Xxxxx Shadows

I've stopped crying, I've stopped whimpering. Taking off my hands from my face, where I can't even feel the heat of tears at all, I lead out a hopeless laugh. The door behind me seems to open but I don't care. Instead, I look skyward at the ceiling and keep laughing with more tears brimming on my cheeks.

"Xxxxx?" I hear a hum which is supposed to be... my name? "Xxxxx, is that you?" This sounds like someone I know. Not only that, it sounds like someone I love. Following the voice source, I turn.

"Cle-" And there he is, squatting right in front of me before pulling my frail soul into his warm lap. "What are you doing here?" I whisper as he shushes me softly. His hand caresses my hair at the same time. We remain in this position for about one minute or a little more, until the boy lets go.

His light green eyes stare longingly at mine before he blinks and turns to his pocket. "I have something to show you," he mutters while his phone is visible in his large palm. "Is this your bucket list?" The bluish phone screen almost blows my calmness away when I take in every single word written on it.

Those are my IMPOSSIBLE wishes.

"How did you know that they are mine?" I blurt out with my hoarse voice.

Clerence shakes his head. "I just... know. I mean you've been really obvious since high school, so that drags the answer towards you, I guess?" Clerence says as he scratches the back of his neck, stuttering with his own assumption.

"So you did noticed?" I ask, feeling a little overwhelmed yet happy. "But you chose to not do anything?"

"Because I didn't know you."

***

Clerence Cartwright

I feel light as a feather, dizzy but bearable. My vision adjusts and slowly, I can see a path guiding me forward. Nonetheless, echoes of sobs in despair and hopelessness eventually gains my curiosity towards a higher level.

I follow the voice source and a lit house is clear under my vision. The door is not locked as I can push it aside easily. There's a little girl sitting on the couch in the living room, sobbing silently. However, that voice which had ushered me a while ago does not belong to this girl.

In fact, it is coming from the bedroom. Swallowing hard, I push the room door with the knuckle of my index finger and her crouched figure reveals in front, her arms caging her face on the bed as she cries.

My heart hurts to see her in such vulnerable state. Moreover, it hurts even more when I can't control my mouth from spitting those words.

Because I didn't know you.

I'm supposed to be there and help her out, to give her the emotional support, not hurting her. "You're right," she chuckles pathetically as she wipes her tears which disappear once they land on the floor. "I was just a random girl who had a crush on you," she sniffles before continuing. "I shouldn't be selfish..." And she trails off with more beads of tears flowing down her eye sockets like waterfalls.

"You're not," I say, surprised by my steady voice in a meantime. "Or you won't be handling things alone here." My loose fingers are still clamping on my phone, which the screen has blackened again. "I suppose these wishes belong to you?" Again, I show her the bucket list to give her the reminder.

The girl looks a little reluctant as I can see her chewing on her lower lip, considering whether or not she should reveal the truth to me. "Yes," she finally answers. "Those are my wishes."

And she spends the rest of the night telling me about her wish granting journey. How she had followed me to the fun fair, how she had tripped Kayla and how she gave her a lesson in that mean girl's dreams. Although I know she's been hiding a small part of the journey she'd been through, I prefer not to ask since she refuses to tell me.

The only thing that matters is the wishes she granted would disappear from her list and never to be found again. Moreover that, a little of her memory has been taken away as the price for wandering around and grant wishes of her own like a normal person. So this explains why the list on my phone is incomplete by now until there are 5 wishes remaining, and also, this explains why she can't recall her own name no matter how loud I call her.

It is as if there is something blocking her brain from remembering the five letters. Those five important letters.

"I'm so happy to see you, Clerence," she admits with a warm smile as she sniffles. Her fragile frame is still shaking, giving me the urge to protect her. "But how did you find me?"

I pause for a while when recalling the way I come here. What have I done to myself? "I-I prayed before sleep, maybe determination is the key for me to find you."

"I don't understand," she shakes her head. "This is not the human realm, Clerence. It's somewhere near the dungeon." Her face shows how worry she is when she looks at me with opened mouth. As her eyes move towards my bleeding left hand, that is how she finds what's truly going on.

***

Third Person POV

"You cut yourself?!" The girl asks when she picks up the slit hand, where the wrist bleeds. "Why did you do this to yourself?" The boy says nothing but only looks at the ground.

But soon enough, he breaks the dominating silence. "I'm done living under the shadow of my mistakes, Xxxxx. Especially on you," he answers with nasal tone when he tries his very best not to cry. "I'd never been happy after you've... fallen asleep."

The eyes of the girl couldn't leave Clerence's as her brain digests every word spoken earlier. "It's alright," she soothes, her hand finding its way toward his, reassuring him with her forgiveness. "You didn't mean to not save me. It was me being not careful when standing on a ladder."

Her heart beat, her body temperature. Those are the sensations that calm him like a soothing sea wave by the shore, forming splashes of appreciation and surprise that illustrate his face before his lips crack into a smile.

"Isabelle," she calls and the little girl obeys by standing by the opened door. "Here, you need this more than me." The little girl who is called Isabelle directs her vision at the cylindrical container clamped in the palm. Unsurprisingly, she hesitates.

