As an ocean lover, I would always go to the seashore at dark, dim evenings whenever I felt sad. I found it beautiful, comforting, and it always calmed me down.
But for a few days, I have been watching this guy sitting near the seashore, staring at the ocean.
Grey hair swayed along with the wind, golden eyes cascaded by the setting sun, fair skin, and beautiful lips. This man was the definition of beauty. Being a fictional story reader, I never really had a crush on a real guy (after I turned 15, that is). But this guy, he was someone that any eye would find hard to resist.
I tried talking to him many times, but all I would get is a nod or a wave from him. No words, no smile. I wondered if he found me annoying or if he was just a man of few words, until I got to know that this man had aphasia, a condition where one is unable to speak or communicate with people.
I felt pity for him. I knew my life wasn't the hardest, and everyone had problems in their life, but I rarely cared about them. Call me selfish, but I could not find myself crying over a stranger's sorrow when I had enough shit to deal with on my plate. But this silent stranger brought out sides of me I thought I never had.
So today, I decided, 'I will talk to this man.'
After ending my shift early at the office, I ran towards the seashore like my life depended on it.
I stopped as soon as I saw the man. Silver hairs dancing in the wind, even the sun was making his pale skin glow, and this is what made my heart skip a beat.
He looked up from the ocean and looked at me, his golden, cold eyes staring at mine, catching my breath in my throat.
I felt like a high school girl having a young crush right now, the tingle around my skin, the curl in my stomach, the skipping of my heart.
Gathering all my courage, I made my way closer to the man. "Hey," I said with a red tint on my cheeks. I don't remember the last time I felt nervous, but this man had a knack for bringing out the weirdest parts of me.
He nodded his head at me and watched curiously as I started taking out a pen and notebook from my bag.
"Hey, my name is Celestine. What's yours?" I wrote before handing him the pen and the notebook. He looked at me, dumbfounded, but then he took the notebook and started writing.
"Lucian," he wrote.
Lucian. I repeated it in my head. Lucian, meaning light bringer. Just like how his voice could bring light into my world.
Time passed by, and I would always go to the seashore to see Lucian, to talk to him more. I could never get tired of his smile, his gentleness, his existence. I wanted to spend more time with him, and the more time I spent with him, the greedier I got.
"Lucian," I wrote. "Why do you come to the seashore?" Most people came here to enjoy the sea with their family in summer. But coming here alone when it wasn't even summer was different. I came here because it calmed me down, but I wanted to know his reason too.
"You will know soon," Lucian wrote back. And maybe, those were the last words we exchanged.
After that day, he stopped coming. I waited for him but gave up when he didn't come for a whole year. I got busy with my life again and started moving on. Maybe it was just a silly crush that went away as soon as he did.
Maybe we weren't meant to be.
"Celestine," my friend called from the other side of the table with coffee in her hand. "Are you listening to what I'm saying?" She pouted, and I rubbed my neck apologetically.
"Breaking news: The psychopath killer who has murdered many young women surrendered to the police on Sunday morning!" My head shot towards the TV as I heard the news, curious about the story. The fictional reader I was, this kind of story really excited me.
"The serial killer, named Lucian Grey, surrendered himself to the police. When we asked the reason, he said something like this—"
"I'm Lucian Grey," my eyes widened at the news. Lucian, the guy I met at the seashore. He was a serial killer? And he could speak?
My fists clenched at my side, and my heart felt like it would leap out of my chest.
"I surrendered today because I finally found the thing I have been searching for." Breath caught in my throat when I saw the dark glint in his eyes.
"I will be coming soon to the seashore."
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝.
