Love and Fate's Playlist in Shuffle

How does a moment last...?

Jackson smiled as the pianist of the band started playing.

In the dark hushed crowd, a spotlight turned on—fully focused on the pianist that's playing the piano at the center of the stage. 

Jackson stands quietly at the mosh pit near the stage. He turned his head to look at the person beside him, a girl in a white dress who is a feet shorter than him. She looked back at him and smiled right after. 

Soon the memories of a girl and a boy flashed into his mind. 

"Ahh that guitarist was so good! I can totally feel the lyrics coming out of his guitar earlier," the girl vividly recalled as the two of them walked on their way home. She then tried to imitate how the guitarist nailed the song with her imaginary guitar strapped onto her. 

Jackson laughed at her and placed his hand on the top of her head. He then proceeds to mess up her hair a bit. 

The girl laughed at him.  
"I hope I'll be able to see the original one play live someday," she wished as she looks up at the night sky. 

"What? You mean like see Coldplay live?" Jackson laughed "Are you serious? They don't do concerts here, we've got to fly to other countries to see them play." 

"I know," she sighed "but gosh I really do, I hope that someday, when we grow up... we'll see them together," she smiled as she looked back down and smiled at him.

"We will," Jackson smiled back at her. 

Another memory flashed in.

☘   ☘   ☘

Memories of a valley, tall grasses swaying, a running girl, and the sunlight touching her skin.

Jackson ran after the girl and found her standing still with her eyes closed. 

The wind blew, and her hair followed. 

It flowed beautifully along with the grasses around her. The sun illuminated her face.

She opened her eyes and turned to look at him, a smile forming on her lips. 

☘   ☘   ☘

Everything passed by in a blink of an eye, and Jackson found himself in a white-washed hallway. A door stood right in front of him. 

She smiled as she raises up her hand up and gestured for him to come closer. 

Jackson tried to keep his tears in, he walked a few steps closer towards her. 

He took her hand in—just like how he had always wanted to. 

Finally, he's holding the hand of the woman that he loves the most.

"Don't miss me too much okay?" she smiled as she placed her other hand on the top of their hands.

Jackson remained silent as he looked down and stared at both of their hands. 

'I cannot promise you that I won't,' Jackson thought. 

Slowly, he pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her. Resting her head onto his chest, soon his tears escaped. She hugged him back and smiled. 

"The world may never know that the two of us exist and they might also never know when we die. But I'm happy that I get to know someone like you," she whispered. 

 how come things move on, how come cars don't slow

when it feels like the end of my world 

Jackson hugged her tight.

And soon, he felt it.

Her hand fall onto the side and her eyes closed for the last time. 

Life left in the form of lightness. And all that remains is this great heaviness. 

☘   ☘   ☘

The last and most unforgettable memory came in. 

Jackson was standing in front of a coffin.

And then the memory shifted into a different scene, he was now standing near an open grave. A white tulip clasped in his hand.

Jackson can't seem to let go. 

He knows that the moment he gives her the flower, it's time to go. 

How does a moment last?

'How does a moment last? I'd like to know. Cause I never wanted to let you go. 

I just want to stay here and be here with you. 

But I can't seem to know, how does a moment last?' Jackson thought. 

☘  ☘  ☘

Soon the music stops. 

The crowd started cheering right after the music stopped.

He was back to his own reality. 

He was smiling at no one. 

There was no girl standing beside him, it was just him, and an empty space in his heart.