we're not taking the train. This is just a random spot we chose.”

“I guess you're right,” Johan chuckled.

"How about we meet somewhere else, next time?"

"Sure. I'm all up for a change of pace."

She smiled as she got off her seat and with a bit of excitement, both headed toward the small park.

The sun was out, shining brightly, the puddles on the pavement now becoming damp spots. It was a beautiful day for a stroll but the situation did call for exploration as a more important matter was at hand.

"So, you're living with your dad now?" Johan asked.

"I moved in with him, only to find out he has to move out. He quit the company and his parents are suing him over it. He wants to get a good lawyer which will cost him a lot of money. We're looking to move to a smaller place."

"But have things improved between you two?"

"Yeah. He's trying. He's really trying. I sometimes feel like I'm the parent with the way he acts. I mean, he used to hire someone to cook his meals and clean his house. He has no idea how to take care of himself. He was acting so silly when I was teaching him." She chuckled a bit. "I guess he really did dedicate his life to his job. He's so... robotic in a way. It's like he can't do anything unless it involves work. I'm sure he'll get a good job but it's going to take some time to teach him how to be... uh... normal?"

"I still can't believe parents like this exist."

"If there's anything I learned about this is that we all have our own problems. My dad will talk about everything. All I know is that I'm loved now, and it's all thanks to you."

"Me? I haven't done anything."

"You have no idea how much you've helped me."

"I didn't do anything. I made everything worse. I gave you terrible advice and... almost lost you."

Lucy got in front of Johan and with a smile, "Tell me, why were you in the beach on that stormy night?"

"Because Margaret wanted to go."

"But you didn't want to go, did you?"

"No. I didn't."

"Why not?"

"Because it reminded me of the past. It reminded me of the good times that were gone. It reminded me of the last time I had friends. It reminded me... of you."

"And you went anyway, didn't you? Because you knew the train station was there, and you knew I was riding the train. So you planned it all out, when the train came by and came to a stop, at the exact spot I was in, you started screaming for me. Johan, don't be so modest. Just say you planned it all out."

"But I didn't. In fact, I couldn't. I ignored your plea. I was completely remorseful when-"

Lucy grabbed Johan's collar and pulled him down gently, placing her finger on his lips, "It's okay to be modest every now and again. You think too much, Johan. Just confess. You had it all planned out. You knew what train I was in and what stop I was going to be in. You even knew how fast to run so that the door would close before you got close." She let go to allow Johan to straighten up. Lucy put her hands on her hips and raises her eyebrows as she waited for her answer.

With uncertainty in his voice Johan answered, "Yeah. I planned it all out."

Lucy shoved him gently. "Stop lying. You're not that smart."

"But you said that...."

Lucy started laughing so much that she had to lean against him. "You're so silly, Johan. You're no different than my dad. Maybe he's right. Maybe I am more mature than everyone around me."

"Yeah, maybe you're right. We're all a bunch of softies in the end."

Both had a good laugh at each other and after calming down, they continued their walk.

"I kind of left you hanging when my dad came,” Lucy said. “I'm sorry about that."

"It's fine. You needed to talk to your dad, after all. I had things to consider myself. Though I must confess I haven't actually done anything. I still need to reconcile with Wendy and Margaret to some extent. I talked to her a bit and apologized for making her take an Uber. We were on a date after all, which still feels weird to say."

"A date, huh? "

"I said I was sorry."

"I'm just teasing you. I get it. Margaret and Wendy sound nice. I would like to meet your friends."

"Friends? I haven't been a good friend in years."

"Would you like me to be with you when you talk to them? Kind of give you support."

"No. I need to do this myself. I got to make amends with Wendy and Margaret. I swore to them I was moving on with my life, but looks like I can't do that without facing my insecurities. Besides, they'll find it weird I made friends with a middle-schooler. That's just how it is, I guess.”

"That's kind of rude. I take back my comment. I don't think you should be friends with them.” Lucy chuckled.

"Yeah, I get it, but it's not like they're rude or mean. It's just that-"

"Johan, I'm kidding. Really, you need to lighten up."

"I know. I got a lot to make it up to them. I want to go back to being the guy I was in high school. I want to have a lot of friends. I don't want to be lonely anymore."

"That's great. I'll try to make friends myself too. I won't be going anywhere anymore, so I won't be afraid to lose anyone else."

"Then I guess times are going to be tough for the both of us, but I'm sure we'll make it."

"But what about us?"

"Us?"

"Yeah. You and me. What about us?"

Johan paused and scratched his face a bit, "Yeah. Us."

"Do you still believe in the dreams?"

"Now that I'm more rational in thought, I really don't know what to make of the dream. I mean, I've investigated the dream before and nothing turned up. I really don't... I'm doing it again, just ranting on."

"Tell me, what do you think about the dreams? Do you still think you're reincarnated?"

"I really don't know. Perhaps I am his reincarnation, or perhaps it's all a coincidence. Do you believe you are the reincarnation of the girl in the dream?"

"Hmm. Maybe. I mean, we have the same dream. And I feel the same emotions she goes through. And perhaps... the same emotions you are going through."

"Really? Well, whether or not the dream means anything, all I'm going to say is that I am Johan, college student, living in the 21st century... who is in love with middle-school student Lucy."

Lucy covered her mouth as she turned around all giddy. "Well, actually, do you remember... you know... at the train station in that strange city... under the rain... and... when we met up... after you said you loved me...? Remember what happened next?"

Johan thought for a moment before answering, "Yeah, I remember vividly. You had a gyro, didn't you?"

"Huh?"

"Alfio."

"Alfio?"

"You had a gyro from Alfio, the little greek restaurant not too far from the train station. You bought a gyro before you got on the train, right? That was pretty good. I feel like a gyro right now, don't you think."

Lucy thought about it for a bit before she shoved Johan, "That's what you remember from that?"

"What else is there to remember other than the delicious gyros from Alfio's? In fact, it's not too far from here. Let's go get one."

Lucy playfully slapped Johan who was laughing. "Okay, but you're paying. After all, that was just a free sample." She proceeded to make kissing gestures in a mocking manner which made Johan laugh even harder.

She got close to him, wrapped her arms around him by the side, and he pulled her closer into his as they continue their walk in the park.

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Dream 5

Dream of the Eternal Lovers

An impasse was the young man's first thought as there were no other roads around him, but it was a matter of fact that he was in the middle of two roads. One towards a made out of ice, and the other to a forest, as dark as it was mysterious. There were no signs to tell him what each was and his only familiarity was the city. When he looked upon the city, all the residents were at each other's throats.

“This is my ice!” said one to another in argument.

“No, it is my ice!”

“You have enough ice. Let me have some.”

“You have too much. Why don't you share?”

And throughout this city, all denizens were fighting for all the ice that was abundant. The buildings, the streets, the cars, the lamps, the food, all was ice and each person was fighting to keep all of it for themselves.

He looked the other way and saw the forest peaceful and quiet, but eyes peered through the shadows. A cold wind was blowing through that gave him quite the chill. The sun was shining but the trees were so dense that few rays of light could peer through.

There was nobody in this forest, except for one person: the young-girl waiting for him on the outskirts.

He looked back at the city, its commodities, its comforts, its resonance to familiarity. Yet, the screams and shouts of the selfish people who kept hoarding ice made him feel uneased for he did not want any more ice, he had no love for it. He could not understand why many were fighting for ice even if it meant fighting their friends, neighbors, and even their family.

He returned his sight to the forest, so full of mystery, full of dread. But the girl beckoned him.

It was at this time that an old wise man appeared on the road. “You are at the crossroad of your life,” spoke the elderly man. “It is time to choose a path.”

“I know of her,” said the Young-man. “I have known her for so long. We have never been together for more than a mere moment before being taken away. Now she wants me to enter a dark forest.?”

“It is up to you to decide where to go. She can come along, or you can go with her. You decide the road you must take and you can even decide who you take with.”

“If I go back to the city, they will expect me to lust for ice. I do not care about ice.”

“Then what is it that you desire?”

The Young-man looked back at the girl waiting by the forest and said, “I want her to come with me and live in the city of ice, for she too does not want the ice, I know of this.”

“Then why not take her? Do you fear that the people will insult you for not wanting ice?“

“I must confess that I do fear them for that reason.”

“Why do you fear them for that?”

“Because I want them to like me.”

“But do you like them?”

The Young-man thought for a moment before answering, “I don't know anymore.”

“Then when was the last time you cared about them?”

“When I wanted ice for myself. But I wasn't selfish, or at least I didn't believe so. When I saw my friend decide to share their ice, they were seen as a hero. I followed their example and shared my ice, but I was seen with scorn and they acted most maliciously. I wanted to share the ice and lost all my friends. A strange phenomenon happened after that. Even though the ice was around me, I could not take any more. Not even one icicle would stay in my hand for it would melt before my eyes. I kept telling people I could not grab the ice and they mocked me for it, telling me ice was no longer in my favor. That is why I left the city and now I stand before a dark forest. I must admit that even though I despise ice, I do miss the times when I loved it. But now I have come to loathe ice and want no part in it.”

“Young-man, there is nothing you can do to change them. To tell them not to hoard ice when it's all around them, they will think you are mad. There is nothing you can do except live for yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“If ice does not matter to you, then do not take the ice. If they insult you for not wanting ice, then walk past them. The people are so caught up in gathering ice, they have no time to deal with you, and even if they do, when they realize that all the time spent on mocking you gave them no ice, they will leave you be. You need not pay attention to them, for you will not be worth the effort in the end.”

