Clifftops

They stood together at the cliff's edge. The cold July breeze brought with it the scent of salt water and the sound of distant music. They stood alone on the cliff, not even crickets dared to disturb the deadly quiet. Sam reached out her hand and intertwined her lover's fingers with hers. To say they were scared would be an understatement. They were terrified, practically shaking in their platform boots. Both their hearts were hammering in their chests, threatening to burst through theirs rib cages and out into the cold, cruel world. And if you listened closely, you would find that their twin hearts beat in time with one another's.

Suddenly Sam whipped around and faced her love, Ona. She put her hands on Ona's cheeks and wiped her tears. She drank in Ona's appearance, making sure to take in every curve and beauty spot. She didn't want to forget a single detail. Ona smashed her lips into Sam's. Their kiss was brief but passionate, a lot like their romance. In the absence of clear, coherent words, their kiss spoke a thousand.  It spoke to all of the late night messages and their inside jokes. To the stolen glances and chaste kisses. To the passionate night they shared filled with nervous laughter and and slow kisses and awkward pleasure. To the first time they said 'I love you' and to the last time too. A kiss that spoke to all the beautiful and painful things they had lived through.

Ona gave Sam one last peck on the lips before pulling away. She rested her forehead on Sam's and took in a deep, shaky breath and said, "Ngiyak' thanda." There was no need for translation, Sam knew exactly what she meant. And with those last words, the girls pulled apart and turned back to face the calm green water. They gave each other's hands one last squeeze and took one step closer to the edge.

And then they jumped.

                                                                                    0.0.0

It had been five months, three weeks, four days and two hours since. . .the cliff. But who's counting, right? It's weird how even after all that time, the pain in Sam's heart hadn't subsided. The girl-sized whole in her heart till throbbed and with every breath she took, her heart throbbed like an open wound. Sometimes she wished she couldn't breathe just so she wouldn't have to feel the pain. It hurt so  fucking much.

With every passing day, Sam missed her more. Sam missed her warm embrace and her  sage smell.  She missed her brown eyes that turned golden in the sunlight and her smile that could light up a stadium. And she especially missed her soft lips, velvety smooth against Sam's chapped ones. Everyday without her was painful and Sam couldn't help but wish that it was her skull that had been smashed open by those jagged rocks, not hers. Everyone told her to give it some time. "Time heals all wounds", they said. Well, Sam's been giving it time but still, her heart beat painfully in her chest. It was longing to be with its other half. Me too, heart. Me too. But alas, their wish would never be granted, and Sam would just have to learn how to function with only half a heart. 

Until then, she would continue to dream of clifftops and golden eyes in the sunlight.