To the Forest of the Firefly Lights (ZARRY)

Chapter 4

This is how summer became something I looked forward to. Zayn waited for our promised summer.

"It's cold!" I laughed and continued splashing the lake's water with my feet.

"You're weird." Zayn said looking at me. "Of course, the water is cold."

He led me through the forest so we can go up the hill again. But suddenly, a large branch of tree moved like a monstrous hand shielding Zayn.

"Zayn." It whispered and the air around us turned cold. My eyes turned watery because I thought the monster tree was taking him but it didn't. It only shielded him.

It shielded Zayn from me.

"Zayn!" I called in panic.

"It's dangerous, Zayn." The tree spoke again. "That's a human child. If he touches you, you'll disappear." the tree warned.

"Thank you." Zayn said calmly to the tree, not fazed at all. "I'm fine." The tree slowly withdrawn its branch.

"Please don't touch him, human child." It ordered.

"Yes." I said looking at the tree then back at Zayn. He started walking and I followed him.

That's when I noticed different type of spirits I couldn't tell what exactly, looking at us. I didn't notice them before and now that I noticed them, I could hear them as well. They're whispering to Zayn to be careful. The spirits can touch him, right? This forest really cared for him. The spirits cared for him.

Even though I was scared, I smiled and promised myself something. Despite how much I want be able to hold his hand and to hug him, I would never touch, Zayn. I won't let him disappear.

-

Two summers passed then three.

-

"Harry!" Zayn called. We were playing hide and seek, "Where are you?" he looked around looking for me.

"Harry!" he called again. "Har – "

"Bah!" I exclaimed upside down from the tree as I tried to fright him. I climbed up earlier so I could give him scare him but he was expressionless. He didn't flinch at all.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I wanted to see your startled face but..." I pouted, "At least when I'm around, can you take off your mask once in a while?"

"That's fine." He said slowly taking off his mask, "but is there a reason?"

"Not really, but – " the branch I was sitting on suddenly broke making me fall. I screamed waiting for the impact of the ground.

Everything seemed to be in slow-motion as my heart skipped a beat when I saw Zayn running to catch me. The fear of touching Zayn occurred to me like a flood that it hurt my heart more than when I hit the bushes.

I didn't hit the ground but the bushes. Zayn hadn't caught me in his arms. He hadn't touched me.

"That was close." He said in relief.

"yeah..." I sniffled.

"I'm sorry, Harry. Are you, okay?" Zayn asked ignoring the pinch in his heart and the regret of not being able to catch Harry in his arms.

"Thank goodness." I sighed.

"Hey, Zayn" I looked up at him and smiled ignoring the pain in my back because the pain in my heart had yet subsided.

"No matter what, don't ever touch me, okay? Okay?" then I started to tear. I sobbed and I tried to wipe the tears but they continued falling. "No matter what!"

-

The next summer and the summer after that, I visited the forest.

-

"I'm leaving!" I waved at Dad and run off before he can question me as to why I'm wearing my school uniform.

"Zayn! I'm here again this year. Ta-da!" I twirled showing him the uniform I was wearing. "I've become a fifth grader."

Zayn stared at me, "Somehow, you're starting to look like a man."

"I'm a man." I scowled at him.

"Shall we go?" he started walking. I smiled as I followed him. This is... I stared at Zayn for a long time that I didn't notice that he was looking back at me.

"What is it?"

Our ages are gradually getting closer.

Somehow, Zayn ages more slowly than humans.

I shook my head and just smiled at him. "Even though, I'm in middle school now, a lot of my elementary school friends are in the same classes so it doesn't feel like anything changed. But there's this transferee, his name is Louis, he seemed to stare at me longer than necessary. I feel awkward around him sometimes."

Zayn hummed, "Maybe he likes you."

I scowled at him.

-

That was how summer goes. We talked, we played, and we laughed.

As the years go by, my appearance changes but Zayn is almost the same as the day we met.

-

We were walking we he stopped, so I did too. I looked over at him and I saw a white butterfly flapping around his mask, he slowly removed his mask. He smiled and let the butterfly sloped down on his nose.

That was the first time I saw him smile. He looked wonderful.

Then I thought as I stared at him, someday I'll be older than Zayn, won't I?

.......

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