When the old wise man said his final words, the Young-man devified for a moment before walking over to the dark forest where the Young-girl was waiting.

“Let us leave this forest. This forest is lonely and cold. I tire of dealing with its mysteries, never finding an answer. Come, to the city, but not for ice, but because we do not want ice. Perhaps one day the people will see us, happy, smiling, full of joy. They will mock us but perhaps, someday, when they see our merry life, then maybe they'll see themselves in the mirror, see their own miserable faces, and realize that too much of a good thing spoils the spirit. Won't you come with me and face the ridicule that will come to pass?”

He reached out his hand and she with a smile on her face placed her hand on his. “I will go wherever you go, no matter what the consequences, for as long as you are with me, anything is possible.”

Hand in hand, both started walking back to the city of ice, leaving the dark forest behind them forever.

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 69

"Maybe she's out looking for me?" Lucy said after knocking on her apartment door for the third time.

"Then call her."

When she dialed her mother's number, a faint jingle could be heard from inside the apartment.

"Huh? Hello?" She heard Carry's coarse voice through the phone.

"Mom? Are you home?"

"Who is this?"

"It's me, Lucy."

"Lucy, what are you doing calling me at this hour?"

"Mom, are you asleep?"

"I was taking a nap after a few drinks."

"Mom, I'm outside. Come open the door."

"What? Outside... What are you doing outside?"

Norman signaled to hand over the phone. "Carry, it's me. Open the door."

“Nathan, I told you I don't want to see you anymore. Either get the money or-”

“It's Norman, you idiot.”

"Norman? What are you doing? Why am I getting so many calls this late at night? Did you just call me an idiot?"

"Carry, your daughter has run away and you are sleeping? Come open this door right now!"

"What!? Oh, that's right, Lucy ran away. Oh gosh. What am I going to do?"

Lucy took her phone back. "Mom, I'm right here. Open the door."

"Lucy, is that you?"

"Yes, open the door."

The lights of the living room seep through the doorway before the door opens. "Lucy, where have you been? You just disappeared out of nowhere. I was worried sick!"

"Were you?" Norman responded. "If you were so worried, why were you in bed sleeping?"

"Norman, what are you doing here? You come to my apartment uninvited and then start yelling at me."

"You disgust me, Carry. When are you going to grow up?"

"Oh, shut up. Who are you calling disgusting? How dare you talk to me like that."

"You guys!" Lucy said loudly. "Can we go inside and talk about this?"

"I'm not talking to him," responded Carry. Norman pushed her aside as he makes his way in. "Who told you you could enter my apartment? How dare you! I can call the police, you know."

"If anyone is going to call the police, it's me. You're so neglectful that you don't even care what happens to our daughter."

"And yet here you are bringing her back. I knew she was with you all this time, so I wasn't worried at all."

"She was on a train heading to a unknown city while you were getting drunk."

"Don't assume what I was doing! Who says I wasn't worried! I called the police so they were going to handle it."

"But I didn't see you out there looking for her."

Lucy stepped in front of them, "Stop it! Stop it you two!" She then turned to her father, "I didn't bring you here to yell at mom."

"That's right!” Carry said, “All he does is yell at me."

"Mom, you're no better. I did run away. I was on a train heading to a different city. I was about to disappear forever."

"You what? Lucy, what drove you to do such a thing?"

"You did. Both of you, but I already made up with dad and he said he was going to change his ways. Now it's your turn."

"For what exactly?"

"What do you think?" Norman interjected. "I was appalled to see that you were no different than when we got married. You still want to party all day at your age. When will you finally grow up?"

"Why are you putting the blame on me?" Carry said. "You were supposed to be my husband. You were supposed to take care of me."

"Do you even know why we got married? You were supposed to help me with the business."

"I don't know anything about business. I thought a wife was just supposed to support her husband emotionally."

"And you couldn't even do that. You just wanted to spend all day shopping."

"You guys!" Lucy interrupted. "Please stop. This has gone long enough. I get it, you don't like each other, but screaming and yelling isn't going to solve anything."

Both groaned as they faced away from each other. "This was a bad idea," Norman said. "We have nothing to talk about."

"You bet we don't," Carry said.

Lucy turned to her mother, "Dad told me everything. Now it's your turn. You have to tell me about yourself."

"That doesn't sound right. This is adult stuff."

"But I'm your daughter, and you've been ignoring me for too long."

"I haven't been ignoring you. When did I ever ignore you?"

"All the time. You're never here at home. You always leave me alone."

"Well, I have a job, I have to go to work."

"But after work, you come back just to change clothes. You then go who knows where, coming back home drunk afterward."

"I sometimes have stress from work. I'm not used to having a job, so I go and unwind. But I find time to hang out with you."

"Then tell me, when was the last time we spent time together?"

"Uh... I'm sure we went to buy some clothes a few weeks ago."

"Weeks ago?"

"Well, I'm busy. The divorce is messy and my parents aren't sending me any more money. I just want to forget my troubles, okay? You don't understand what I'm going through."

"You can't be this selfish."

"And what if I am? What if I am a selfish spoiled daddy's girl? Huh?"

"Mom, how can you admit to that?"

The atmosphere became intimidating as Norman and Lucy stared at her, one with scorn and the other with concern. "Why are you blaming me? I don't know anything, okay? I was just trying to do what daddy said. I was just trying to obey his orders. It's his fault. It's Norman's fault as well. He was supposed to take care of everything. He's a man, isn't he? It's the man who takes care of the woman, okay? Why am I being blamed for everything? What... what am I being blamed for?" The situation started getting to her as Carry sat on the couch. With tears in her eyes, she continues, "I don't know what it's like to be a wife, or mother, or whatever. I didn't do good at school. All I knew is that if I did what daddy told me, he would take care of me forever. Why am I being yelled at now? Why is daddy now abandoning me? It's not fair! It's not fair! He won't even answer my phone calls, just tells me to get back with that disgusting man! I don't want to be married, I didn't want to be a mom! I'm still young, I just want to have fun! I just want to go to cruises and casinos and have fun with young men." Carry laid on the couch, sobbing on the pillow.

Norman groaned, "This is pathetic. You are a grown woman yet Lucy acts more mature than you do." He shook his head and sighed. "This is who your mother really is. I'm sorry you have to see this, but this is the reality. Come on, it's over now."

He grabbed Lucy's arm but she released herself from him, went up to her mother, sat next to her and placed her hand on her shoulders. "Mom, I'm sorry that your Dad isn't talking to you. I'm sorry that you're not living a life of luxury and that you have no money. But if it makes you feel better, I'll be here for you. No matter how bad things get, I won't leave you. Maybe I can't provide you with luxuries or give you any money, but I will always love you, Mom. I will do anything to make you happy."

Carry looked at Lucy who was near in tears, but despite this show of emotion, Carry got up and headed towards her room.

Hearing the door slam, wiping her tears, Lucy sat straight on the couch. "I'll stay here tonight."

After looking at the direction Carry went, Norman turned around exited the apartment.

--

She was already out of bed, ready to make breakfast when Carry's door was discovered opened. Even more so, the note taped on the door. Barely able to grasp it anymore, it fluttered into the floor after reading it. The words now stuck in her mind.

Lucy, I thought about this and I can't do this. I don't know anything, I'm too dumb to figure anything out on my own. This whole thing has just messed me up. I can't talk to daddy about this as he refuses to talk to me. I guess Norman can talk to him for me, but I'm too scared of him. Besides, I don't like being a mother. I don't get to go out on dates, or drink in the evening, or have any fun. It's too much work for me and nobody taught me how to work. All I can do is be a stripper and dance for money, get free drinks, and have a good time with men. But I'm getting older now and nobody wants me anymore. I'm so alone now, nobody told me how to be an adult. I'm just a big child myself.

You're so smart that you don't need me. You can do anything because you're smart. I'm too stupid to do anything myself. That's why it's best if I leave and never come back. I'm sorry but I'm a terrible mother, and I'll own up to that. You can do whatever you want because you're way smarter than me. I don't know what to do about anything anymore. I'm just a spoiled brat without a future. All want to do is have fun and not have responsibilities. That is why I decided to find a rich man to marry and take care of me forever. I don't care what he wants me to do. If he wants me to do dirty and nasty things, I'll do it, as long as I can live the life of luxury I've only known. That is all that I am, and nothing more. You are better than me, Lucy, so you can go ahead and forget about me. You have a future, but I don't.

All Lucy could do was sob as she leaned against the wall staring at the window.

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 68

"It's not what you think," said Johan as he blocked another attack.

"I know where this is going, you pervert!" Norman replied as he swung his arm toward Johan's face.

"Dad, please," Lucy shouted. "Just listen to us."

As Norman went for another attack, Johan saw an opening to push him away causing his feet to slip and fall on the wet ground. Norman goes in to finish him off but is stopped when Lucy got between the two. "Dad, what are you doing? Calm down."

"Get away from him. I won't let him take you away."

"He was going to drive me home."

"He's lying. He's going to kidnap you."

Johan got to his feet, “There's been a misunderstanding."

"Shut up, you pervert!" Norman said as he attempted to grab him again.