"I'll keep her safe," says Clerence and eventually leading out a gasp from Isabelle. "I promise." His sudden promise gives her goosebumps until she gulps. She walks forward and takes the can away before stuffing it into her pouch.

But before leaving, Isabelle takes down her bracelet crafted with a blue stone and hands it to the girl. "In case you need help, summon me by pressing on the stone." Nodding, Clerence reaches for the bracelet before examining the tiny thing. It does shine like a blue little star and as the bracelet embraces the other girl's wrist, it suits her perfectly.

"Looks good on you," he comments with a faint smile as the girl smiles back. "Saxxx." And her eyes are round in surprise when she hears the first syllable of her name. "Now, shall we accomplish the sixth wish?"

Isabelle vanishes in a ball of light without stopping midway to look at them. Now the two of them are the only souls left. Resting her head on Clerence's shoulder, she mutters, "Sure." But Clerence freezes on the spot in shock upon her sudden action. It seems as if the girl lending his shoulder does not notice his reaction, he chooses to remain silent. Once he finally gathers his senses back, he puts his hand on her head and give her a few pats, welcoming her. A genuine smile plays on his face when his lips curl.

ᴵ'ᴹ ᴿᴱᴬᴸᴸᵞ ˢᴼᴿᴿᵞ ᶠᴼᴿ ˢᵁᶜᴴ ᵁᴾᴰᴬᵀᴱˢ ᵂᴴᴵᶜᴴ ᵀᴬᴷᴱ ᴬᴸᴹᴼˢᵀ ᶠᴼᴿᴱᵛᴱᴿ. ᴵᶠ ᵞᴼᵁ'ᵛᴱ ᴮᴱᴱᴺ ᵂᴬᴵᵀᴵᴺᴳ, ᵀᴴᴬᴺᴷ ᵞᴼᵁ ˢᴼ ᴹᵁᶜᴴ ᶠᴼᴿ ᴮᴱᴵᴺᴳ ˢᴼ ᴾᴬᵀᴵᴱᴺᵀ. ᴵ ᴿᴱᴬᴸᴸᵞ ᴬᴾᴾᴿᴱᶜᴵᴬᵀᴱ ᵞᴼᵁᴿ ᴱᶠᶠᴼᴿᵀ.

ᴬᴺᴰ ᴶᵁˢᵀ ᴬ ᴺᴼᵀᴱ, ᴵᵀ'ˢ ᴮᴱᴱᴺ ᴴᴬᴿᴰ ᶠᴼᴿ ᴹᴱ ᵀᴼ ᵁᴾᴰᴬᵀᴱ ᵀᴴᴱˢᴱ ᴰᴬᵞˢ, ˢᴼ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ᴮᴼᴼᴷ ᵂᴵᴸᴸ ᵀᴱᴹᴾᴼᴿᴬᴿᴵᴸᵞ ᴮᴱ ᴬ ˢᴸᴼᵂ-ᵁᴾᴰᴬᵀᴱᴰ ᴼᴺᴱ. ᴵ ᴹᴵᴳᴴᵀ ᴮᴱ ᴳᴼᴺᴱ ᶠᴼᴿ ᴬ ᵂᴴᴵᴸᴱ ᴬᶠᵀᴱᴿ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ᵁᴾᴰᴬᵀᴱ. ᴹᴬᵞᴮᴱ ᵀᵂᴼ ᵂᴱᴱᴷˢ, ᴹᴬᵞᴮᴱ ᴹᴼᴿᴱ.

ᴬˢˢᴵᴳᴺᴹᴱᴺᵀˢ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴾᴿᴼᴶᴱᶜᵀˢ ᴬᴿᴱ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴮᴵᵀᶜᴴᴱˢ. ᴬᴸᵀᴴᴼᵁᴳᴴ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ˢᴼᵁᴺᴰˢ ᴸᴵᴷᴱ ᴬᴺ ᴱˣᶜᵁˢᴱ, ᴵᵀ ᴵˢ ᵀᴿᵁᴸᵞ ᴴᴬᴾᴾᴱᴺᴵᴺᴳ ᵀᴼ ᴹᴱ ᶠᴼᴿ ᴮᴱᴵᴺᴳ ᴮᴼᴹᴮᴬᴿᴰᴱᴰ ᵂᴵᵀᴴ ᶜᴼᴺᵀᴵᴺᵁᴼᵁˢ ᴬˢˢᴵᴳᴺᴹᴱᴺᵀˢ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴾᴿᴼᴶᴱᶜᵀˢ.

ᴬᴺᵞᵂᴬᵞˢ, ᵀᴴᴬᴺᴷˢ ᴬᴳᴬᴵᴺ ᶠᴼᴿ ˢᵁᴾᴾᴼᴿᵀᴵᴺᴳ ᴹᵞ ˢᵀᴼᴿᵞ. ᵂᴱ'ᴸᴸ ᴹᴱᴱᵀ ᴬᴳᴬᴵᴺ ᴵᴺ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴺᴱˣᵀ ᶜᴴᴬᴾᴾᴵᴱ 👋