Shackles Of Memories - 0

Prologue

Dusk was slowly creeping into the half-lit room, careful not to disturb the warm silence. He was greeted by the rosy dance of the fountain pen, swaying gleefully in those soft fingers, the nib gently kissing the snowy paper occasionally. They could hardly feel the time cruising away, except for the intermittent pause of the hush in the room by the rustle of the pages turning over, either by the comfy fingers at the desk, or the long sturdy fingers at the rocking chair. Finally, after a couple of hours, a voice finally filled the room.

“Can you finish the story by tonight?” Ethan’s voice caught Ella by surprise. Her eyes met his as the fingers let go of the pen.

“I’m not sure if I could...” He could sense the faint fatigue in her tone.

“Just… don’t strain yourself too much. You’re in no hurry”

“No… It’s just… I’m not able to decide upon a conclusion” The fingers went back to puppet the pen and ink it over the paper.

The chair swayed to and fro as the weight on its seat dwindled to a void. Ethan leaned over her shoulder as his eyes tried to scan over the paper. “Maybe I could help...”

Ella turned back to meet his eyes once again. She could see his eyes gleaming in the gentle sunshine. “I have two endings for the girl stranded in the island. One, since every sunrise and sunset is the same for her, she will eventually lose the hope to live for another day. And the other ending is that she waits and waits, for almost an eternity, hoping for the rescue to arrive one day. I feel the first ending makes more sense, but… I can’t decide upon one of them”

The silence came back into the room, but with heightened spirits. The two were frozen in thought, as if the Time had stopped in his tracks for them. Until it was him again who brought the room back to life.

“I think you should go for the second ending”

“Why?” Surprise filled her face again, but weaker and shorter this time. “She doesn’t know when the rescue will arrive, or will they even turn up in the first place. For whom should she wait forever?”

“For herself” Words came out instinctively from his mouth, which becomes gentler as he continues “Because life is not a trial to endure, but a gift to embrace as long as possible”.