Lucy got between them once again and pushed her father away. "Stop hurting him. You're not thinking straight." This gesture from his daughter had an effect on him as he stopped his onslaught.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Lucy asked Johan.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Johan replied.

"Lucy," Norman said after calming down, "what are you doing with this man? You know you're not supposed to be talking to strangers."

"What stranger? He's been my friend for some time now."

"But what are you doing late at night? I went to your mother's place and you were not there. Why are you buying a train ticket in the middle of the night and running off to unknown city with a strange man?"

"He is not a stranger, he's my friend, and I wasn't running away with him. I was running away by myself, but he managed to find me."

"Lucy, you got to understand how I feel right now, seeing my only daughter with a strange man."

"If anyone is a stranger, it's you!"

"What?"

"I don't recall a father treating their daughter as an employee. I don't recall a father demanding an appointment from their own family. I don't recall a father missing their daughter's birthdays or their graduation. You might as well not be my father but a complete stranger!"

Norman froze in place as her words sent an unnerving displeasure into his very spirit. "Johan, you're getting a bruise on your face,” Lucy said still tending to Johan.

"Yeah, but I'm fine." Johan replied.

"I have some cream that could work in my bag. Let me get."

Johan sat on the passenger side as Lucy went into the back to get her duffle bag. Once she found it, she turned her attention back to Johan. “Here's the cream. Let me apply it.”

“I can apply it myself. Besides, I got wet again.”

"Alright, if you insist.”

All this transpired as Norman watched, seeing Lucy being so caring and concerned for a man he hardly knew but she knew too well. He turned around and started walking away but stopped when he heard footsteps approaching him.

"I told him to go home," Lucy told her father. Norman turned his attention to the car backing up from the parking spot and eventually driving off but not before Johan waved at Lucy. She waved back as the car exited the parking lot.

–

"I'm sorry that I yelled at you," Lucy said as they drove down the highway.

"No, don't apologize," Norman said as he turned off the windshield wipers. "I understand now. In fact, I should be the one apologizing. I now finally realize the error of my ways. My great-grandfather's company was passed on to my grandfather, then to my father and will soon be passed on to me. We have all been devoted to keeping the company going, but in order to achieve this, we had to sacrifice ourselves to it. My grandfather always said that poverty was the worse fate a person could be cursed with and he wanted to make sure we were never poor. However, what was once a way to survive has now become nothing but greed. When I was your age, my father told me that I must work harder to keep the company going and it was my life's devotion to keeping it going, but in the end I've realized that I've given up too much of my life devoted to something so arbitrary.

"He wanted me to quit school and work for him when I was your age. I never had a high school graduation or went to college. I didn't have any friends or went on dates. It was all about the survival of the company and obeying my father. He kept telling me that money was everything and that poverty is misery. It didn't help that we were surrounded by luxury, so we were spoiled. He didn't want this life of ours to end, and neither did I. But it wasn't until I was asked to marry a woman I hardly met that I started realizing that something was wrong."

"You mean, mom?"

"Yes. By the time I married her, I was in my late-20's and I had to become a family man in order to inherit the company. But the choice wasn't mine. I had to marry the daughter of a CEO who owned another company and this marriage would lead to a merger between two companies. That woman was extremely spoiled. Not that I wasn't spoiled myself but I was disciplined, your mother was not educated in such things. She was a party girl to say the least. She didn't want to be held down but her family insisted she get married and have children believing that was going to finally snap her out of this childish state she's still in."

"You never wanted to marry mom?"

"Not at first. I'd thought it could work out, maybe we could be a loving couple after marriage, but the reality was I just married her because I was ordered to do so. I was told to marry her for the good of the company, and at the time, I was still obedient with no questions asked. But the marriage was a disaster. She was too outgoing and a hard drinker. She just wanted to spend my money and not take any responsibilities in the business. I complained to my father and her parents but all he said was that it was my responsibility. What responsibility? She's supposed to be an adult. It all came to a head when I discovered that she was having an affair with multiple men. I tried confronting her about it but she just didn't care. She just doesn't care about anyone but herself. To think this woman was making me miserable, and even after giving birth to our daughter, she was still acting very immature.

"I was so angry that I wanted a divorce, and our parents were furious with me to even think about it, but we separated regardless of what they think. I just want this divorced over with. I'm still fighting with both parents. They demand I return to that horrible life, it disgusts me that all they care about is their money. They don't even care about their granddaughter, even decrying me for not giving them a proper heir, as if this was some kind of royal family in the dark ages. What is wrong with them! I can't believe they would fight to give that woman custody over-"

"Dad!"

Norman snapped back to reality as he noticed his hands were red from gripping the steering wheel so much. "Sorry. I lost my train of thought."

"So what you're saying is that you left the company?"

"Not yet. I'm still under some contract I don't remember signing. I'm right now fighting to get out of it. I'm still technically a partial owner."

"So why did you keep insisting I work for you? Why did you keep saying I should quit school and devote myself to the company if you regret doing that?"

"At the time, I was just obeying orders. It's only now that I've opened my eyes and woke up to the reality of my situation. But at the same time, this is all I've known. I don't know anything about being a father. I don't know what the first thing is about being a husband either. All I know is how to work and do business. Nobody taught me to be anything else, so I wouldn't know what to say. I'm sorry Lucy but you're right. I might as well be a stranger to you."

A sight she had never seen before had developed in front of her eyes. Seeing her father remorseful, his face displaying agony, his body posture showing defeat. For so long his humanity was desperate to emerge, hiding the cold-hearted man he was before, and was finally revealing how he truly felt after so long.

"No, Dad. I'm sorry for saying that. You're not a stranger. You're my father."

"But I've ignored you for so long. It never occurred to me that I was so neglectful until you told me that you were seeing an older man. I got so scared when you said that. I was mortified when you were not at your mother's house. When I learned that you bought a train ticket to run away, I felt like I was about to lose a part of myself and it would be all my fault. How could I call myself your father when this all happened."

"But Dad, you're here now. And even if I did run away to another city, now I know you would come looking for me. Maybe I would have been mad, but at least I would know that you really did care about me. If you really were a terrible father, I would still be in that train, or at least going home with Johan instead of you. You wouldn't know that I was running away. You wouldn't even know that I existed." She stopped herself as she started wiping the tears emerging. Noman reached into the glove compartment to offer her handkerchief. She accepted and wiped her tears away. "Thank you for looking for me. Thank you for acknowledging that I exist."

With a serious look in his eyes, "Do not thank me, because that's the worst thing a father can do to their child. If anything, I should be apologizing a thousand times and more, and never expect an apology for any one of them."

"But I do forgive you, Dad."

"Do you actually forgive me?"

"I don't want to hate you. I just want to love you, like a daughter should love her father. Like a father should love their daughter."

Norman exhaled. "Will you really forgive your father? Will you forgive this flawed human before you who doesn't deserve any mercy?"

Lucy unbuckled her seat belt and gave her father a big hug. It was so unexpected that the car swerved. As he rectified the car with one hand, he gave Lucy a hug with the other.

When Lucy returned to her seat and Norman composed himself, "Come home with me, Lucy. I promise I won't see you as an employee anymore. I refuse to work for that stupid company from here on. I don't care about their stupid contracts. I will quit the first thing in the morning. Come live with me, I will make sure you get everything you need from here on."

"But what about mom?"

"The last time I saw her, she did not change. Your mother is not a very good person and doesn't seem to be interested in being a parent. She's not taking care of you at all."

"But even still, she's my mom. I can't just abandon her, even if she did abandon me."

"Lucy, your mother just wants to do whatever she wants. She has no sense of responsibility. She didn't even know you were gone when I went and visited you. Do you understand? Your mother has practically abandoned you."

"But I just can't leave her. I got to at least say something to her."

"I'm telling you, your mother wouldn't care at all."

"Even so, it's not fair to just pass her off like this."

"Lucy, I've known her longer than you have. I'm telling you-"

"I don't care what you have to say. I'm not going to abandon her. I want to talk to her, and I want you to be there with me."

"I have already made myself clear about this. I have nothing to say to her."

"But you have to. Regardless of whether you like her or not, you're both my parents. All three of us are connected. Abandoning her would be no different than leaving me on that train."

After a few moments of thought about this, "Okay, you win. Then let's head over to your mother's apartment and talk about this."

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 67

“You turned off your brain?” Lucy asked confused.

“That's how she said it,” Johan replied. “I don't know what I did but apparently it seemed to work, though I feel I was quite reckless in doing so.”

“I figured after everything you did to get here. You're completely soaked, you could've caught a cold.”

“That's why I have the car heater on at full blast. I'll be parked here for some time since I can't drive with it on this high of a setting, but I'd rather not drive with wet socks on anyway."

Lucy looked at the back of the car seeing her sweater damped but not as drenched as Johan's blazer sitting right next to it. Being so close to the heater, Johan's shirt was beginning to dry out while his pants would require far more time. She rubbed her arm, feeling her shirt hardly touched by the rain. “So what happens next?” She asked.

Johan stared at lights from outside permeating the fogged windshield for a moment before answering, “I don't know myself. This is a queer situation we've gotten ourselves into. But considering everything we've gone through, all the pain, the sorrow, the idea of being neglected by those we trusted and love, it surely is an experience to finally be ourselves, even if it is a private matter. But as I said before, I regret everything I have done up to this point. I felt like I was not allowed to be myself due to the circumstances, but in the end, I was just playing the role of the jester for everyone else. At least that's how it feels. I'd like to think my friends meant well, but at this point, I really don't know who to trust anymore.”

