I was 7 and he were 9 when we first share our glowing stares, that saved me from drowning under the raining waves. I just don't understand why does he became the reason behind my growing tears nowadays despite of his old watery words. I said, "I don't want to cry, I might drown". But every person who get hurts, cries, just make sure not to live with it, because breathing under water is painful, it's fatal. When people around me shove me down, I almost let myself to lay on the bed of sea since I sink in because of all the heaviness inside me. But, I will still never let myself not to breathe in the fresh salty air again. I may stood up with my body soaked, the important is: I learned how to open my eyes after my dying days. One of the things that I've learned in my whole existence is that: do not breath in a toxic air, it's better to be alone than to be surrounded by toxicity. I'll be 67 and he'll be 69, he still look at me like the shadow of the waves that shine. I am Maryanelle Georgianna, I am the wave and he is the light. If we exchange sight, we will shine bright - but when a height block the light, I, the wave could be a... shadow in a faded light. I am, the faded silhouette of waves, and that was one of my biggest regret.
Chapter 1 Prologue (1)
My hands are busy building my sand castle when I threw another gaze to someone who is sitting not too far away. I wasn't surprised when our eyes met for uncountable times.
My little brows raised as I took off the dirt which eventually coated my tiny hands. Pinagpag ko 'yon sa dress ko and it gives more texture and emphasis to the cloth. I stood up from squatting without cutting the string in between our sight.
I didn't notice myself suddenly following the line. I was captivated by his brown eyes when I got a chance to stare at them closer, nearer and clearer. "Hey," I started instead of 'hi'.
The look on his face didn't change together with his eyes that can't stop from catching mine. "What are you looking at? Kanina ka pa." I confronted.
"Am I not allowed to look at you?" He stood up from sitting on a perfect shape of rock, the same moment I saw a line sightly curving on his lips.
"No, but every time I look at you, you're looking at me." I wonder why. Simula nang makita ko siya rito, lagi na niya akong tinatawag ng mga tingin niya... and I don't actually like it.
He smirked and I don't like the way he do that. "So you look at me?"
I chuckled. "Because you look at me," I replied with my arms crossed.
I heard him also chuckled. "Because you are the birthday celebrant, you already should expect that you are the apple of the eye." My eyes goes up to down. How I hate being a center of attraction for other people, but with my parents, I am willing and I love to be.
"Well, I don't want to be what you're talking about," I mouthed and from my peripheral vision, I saw them preparing my birthday cake over the fancy table. Geez, I don't want to blow my candles in front of the guests. I'm sure that any minutes from now, they will call my name for my birthday wish. "The reason why we need to hide - now!"
I grabbed his hands but he pulled it back. My hands are shaking while looking back and forth. I tried to take him away from where he is but once again, I failed. "What?" By the tone of his voice, I can recognize that he is against in my plan that he absolutely doesn't know what.
"Let's just go! Come with me." I convinced him while throwing a glimpse into the area of fun, meters away from here in the shore... but I just received a glare from him.
My eyes automatically roll over as I turned around and was about to run without him when I bumped into something. "Looking for someone to hide with?" another boy with a messy hair said with a wide smile on his face.
I was about to smile back and nod when he pulled my hands without my response and permission. "W-Wait, where are we going?" He runs nonstop so I don't have a choice but to run along.
"You wanna hide right?" He chuckled and my heart beats runs hundred times faster than how our footsteps hastily run. I suddenly realized that the body of water is zooming through my sight. The surface of the sea starts to soak our clothes, down to our skin, overlaying the clear color of it.
"Huh? - A-Ah!" I was out of words when he shoved my head down to the water. My eyes automatically close and bubbles exits from my mouth. I can feel the pain across my chest and nose as I try to lift myself.
I don't know how to breath underwater, let me go!
I harshly swayed my hands and shook my head. I'm feeling so hopeless because of the fact that I cannot escape from his hands over my head.
I was running out of air when I suddenly heard a voice. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" That deep loud murmur made his hands loosen.
When I got a chance, I didn't hesitate to lift myself to escape the dying water. My heartbeat runs thrice a second, my deep breaths are nonstop. I took a moment to breath through the salty air and regain.
"Hiding?" I can hear the sarcasm beside me and saw a boy who have brown eyes in front of me with his face frowning. For uncountable times, he met mine and grabbed my hands to take me behind him, away from that boy who is carrying a demon on his back.
My nose is still hurting and my chest is still tight. My eyes are almost shut, cannot comprehend what just happened to me. My whole body is trembling and I feel like my knees wants to give in. I am lucky to lean my head on his shoulder and held me when I lost my balance.
"You almost drowned her! You're a crazy kid. Did your parents didn't even thought you good manners?! Jerk," I heard him said before I let my eyes totally close. The wetness throughout my body adds more shiver and pressure. Even though my lips are damp, I feel so dry especially to my chest that is still keeping on pumping in and out.
"Don't you ever call me like that, pakialamero!" An aggressive tone entered my ears. My fingers bend together despite of my weakness.
"Mangingialam ako kung kinakailangan because I know what is right and what is not, and I will never tolerate people who do bad things in front of me." In a blink of an eye, I was out of the water.
I slightly opened my eyes and my sight touched his collar. He is carrying me with my arms around his neck. I looked at him directly - to my new favorite spot, those brown eyes.
I took a deep breath, I can't stop from gasping. I tried to swallow my dried saliva to talk. "T-Thank... y-you." My tears started to fall down to my cheeks. "F-For s-saving me. Y-You're my s-saviour." My gasps suddenly turns into sobs.
I don't know how to thank him. Kung hindi siya dumating... hindi ko na alam ang mangyayari sa 'kin. When I got a chance to reach his jaw, I tried my best to give him a soft kiss into his cheeks.