“But you have friends, right?”

“I guess, but I can't talk to them, at least not anymore. I tried to, but it always ended up with them leaving me. That's why I stopped making friends. What few I had left either left me eventually or are about to. I guess this is my life now.”

As Johan was in thought, he unknowingly placed his hand on the gear shift which was followed by Lucy placing hers on top of his. He turned his head to find her smiling. “You can always talk to me. I'll listen to any problems you have. I won't judge you. Just as I can talk to you because I know you'll understand what I'm going through.”

Johan placed his other hand on top of hers. “Thank you, Lucy.”

“But, Johan,” she removed her hand. “What does this make of us? Are we officially a couple?”

Johan took a moment to breathe before answering, “I know we've reconciled but a decision hasn't been made. I confessed my love for you but that doesn't make it official. I want to be with you forever, never to leave you again, but I can't just make this decision on a whim. I know at least that much. We're going to have to think about this.”

“We? But I already-”

“No, Lucy. You can't just make this decision right now, especially after all we've been through. But let's not worry about this for the time being. Our clothes should be dry enough. How about we just go home tonight? I could use some rest after all this madness.”

“Going home to an empty apartment doesn't sound like a good idea to me.”

“In that case, would you like me to accompany you?”

“You would?”

“Of course. I told you, I'm never going to let feel sorrow ever again. I don't want you to return to a cold and isolated home. I'll go with you and even stay with you all night if you want.”

Lucy nodded and smiled. “I would like that.”

Johan turned down the heat and wiped the foggy windows with his hand. Lucy did the same for hers revealing the rain's intensity now decreasing. It was clear enough to notice a frantic man running around in the parking lot.

Both of them looked at each other with confusion. “He must be quite crazy to be out in the right like this. I bet that's what I look like when I turn off my brain. I don't think I'll be turning it off any time soon.” Lucy chuckled as he turned on the headlights. This got the crazed man's attention who turned to them.

“Oh, he saw us. We better go before he comes here and-”

“Dad?” Lucy uttered. She leaned in close but eventually unlocked the door and stepped outside.

“Dad, is that you?”

“Lucy?” Said the man blinded by the lights.

“It is you!”

Johan turned off the lights and when the man got his eyesight back, the first thing he saw was Lucy standing next to a car he did not recognize. “Lucy?” His eyes darted to the other side where Johan was standing. “Lucy, get away from that car.”

“Dad, what are you doing here?”

“What are you doing to my daughter?” Norman said as he walked towards Johan.

“Hold on, Sir. There's been a misunderstanding,” said Johan.

“You better let her go right now!”

“Wait, hear me out...” But before he could say another word, Norman's fist flew right into his face.

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 66

The rain reached its heaviest, showing no signs of relenting, but Johan kept driving as if his life depended on it. Whether it was a miracle or the old charging dock still had some life left before finally dying, as long as it had enough charge to read the email before dying again, he was thankful for it. Finally realizing the error of his ways, he continued his drive on the highway.

Arriving at the train station in the city, with his umbrella in hand, he ran towards the usual spot only to find it empty. Not a soul was present in the entire train station. A panic hits him as thoughts of terrible possibilities run through his mind. Blame and agony were rearing itself, but his determination didn't allow him to give up. “She probably stopped at the beach. Maybe she's waiting for me there.”

Returning back to the beach, climbing the slippery steps as fast as he could, he arrived at the platform. It was just as empty as the one in the city with the exception of wet footprints left behind. “Could one of these footprints be hers? Did she board the last train? Did I barely miss her? Was I too late? Or maybe they aren't, and I'm here early. Maybe the next train coming, she'll be there. Or maybe... maybe... she already disappeared.”

He walked forward toward the large opening area where Lucy once ran with excitement to see the sun setting over the ocean for the first time. The rain was so heavy that the area was now a tiny lake as Johan's shoes were deep in. “The love of my life,” he uttered to himself but the rain drowned out his voice. He continued even louder, “how could I have been so foolish? This is all my fault. I am an idiot. How could I listen to everyone else by myself? Why did I trust everyone when even they couldn't give me an answer? I shouldn't have listened. They don't know me. They don't know who I am. They only make assumptions about me. They never cared about me, only their own self-interests! This is all their fault.” Another train was passing by, adding to the loud noise that further drowned out his voice, causing him to speak even louder. “No, this is all my fault. I should've stood up on my own two feet. I should've been making my own decisions instead of letting everyone tell me what to do. I'm in love with Lucy. I'm in love with that girl. I don't care what anyone thinks anymore. I don't care about your stupid opinions. I don't care if she's younger than me by a decade. I'm in love with her. I love you Lucy. I love you so much. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything for you. If only I had a second chance, I would declare my love and tell you that I want to be with you forever. I would hug you and never let go. Not even a thousand people would pry us apart. Lucy, I love you! I always have and I always will!” The weight of his stress caused his knees to falter and drop to the ground.

His tears were joining the raindrops as they joined the small river that his hands were dipping in. But with determination even though he didn't know where it came from, he got back up on his feet. "How many times have I beaten myself up? How many times have I blamed myself? Yes, this is all my fault, but crying won't do anything. Margaret is right, I'm not a man. I'm just a child. I'm still that child from high school. That pathetic fool who got too comfortable with acquiescing. I've had enough. That stops now, and this time I mean it. Even if I have to push what little friends I have left, I will no longer be pushed around anymore. Lucy, I'm going to find you. I'll spend the rest of my life if I have to. I have nothing anymore. Everything was taken away from me, and you're my everything. I don't care about college, or my grades, or my future. I don't care about my present state or my current friends. I don't care about my past either. The only thing that mattered to me is you, Lucy. Only you! Please, wait for me! Wait for me Lucy! Don't disappear. Not like this."

"Johan..." A quivering voice was heard a distance away, but even with the rain battering him, it rang as clearly as if it were on an empty hallway. It was such a familiar voice that Johan couldn't help but look at the train behind, the doors wide open, and a single passenger sitting on the seats watching him.

Even in the dimness of the train's worn-out lights, she shone so brightly to him as she clutched her chest.

"Johan..." Lucy uttered once again with a look of desperation. It was such a sight for Johan, illusion or not, that he was compelled to move his feet and propel himself against the tiny ocean beneath him.

"LUCY!" he shouted as his feet created waves. His determination did not make him immune to slipping, but he would fight for his composure to be with the one he pined for.

He reached out his arm as he neared the train. She got off her seat and reached out hers. Their hands open to interlock themselves into each other only achieved slapping the train doors as they closed between them. A ghastly face of complete and utter shock was displayed to each other as the train began accelerating. Johan raced alongside, afraid that this was the last time he was going to see her. Her banging on the door was futile as he slipped, nearly falling in front of the moving train. He willed his inertia to pull him back and staggered away from the now-empty train tracks. The image of Lucy was out of his sight heading off into the darkness and the only thing that remained was the twinkle of the train's many lights merging into a single speck.

Up on his feet, striding down the stairway, and back into his car, he returned to the highway. He had no idea where the next train station was located. His charger was officially dead furthering the difficulty of reaching the next train station. Still, with determination in his heart, Johan darted through the highway, with only the glint of the train tracks by the side of the highway guiding him. But even this would betray him as the tracks took a turn, no longer parallel to the highway. The darkness of the night now obscuring any remaining leads, all he could do was continue to move forward until he reached an exit ramp.

Back on the streets, he parked his car to get his bearings. "Lucy, I'm coming for you. Please, just wait for me. It won't be long. I just need to figure out where the train station is. There's a chance I could get lost, but I'll further lose you if I don't take action right now. All I can do now is just trust my instincts and brace myself."

Continuing his search, as he approached an intersection, a loud familiar horn in the distance was heard as he felt the rumbling of the ground. With his face lit up, he followed the origin of the sound to reach an overpass. A row of lights in the distance moving in the darkness had given him hope once again as train tracks would eventually reveal themselves.

It was a mix of desperation and carelessness with some audacity and remorse that had him drive right into the tracks where he continued his race for the one he loved. "I'm coming Lucy. Please, just let me see you one more time. I have so much to tell, and so much to apologize for. Please, don't disappear."

Finally arriving at a train station in this unfamiliar city, getting off the tracks and into the parking lot, grabbing his umbrella, and exiting his car, he stepped into the platform where a train had just stopped to load and unload passengers. There were only a few passengers leaving the train and not a single one was Lucy. He surveyed the area around the terminal in search of her, a task made easy as the train station was rather small enough for him to run circles multiple times, but not a single sign of the girl he loved.

When it dawned on him that circling the area was futile, he stopped and took a seat on a bench. "Where are you, Lucy? I would've sworn you would exit on the next stop. Did you not think I would come for you? Did I not make myself clear that I wanted to see you again? Or maybe you're not in this train station. I don't know this city, I don't know this particular station. Maybe you did get off but I'm in the wrong place. Or maybe... just maybe... you never got off at all..." He looked beyond the tracks into the distance. Despite the row of lights creating a glow that reached the farthest he could see, it might as well have been a void of darkness that not even light could not return from. The abyss in front of him was staring back at him, the last train now becoming nothing more than a dot consumed by the darkness, just like his hopes and dreams. And in that train may have been the only girl he truly loved.

“Not like this. Not like this! I can't give up! Not after coming this far! I'll find you, Lucy! I'll find you and let you know how I really feel!” His adrenaline returned and he got back on his feet. “No more feeling bad for myself. No more crying worthless tears. No more being such a coward. I don't have anything to lose. I have nobody I care about. I have no reason to turn back. I can only move forward. If I have to spend the rest of my life searching for you, I'll do so, even until my last breath.”

He turned around and began running back only to slip again, saved by him reaching out his arms to soften the blow of the impact.

Yet, even with this maneuver, a part of his head did hit the ground, enough to daze him. Holding his head from the minor pain, he noticed the umbrella fly off his hand but his vision was temporarily blurred, he could not see where it landed. Nonetheless, he managed to get up to his feet only to get back down as a minor sting was on his knees. His vision was returning to normal as the fuzz around him was clearing up but the rain also blocked his view, making it much more difficult to discern much. He closed his eyes and rubbed them, shook his head, and tried once again. It apparently worked as his vision was now clear enough that the rain was no longer a detriment, but to his surprise, the umbrella was nowhere to be found, nor was the rain for that matter. It was still falling like daggers from above, but no drop touched him, except for a few on his hand.

He lifted his head to see the umbrella above him being held up by Lucy.

With ears in her eyes, "I don't know where I am," she said, "I was scared of moving farther away because I didn't know what was beyond. I figured you would know all the stops and be here sooner. You dummy. You should get out more."

She wiped her tears with her other hand and Johan couldn't help but just embrace her right then and there as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Fearing he would fly away from her, she held on to him daring to never let go.

"Lucy, I'm sorry for hurting you so much. But the truth is I never wanted to leave your side. I was too afraid to admit my feelings, but I never realized that I was doing more harm than good.” He pulled himself away from her while still holding onto her shoulders. “Hurting you was the last thing I wanted to do, and it will be the last time I do because I love you. I love you so much. I never want to be away from you. Not in a million years. I am in love with you, and I will never again regret feeling this way for you. I love you, Lucy."

With her tears returning, Lucy smiled. "Of course, silly. We've been chasing each other for centuries. We were meant to be together."

"No. That's just a fairy tale. It's you who I am in love with, not some fabrication from my mind. I don't want to dream about falling in love anymore. I don't want to fall in love with a figment from my imagination. I am in love with you, Lucy, and only you."

This unprecedented response from him had given her a strong emotion that fired up inside of her. A powerful emotion that took control of her that she nor Johan were prepared when she leaned in fast and gave him a kiss. Before she knew what had happened, she pulled herself away from him and was no less surprised than he was.

He pulled her in again and passionately shared his kiss, one longer and perhaps more passionate. There was no resistance, no anxiety, no fear. Their turbulent emotions had been cindered away by the fire that burned within them. They closed their eyes, allowing their spirits to embrace each other, and indulging in the happiness they have been searching for so long.

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 65

“Margaret, I don't know what to say anymore. I don't know what to do.”

“You can start by telling me what's going on with you.”

“I've tried so many times, but I just don't know how to say it without pushing away any more of my friends. Why can't I just speak my mind?”

“Why do you believe you're restricted? Why can't you just say what you want to say?”

“Because... because... I have fallen in love with Lucy. There is no denying it. I'm in love with her. I don't know why and I can't find a logical explanation either. The only thing I can do is just accept it, but I can't. I'm not supposed to. I can't fall in love with Lucy. And this is complete misery.”

“Again, you're not making any sense, but by the sound of it, you seem too afraid to actually make any sense of it. But as I said before, why not just be with her? Why all this drama? Why all this pain you are inflicting on yourself?”

“Because I keep being told that I can't. I can't be with her.”

"Who does? Who keeps telling you this?”

“Everyone. Everyone I talk to. Everyone I call a friend. Every person I've ever known. There's no winning here. They keep telling me that I shouldn't be with her, that I'm actually hurting her. I don't see what's the big deal but maybe they're seeing something I'm blind to. Maybe they're right, but the reason is out of my grasp, so I listened and kept my distance, but this decision is filling me with so much grief.”

“This is getting even more confusing. How can your presence be hurting her? You're one of the most courteous people I've met in my life. You wouldn't dare hurt a fly.”

“I'm just as confused as you are, because when I was with Lucy, those brief moments I was with her, all seemed right in the world. She told me that she had never felt happier before. Not even her parents are giving her happiness. I can't read her mind but I felt a connection with her because I was the same as well. All the agony, all the anger, all the anguish, all of it extinguished when I was with her, and I'd like to think that she felt the same.”

“So she's having trouble at home?”

“I don't know all the details but apparently so. That's why I told her to talk to her parents instead of seeing me. I felt like she was using me as a coping mechanism. That her strained relationship with her parents was what was driving her to me. That's why I urged her to talk to her parents and stop seeing me. I felt that was the right choice.”

“Wait, is that what you told her? To talk to her parents? But is she safe?”

“Safe?”

“I mean, did you meet her parents? Are they abusing her?”

“Abuse? What?”

“Johan, she could be in danger. Her parents may be violent.”

“Violent? What? No. She didn't show any signs of violence. She didn't have bruises or anything.”

“Then perhaps she's being verbally and emotionally abused. I don't think you should have told her that.”

“Oh my gosh, why didn't I think of that? She just said she was being ignored. I didn't figure they were doing anything heinous.”

“Well, you know the situation more than I do so maybe you are right. Maybe she is just being ignored. But I guess at this point, she might as well just move out of her parent's home..”

“What do you mean?”

“I don't know what the situation is but I figured the best solution is to move out. I don't know if you are still in contact with her but if you are, maybe you should convince her to apply for a dorm or an apartment. If she can't afford a place, I'm sure she can become roommates.”

“Oh gosh, no. I can't even tell her that either. She can't move out of her house. Not right now.”

“I don't see why not. Does she not go to our college?”

“No. That's not it. She can't move out... and I can't tell you why.”

Unable to face Margaret any further, Johan turned around. So much disarray was wreaking havoc on his mind that Margaret couldn't help but notice his defeated demeanor. She grabbed his hand where she noticed its uncontrollable trembling. Holding firmly onto it, “What are you afraid of? Johan, why are you so scared of revealing this girl?” Johan just stood in silence as she let go.

As Johan stood by one of the large windows of the shopping center, watching the rain continuing to pour, he saw his reflection drowning in the river of tears from his face, being buried by the tapping of the rain.

“This date is over,” Margaret said, "but it's too early to go home." Confused, Johan turned around. “Get in your car and go to Lucy.”

“Margaret, I know I haven't explained myself but trust me when I tell you I can't see her.”

“Hey, here's an idea you should try. How about you turn off your brain and listen to your heart.”

“What?”

“Turn off your brain and listen to your heart. If I said something that offended you, caused you to stay away from this girl, and made you feel like this, then I apologize. I'm quite vain, maybe selfish, but I'm not heartless. As much as I wanted to be with you, that's never going to happen. I can't have your heart because it belongs to someone else. So forget whatever I said, or whatever anyone else said, that made you feel like this. Listen to your heart. Disregard the world, just listen to your heart.”

Johan was bewildered with emotion right now as her words struck a chord with him. “Listen to my heart?”

“Do what you think is best; what you believe is the right thing to do.”

As if some force had come and swept away his anxiety, Johan felt a sense of enlightenment. The heavy burden in his spirit lifted away when he stood up straight. The clouds on his mind had parted and light beamed within him. “The right thing to do? What is the right thing to do? The right thing to do... is to make her happy. The right thing to do is to make Lucy happy. And her happiness was the same happiness that we'd both been longing for. For so long...”

“Then give her a call then. I'm sure she'll be happy to hear from you, and maybe you can spend the rest of the evening with her.“

“Margaret, I... don't know what to say.”

"Just tell her how you feel."

"No, I meant to you. I don't think I've ever thought about it but, perhaps for so long, this is what I wanted. To hear something like this. I guess I wanted someone to give me an answer, any answer. Margaret... thank you."

“Don't mention it. Besides, I'm still jealous of Lucy so I'm not too thrilled about this. So just go already. Don't worry about me. I'll just get a ride home or take the train.”

“Train?” In that instant, his elation had taken a turn as a great shock emitted through his entire being. “Oh no. The email!” Johan immediately pulled out his phone. As soon as he unlocked it, the screen switched to a blank screen with the battery icon. “I ran out of battery!”

“What's going on?”

“I got an email from Lucy earlier. I can't recall what it said but I remember she mentioned something about being on a train! I think she's running away!”

“I take it that's bad. Do you want to use my phone?”

“Yes, please!” She reached into her bag and handed him her phone, “No, wait, I can't use your phone! I can't use anyone's phone!” He paused momentarily to take a deep breath. “I'm sorry Margaret but thank you all the same.” Turning around, he bolted straight out the door and into the barrage of water pouring from the sky, holding his blazer tightly around his body as he raced toward his car.

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 64

"Oh, this is amazing!" Margaret said as they entered the amusement park. "We're gonna have so much fun here."

Seeing the vibrant lights, the roller coaster that winded around the area, the stalls with all assortments of snacks, and all the people having a good time, "Yeah..." Johan commented. "I should have a good time here. Let's have a good time."

"Then let's go."

"What do you want to do first?"

"How about we ride the roller coaster?"

"Now? But it's dark. It's kind of dangerous, isn't it? Besides, we just ate. We could get sick and throw up."

Margaret chuckled. "Johan, you're always worrying. Why not just let yourself loose every once in a while."

"I'm just making observations, that's all."

"Stop worrying so much." She pulled him forward, "Let's just go and check it out."

They arrived at the roller coaster but the attendant was already locking up the gate. "Sorry but the weather's looking pretty bad right now. Safety precautions, you know."

"Is that so?" Johan said as he looked up, seeing the clouds becoming dense in the night sky. "Looks like it's going to rain."

"But there were no reports of rain tonight," Margaret commented. "Where is this coming from?"

"Let me check the weather report quickly."

After a few moments of fiddling with his phone, "It says it's going to be windy and there's a 30% chance of rain."

"Does that mean they're going to close the carnival early?"

"Perhaps we should take our leave."

"No. Let's just stay until they announce the closure."

"But what if it's too late? What if it starts to rain? We're going to end up soaked if we're not careful."

"There you go again, Johan. So what if it starts to rain? We'll deal with it when it happens."

"You like to live dangerously, don't you?"

"The things I've done before don't compare to running in the rain."

Johan laughed a bit. "I guess. Well then, let's continue."

As they walked around the pier, Johan thought to himself, 'Maybe this isn't so bad. I'm kind of enjoying myself, and Margaret is a pretty interesting person. I wonder why I never thought of her like this?'

Margaret eventually spotted a food cart. "Oh look, popcorn. Buy me some, Johan."

"But we just ate earlier."

"Johan..."

"Alright, I get it." They approached the cart when Johan noticed the name on the side. "Pop Magic? Wait a minute, is this part of that new popcorn franchise?"

"Oh yes," the popcorn man said, "We have some of the same flavors as they are in the shop."

"Oh, there's a menu!" Margaret commented as she perused the panel hanging above. "This is interesting. I never heard of something like this."

"There are only a few recipes here," the popcorn man said, "but the shop has many more."

"And these are already so interesting. But I already ate, so maybe something light instead." Johan grabbed Margaret by the hand and dragged her away. "What's going on?" she asked confused.

"I... I started feeling... sick. I already ate, that must be it. I can't stomach it."

"Oh, I see," Margaret responded. "Well, then I'll buy something for myself."

She turned around but Johan tugged her once again, "You're just going to make me... please, let's not get snacks, or at least not popcorn. How about ice cream instead? There's another cart just nearby.”

"Okay, I guess that's fine."

They continued their exploration of the amusement park and as they took part in some of the attractions, an announcement was heard over the speakerphone. "ATTENTION ALL GUESTS. SUNLIGHT AMUSEMENT IS CLOSING EARLY DUE TO THE CHANGE IN WEATHER. PLEASE PROCEED TO EXIT THE GROUNDS AND THANK YOU FOR VISITING US TONIGHT. PLEASE CHECK OUT THE SUNLIGHT SHOPPING CENTER AS MORE ENJOYMENT CAN BE FOUND THERE."

"It was bound to happen," Johan said. "I guess it's officially over."

"What's over?"

"Didn't you hear the announcement? We can't stay here."

"But they said to take our business to the shopping center."

“Oh... right.”

They exit the area and as soon as they pass the entrance sign, drops of rain started to hit the back of their heads. "Well, here we go," Margaret said excitedly.

"And we better go quickly."

"I'll do you one better. Let's race."

"I don't think that's safe."

"There you go again, Johan, overthinking things."

Both took off as the rain began to become denser. Margaret shouted with excitement as they raced towards the shopping center. With her arms raised and her legs kicking playfully, it seemed more like she was prancing rather than running. Johan, on the other hand, was in full sprint mode as he put all his energy into reaching his destination. When he looked around and noticed Margaret was nowhere near her, he ran back to her.

“Sorry. Come on before we get soaked.”

Holding her hand, Johan was sprinting while trying to keep up with her pace. “It won't be long now. Just hold on for a few more-”

"Johan, where are you going?" he heard her shout from afar.

Johan stopped in his tracks as he noticed his hand was empty. He turned his attention further away from him seeing Margaret standing on top of a set of stairs with one hand above her head and the other pointing towards a building. "The shopping area is this way." Before he had a chance to figure out what had happened, Margaret ran towards him and grabbed his hand. "Come on, it's starting to pour."

Going up the stairs and entering the large doors into the musty entrance area, Margaret said, "Well, we escaped the worse of it but we're practically damp."

"Right. I would've been bad if we were soaked."

"Wouldn't want to walk around with wet socks all night, huh?"

"Yeah, ha ha..." Johan replied somberly.

After buying a pair of towels to dry themselves with, they began to walk around the shopping area. Margaret minded herself with window shopping, looking at all the stores and their wares, while Johan was preoccupied with his own thoughts. 'Maybe it was a bad idea to come to the beach. No, I'm just letting my feelings take over. I have to remember that I'm putting my past behind me. Doesn't matter how many times I've come here, that's all behind me now. I'm starting a new life, perhaps with Margaret. I should be more respectful. I bet I'm acting like a fool in front of her. I have to clear my mind and just enjoy myself.'

"Oh look," Margaret interrupted his thoughts. "This is perfect."

Johan surmised that she was pointing at an umbrella in a box outside one of the stores. "It is raining right now, and I did leave my umbrella at the car. The umbrella I bought when I went to the zoo with..." He shook his head. "If you want the umbrella, go ahead and-" before he could finish, he realized that Margaret was nowhere near him.

"Johan, over here," she called out to him now wearing a hat. "What do you think?"

"Where... where did you get that?"

"Once I spotted this, I knew I had to get it. Look at how wide the brim is."

"No, not that hat."

"Oh no, not this time. I'm going to buy it, Johan."

"No, please. Put that hat away."

"Oh, look at this!" A plastic flower caught her eye as she took it and placed it in her right ear. "If it wasn't raining, it'd be perfect as beachwear. Don't you think?"

"Margaret, please, put that hat down. Don't buy it."

"No no no, Johan. I told you, not this time. You've been restricting me lately. Won't buy me popcorn and not make plans after dinner. This time, I'm treating myself."

He forcefully grabbed the hat from her. "Not this hat."

"Johan, what are you doing?"

Followed by pulling out the flower from her ear. "Knock it off, Margaret."

"Knock what off? I was just putting on a hat."

"You can't buy that hat. Just leave it here."

He put the hat back in the rack, only for her to pick it up again. "There's nothing wrong with this hat, and I don't care if you have a problem with me wearing it. I'm going to buy it, no matter what you say. I'm taking it to the counter right now."

"Give me that hat!" Johan snatched the hat but Margaret refused to let go.

"Johan, what is up with you? You're acting like a little kid."

"I don't want to see that hat at all!"

"Johan, stop it. You're making a scene."

"This hat... just don't buy it."

"Why not? What is it about this hat that is bothering you?"

"Because I was thinking of buying it for her, that's what! Lucy wants this hat and I want to-" The tugging instantly stopped and his grip loosened. "Oh my gosh..." Not another word was uttered as he stepped out of the shop and into the main corridor.

Stumbling out of the store, nearly tripping himself, he managed to find his balance as he leaned against a nearby pillar.

"Why?” he said to himself. “Why can't I forget about her? Why can't I just move on with my life!? Just leave me alone! This was a mistake. I should've never come to this beach. I should've just... just... I don't know. I don't know."

Clenching his fist and exhaling as he gritted his teeth, he stood upright and turned around to see Margaret looking at him confused.

Straightening his shirt, with a smile on his face, "Sorry about that. I just thought it looked rather silly on you. I was saving you the embarrassment. But hey, if you want to embarrass yourself..." A disgruntled look had appeared on Margaret's face. Despite this, he continued, "You know, how about we just call it a night, you know? I'm getting kind of stressed, you know. I mean, midterms are coming up. I really should get to-"

"Midterms are over, Johan.."

"Oh, really? Wow, time sure does fly by fast, you know. But still, we have school tomorrow, don't we? As much fun as we're having, we shouldn't neglect our studies, you know. You know?"

"Johan..."

"Yes, Margaret?"

"Knock it off."

"What do you mean?"

"The whole charade. You're faking all this."

"No, no. You're misinterpreting things. I'm having a good time. It's just that, I'm a bit uptight. That's just the kind of man I am. I mean, if you don't want to... date... a man like me, then maybe this isn't going to work out then."

"Or is it that you still love Lucy?"

A brief display of discomfort was on him before he quickly replaced it with a smile. "Lucy is in the past. I'm looking forward to the future."

"Johan, you miss Lucy, don't you?"

"No. Of course not. Why would I? She's just a child... as in... uhh... personality wise... which isn't necessarily true in her case. But still, you know, maturity is a completely different subject. That's it, right?"

"Johan, did Lucy dump you?"

"Dump? That would insinuate that we were in a relationship and that she ended it. There was no such thing at all to begin with. Nothing at all of the kind."

"But you still have feelings for her."

"Margaret, why are we bringing up a person you hardly know? She's nothing to me. Nothing at all. I'm a good person you know. I don't break the law. I would never think of doing something crazy that was totally inappropriate."

"You're rambling now. I have no idea what you are going on about. What is going on with you? Are you having a breakdown?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm fine, really!"

"You don't look fine. You look like you're about to break into a million pieces."

"Margaret, I'm okay. I'm just stressed out a bit. I mean, this is my first time being on a... a..."

"A date."

"Yeah, that. You know, I'm just... just trying to... move along... and..."

She could see his body shaking, his eyes with a serious expression on them, and the smile he was projecting was now becoming unnerving to her. "Johan, I don't want to pry into your business, but I think you better tell me what's going on."

"Margaret, trust me. I'm just nervous that's all. You know me, I'm shy. Very shy."

"I don't know who this Lucy is but it's clear that you are in love with her."

"Why are you bringing her up again? You don't even know her. Stop assuming things, okay? I'm a good person. I wouldn't do anything bad or disgusting, as you put it. I'm not in love with anyone. Not even you, okay?"

"So you're not in love with this Lucy girl?"

"No."

"Then why are you crying?"

It took him a moment before he raised his arm to touch his face to feel the cold and wet presence of tears. "No, that's just rain...." he said with a quiver as he sloppily walks over to the pillar to support himself. “It's just the rain... that she so loved to run into.”

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 63

'I said I was going to look for her,' Norman thought to himself, 'But I have no idea where she could be!' With only Lucy's address to go by, he drove all around her neighborhood but it soon became apparent that he had no idea where to begin. 'I might as well be searching for a needle in a haystack. She could be anywhere.'

After spending some time driving, he spotted two police officers talking to a city cleaner at the train station. Upon parking his car and entering the station, "Hey, I need to ask you a question. I need to ask about my daughter."

"Daughter?" one of the police officers asked. "She wouldn't happen to be a girl named Lucy, would she?"

"Yes, exactly. I'm her father, Norman."

"Well, we tracked her down here to this train station. Apparently, she bought a ticket to Springfield."

"Springfield? That's a city in the next state over. Is she planning on boarding the train?"

"She already has. According to the computer records, she scanned her ticket 15 minutes ago."

"Then you got to stop that train!"

"We've already alerted the city of Springfield to look out for a minor exiting the train."

"Just that? Didn't you read what I reported? She was seeing an older man! She's probably going to meet him!"

"Yes, sir, we got the report and are surveying the area for any suspicious person who may approach your daughter."

"You idiots! He could be on the train for all we know! The Springfield ticket may be a way to divert our attention while he waits for her in some other station."

"Calm down, sir. I assure you that we're being vigilant of the trains. Besides, the only thing certain is her destination."

"Are you keeping track of the cameras on the trains? On the stations?"

"We're trying got get clearance on that."

"Then how do you know where they will stop? Do you even have police stationed in every station?"

"That would require more effort than we can handle. It's practically impossible."

"You police are worthless! While you are following protocol, some strange man is taking my daughter away! I can't trust anyone! I got to do things myself."

--

"Wow," Margaret said with surprise, "It looks so pretty at night. Look at the lights on the Ferris wheel."

"Yeah, it does," Johan responded in a somber tone.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Well, let's get going." As Johan proceeded to walk forward, Margaret wrapped her arm around his. "Margaret what are you doing?"

"I figured I'd set the mood."

"Excuse my rudeness but can you please not."

"Oh, I see. A bit embarrassed.” She removed her arm from his. “You're going to give me a lot to work with, but it'll be worth it, I'm certain."

They continued their way toward the amusement park passing by stores with one catching Margaret's eye. "Might as well get that phone charger dealt with. Let's get something for your car first."

Johan looked at the store she was referring to. "Here?" he asked.

"Of course.”

“But why here?”

“If they sell phones, they'll sell chargers."

"Can't it wait? We're here to have fun."

"You need your phone in case of an emergency. You can use my phone for the time being and leave your phone behind to charge."

"Isn't that a bit irresponsible? Someone could see it and try to steal it."

"You have a pretty cheap phone, Johan. Nobody wants that."

"Come on. That's not fair. After all, Lucy helped me pick-" He placed his hand on his mouth before another word could escape him. Straightening himself up and flattening his shirt, "Alright, fine, but let's do it quickly."

They entered the small phone shop and the familiar atmosphere hit Johan immediately upon stepping in. It wasn't the same store but the aesthetic was more than enough to keep him on edge. "Let's just get any charger and get out of here."

"Oh look at that!" Margaret immediately headed on over to a small glass display. "Look at this phone. This is the new model!" Johan takes a peek to see the same phone that Lucy was equally impressed with. "Maybe I'll buy it right now," Margaret said enthusiastically as she turned to Johan who was avoiding eye contact.

"Forget it," Johan said.

"I'm only kidding. I'm not really going to-"

"I don't want to be here."

"Johan, why do you sound so jumpy?"

Without responding, Johan immediately exited the store with Margaret following.

"Johan, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just felt sick in there."

"Oh, that's too bad. Well, then how about I-"

"Let's just go."

"What about the charger?"

"I don't care about the charger. Let's just move on."

"Johan, what is going-"

"Let's just go!" he said loudly.

Taken by surprise, she only responded, "Okay..."

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 62

"I think I know what I want," Johan said as he faced the waiter, "I'll have the gourmet pork with honey mustard with grilled vegetables on the side, no broccoli please, and some sparkling water with lemon on it."

"Very good, sir," the waiter responded as he turned to Margaret, "And you, ma'am?"

"Give me a bacon cheeseburger and a cola."

A momentarily surprised look was on the waiter's face before he cleared his throat. "Very well."

Once the waiter took their menus and left, "That's quite a surprise coming from you," Johan commented.

"Were you expecting something fancy? Don't think that I'm one of these rich kids who eat those tiny portions at super-expensive restaurants. Just give me a burger and I'm happy." Johan laughed. "Is it that funny?"

"I actually did think you were one of those rich kids. I guess I was wrong."

Margaret chuckled. "What about you? With your honey-mustard pork chops and grilled vegetables."

"I seriously wanted that."

"But not the broccoli, huh? I guess you're nothing more than a kid."

“Kid?” Johan said with a bit of surprise. "Whose a kid? You're the one ordering a burger at a restaurant. The last time I had a burger, Lucy bought it for me on a train-" He forcefully stopped himself. After clearing his throat, "Never mind. You're free to have whatever you want."

A brief pause of silence occurred between them. Sensing tension arriving, "So, Johan, you're looking forward to the future. Tell me what are you planning?"

Johan cleared his throat once again. "I'm going to get my degree in psychology and then get an internship. No, I should get one while I'm still in school."

"Do you have any idea how to do that?"

"No, and I haven't been looking. Now seems like a good time to do that since summer vacation is around the corner. But I wanted to make friends first." He chuckled. “There's just so much to do, I guess. I feel like I'm trying to catch up.”

"What about your writing?"

"That's just a hobby, nothing serious."

"Can you show me what you have done so far?"

"I'm a bit embarrassed to share it, especially since I have no plans to actually publish anything. It's really just for my own amusement."

"But I'm curious to know what you have because it may be worth getting published. You see, I'm an amateur writer myself and would love to read what you have."

"No, Margaret. My writing is not good. It's really more for amusement than anything."

"Is it non-fiction?"

"It's fiction, but nothing more than what you can buy at the airport. Trust me, it's nothing groundbreaking. It's just me... you know... venting."

"Then maybe one day you'll share it with me?"

"Perhaps, but don't bet on it."

Another brief pause as Margaret noticed Johan tapping the table with his fingers.

--

"That was pretty good,” complimented Margaret as they left the restaurant.

"Pretty good?"

"Well, I did have a bacon cheeseburger. I guess next time I'll order from the grown-up menu."

"Next time, huh? So you're calling it a night?"

"No, of course not. It's still too early for that."

"It is?" Johan pulled out his phone. "Past nine. Wow, it felt like an eternity in there."

"Are you kidding? The night's hardly begun."

"It has? But if we stay out too late, it'll be midnight before you know it."

Margaret cocked her head a bit, "Don't tell me you were about to call it a night this early."

Johan rubbed the back of his neck with his palm, "Well, actually, I don't have anything else planned. After all, if we're out late, our sleep schedule is going to end up in disarray."

"So all you had was dinner planned?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Alright, fine. I get it. Then it's my turn to take you somewhere, isn't it?"

"Now?"

“Yes, now. Don't tell you care more about your beauty sleep than our date.”

“Had I known we were going to continue past dinner then I would have accommodated the outing much earlier.”

“Unbelievable. You really are a child, you know.“

An ill feeling ran through Johan as a discomfort had imposed itself upon him. “You know, that really is insulting, being called a kid in such a context. I guess I owe someone a-” Once again, he forcefully stopped himself as he straightened his posture. “Very well, you win. Where do you want to go?”

"How about you take me to the beach?"

"The beach?"

"The shore is closed but not the shops and the little amusement park by the wayside."

"The beach..." As if a switch had been turned on, images projected themselves on Johan's mind. Images of himself in a much happier state. Pleasant evenings as the sun set over the water, laughter, joy, and happiness.

There was a look of despondency and wonder on his face as Margaret peered through him. "On second thought, maybe we can go somewhere else. So, how about we just head to a movie or something."

"No," Johan said with conviction. With a smile on his face, "Let's go to the beach."

--

"Norman?" an elderly voice was heard on the other side of the phone. "What are you doing calling me at this hour?"

"Dad, I need to talk to you."

"Why the rush? Call me in the morning. I'm trying to get some sleep."

"Dad, it can't wait. I really need to tell you something."

"Norman, I don't have time to play games. I have to get up early tomorrow for a meeting."

"I quit."

"What?”

"I quit the family business."

"What are you talking about?"

"I've had enough of this life I've been living since forever. I've had enough of just living to sustain the business while everything around me deteriorates."

"What is this childish complaining? You know very well that in order for the company to survive, we must give a piece of ourselves."

"A piece? All my life has been nothing but working to sustain this company. Ever since I was a little boy, I've been doing nothing but work for you and this stupid company."

"Stupid? You take that back!"

"No, I will not. I had to give up making long-term friends because I was too busy learning how to run the business. I couldn't go on vacation with what little friends I had in order to prepare myself to become the new owner of your company. I even had to marry a woman I didn't want to just because of some stupid complication from this merger between the two companies. What in the world was I thinking just obeying your every whim? I'm certain this is illegal in some way."

"How dare you talk like this? Don't forget that if you divorce that woman, the merger is over and we'll lose millions! Don't you dare!"

"Not only will I go through the divorce, but I'm also going to break my ties with you and the family. I want out of this whole charade and get my life back."

"Have you gone insane? You are so close to owning the company. You are about to lose everything you have been working in these past three decades."

"Three decades that I will never get back. I gave up so much all because you told me that money was everything. I don't care about riches anymore. I don't care about the company. I lost everything all because of this soulless pursuit of wealth and power.."

"This is egregious. Do you understand that you are about to destroy generations worth of hard work so that we, the current generation, may live in luxury?"

"This company has ruined my life! I should've known when I had to marry some stranger that my life was going to crumble. That all changes right now. I'm taking back my life and I'm going to fix all the wrongs that have happened to me!"

"You fool! Don't think just because you're my son that I'm going to allow you to disrespect the company that our great grandfathers worked so hard to build. I'm not afraid of suing you!"

"Take every penny. Better to live free in poverty than be your rich slave."

"You are making a mistake! Besides, I have a lot of illegitimate children that would be happy to accept this position. Just you wait till-"

Norman instantly hung up and hunched forward on the sofa while he rubbed his face. 'This is all my fault! No matter how much I blame my family, my ex-wife, and even my daughter, this is all my fault. But now I got to make things right. I don't have time to be crying about this. I got to find Lucy. That disgusting woman, abandoning our child. Does she think she's a toy? I should've... No, complaining isn't going to help. I better check with the police.'

A few moments after dialing the police department, he is directed to the one in charge of the investigation.

"What is happening with my daughter?" he asked.

"We're doing all we can, sir. Please calm down."

"How can I calm down when my daughter is missing?"

"We understand your concern but panicking will only make things worse. Trust us, a missing child is usually found within a few days."

"A few days? You can't find her right now? Are you even doing your job?"

"Sir, we can assure you we will find your daughter but there are procedures involved such as paperwork."

"My daughter is missing and you are talking about paperwork!?"

"Your daughter is not the only missing person we have to deal with."

"I can't believe this. My taxes are going to a bunch of incompetent fools! Forget it, you worthless maggots. I'm looking for her myself." He hung up the phone and immediately headed out the door.

[llgn1]

Dream of the Eternal Lovers: Chapter 61

As soon as the elevator door opened, Norman stomped his way towards Carry's apartment and began to bang his fist on the door. "Carry, Lucy! It's me! Open the door!"

"Norman?" he heard his ex-wife across the hallway who was walking up to her apartment. "Norman, what are you doing here?"

"Where's Lucy? She's not answering the door."

"Never mind her. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I want to know who she was dating."

"Dating? Lucy isn't dating anyone."

"She just confessed that she was dating an older man the last time she visited me."

"What are you talking about? She never mentioned dating any old man."

"Where is Lucy?"

"She's inside, I'm telling you."

"Let me see her right now!"

"Are you crazy? I want you out of my sight."

"If you don't tell me where Lucy is right now, I'm going to get you arrested for child abandonment."

"What are you threatening me for? It's after 8 pm. Where else would she be?"

"Then why isn't she answering the door?"

"She's probably asleep or something."

"Carry, where is my daughter?"

"Oh, now you care. Now you care about her. I don't recall you caring about her when you just dumped her on me!"

"Tell me where she is or I'm calling the police!"

"You must be kidding! I'm telling you she's in there. Alright fine, come in." As as soon as she unlocked the door, he shoves her out of the way and barged in. "Hey, that's trespassing," she said but he ignored her as he surveys the apartment.

"Lucy! It's your father!"

"She's probably asleep, you idiot!"

After a few moments, he returned to the living room, "She's not here."

"What are you saying? She must be in her room."

"She's not in any of the two rooms."

"It's past eight, where else would she be?"

"See for yourself."

Carry proceeded into Lucy's room but upon finding it vacant, she rushed into her own room, and then finally the kitchen. "Is she staying with you?" She asked him upon returning to the living room.

"If she was, I wouldn't be here in the first place!"

"She's supposed to be here! Where else would she be? Was she taken? Was she kidnapped?"

"That may be the case. She told me she was dating a college boy. Who knows what he's planning to do to her."

"This can't be happening!"

"And what about you? You're supposed to be taking care of her!"

"What about me!? What about you? You only have to see her on the weekends. I have to be here all week to take care of her."

"Have you been taking care of her?"

"Of course, no help from you."

"Then why did she say you are ignoring her? Why did she cry saying you don't love her!"

"What are you talking about?"

"The last time she visited me, she kept saying about how she's not loved and nobody cares about her, and then told me that she was dating a college student. Why didn't you put a stop to this?"

"She never told me anything like that!"

"As if she would. But then again, considering you were probably whoring yourself out there, I bet you brought a man in and he groomed Lucy into running away with him!"

"No, impossible. I never bring any man home with me!... sometimes."

"You disgust me! I have no time for this!"

As he was leaving her apartment, "Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm going to look for Lucy!"

"You should call the police."

"I already did, but I'm not just going to sit around and lament everything that has happened to me. I'm going to fix everything!"

After taking his leave and slamming the door, Carry sat down on the couch in a panic. "It's not my fault. She should have stayed home. What is she doing dating? She's only... what... five, six years old. How old is she again?"

–

"A restaurant on the top floor," Margaret commented as sat down next to a rather large window marveling at the exquisite restaurant.

"It opened a few months ago. It's amazing, isn't it?"

"I've never heard of it. The view of the city from here is so beautiful."

"But the view isn't the only thing. Try the food, you're going to love it."

"You come here often?"

"My first time, actually, but I've had a sample of it some time ago when Wendy brought some over."

"Wendy hid this secret from me, I can't believe her. I outta scold that girl for not letting me in."

"Oh, yeah, sure."

"Actually, if you'll excuse me, I have to freshen myself up."

"Go ahead."

As soon as Margaret was out of sight, he pulled out his phone. Opening up Google chat where the many messages left by Lucy were waiting for her.

You probably already deleted the app so I guess you'll never read this, but I figured that I might as well tell you my real feelings. I meant what I said earlier. I'm sure you know what I mean, and I just can't leave it like this. Johan, I really do love you, and I know that you love me. We're destined to be together.

I know that sounds childish, and as you said I'm still just a kid, but I liked it back when you didn't thought of me as one. I never once believed you thought of me as just some kid. You treated me with respect, with kindness, and I'm sure that's how you really felt about me.

You kept saying to talk to my parents, but I couldn't. They just don't care about me. Not at all. They're too selfish to care about anyone else other then their own interest. I bet they don't even know I'm waiting at a train station moving away to another city on my own, that's how selfish they are. But you really did care about me. Not in a way that felt like an adult trying to make some kid feel better like my previous teachers, or a friend who said things to make me feel better and never contact me ever again. I really did feel that you truly cared about me so much. I swore you were going to take me away from this horrible life I am going through.

I felt cheated by you. I felt betrayed. I felt that you just used me. But that's not true because I really did felt your loneliness. You're just like me, Johan. I don't know about your past because you just won't talk about it, but I can sense it.

Maybe you really were uncomfortable and didn't want to be with me. Maybe you really were scared of being with me and having people look at you suspiciously. But I don't want to believe that. I want to believe that you were a caring person who wanted to make someone happy. That's what I wanted to believe, and I wanted to return the favor.

But I guess in the end, I was just some kid. A kid with a weird dream that we shared. That's all I have left, that dream that we shared.

And just like my dreams, I wanted him to come to my rescue, just like how he always comes to rescue the girl, always fighting to be together. He was her hero and I was hoping you'd be my hero.

"Better not waste that battery," mocked Margaret.

"Oh, you're back!" he said as he put away his phone.

"Am I interrupting something? Maybe you're talking to your girlfriend behind my back?"

"Of course not," he told Margaret in a joking manner. "If anyone should be worried, it's me. Don't run away with the next man you see."

"Oh, Johan!" Margaret laughed.

"Well, now it's my turn to excuse myself. I'll be right back."

Upon leaving his seat and entering the restroom, he pulled out his phone again. Staring at the message, breathing heavily, 'For how long is the past going to haunt me? I just want to move on with my new life.' He closed Google chat and dragged the app icon on his screen. 'If I continue any more communication, I'm never going to let this go. I'm going to end up in big trouble by being with you. Forgive me Lucy, but this is the right thing to do. I told you what you have to do, so please get help and forget about me, because this can't go on anymore.' He dragged the icon to the uninstall section and released it. An empty slot now stood on his home screen.