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Grade
9

Sweat trickles down my back, pooling itself at the curvature of my hips. I can feel the hum of her body spreading through my muscles, and enchanting my bones. The rhythm of our heartbeats doesn’t match. I can feel the sun on her face, the crane of her neck as she looks behind her.

“Hello, Matthew, have you come for me already?”. Her breath whispers at the base of my neck, sending a warm shiver down my spine. Her hands grace the crook of my elbow, her touch, surges through me, our senses combine. I hear her take a sharp breath behind me and I turn around, expecting to see her eyes reflecting back at me. Instead, to my surprise, the only thing that greets me is my heart in my throat and my mahogany desk screaming as I lean up against it. Her energy still runs through my veins, twisting and swirling through my blood. My eyes close as a try to regain my balance. Behind my lids is not the normal black-white sight, but a luminous light that overwhelms me.

As hard as I try I can't open my eyes. I see a figure walking towards mine. I have left my body and the only thing that I can comprehend is her presence at this moment. And then I see her.  The first thing I notice and, and so help me God, are her lips. They twist upward into a smooth pink and brownish smile. The type of smile you expect from the neighborhood grandmother, a smile that could touch the ends of the earth. Her eyes where maple on top of mothers pancakes and melted chocolates on a Saturday afternoon. Her deep russet skin, are layers of the Earth, that scientist has yet to realize it exists. Her complexion is the glorified autumn leaves that dance in the sunlight. Her mouth opens, slightly, and she says my name, like honey sliding down a honeycomb.

“Matthew”, she says. A name is whispered in my ear so quietly as if there was nothing, Zarina. An alien to my lips I respond uncertain, “Zarina”. She smiles, sunlight explodes in my chest. “We found each other, uh.” She chuckles nervously as her head dips. Her hair, black as midnight, like a brush of clouds in a Vincent van Gogh painting. Her head picks up and looks at me once more.

“Matthew. Matthew. Look at me”. I look at her, I memorize the happiness in her eyes.

“Don’t forget me, Ok. Remember me. Ok, Matthew.” Her voice seeming father away,

“ Don’t forget”. I hang on to those words as my eyes open. I lay there on my bed, realizing that I have had the same dream, for the past week. I see this beautiful woman, and then she is gone. Lost in the pathways of my mind. Hidden is the women. I rise out of my bed and as my feet hit the floor stars swim in front of me. With a large bang of my head on the wall. She appears in front of me, in all her glory. Zarina. This has to be a figment my wandering imagination. No rings of smoke or loud bright light. Just with a small pop. The stars start to disintegrate into specks of black dust, and then into nothing. Zarina stands, with confidence and hovers over me, a golden halo surrounds her being, an angel. Her coils tickle my nose. “Hey, man,” she says shaking me. Her pancake eyes show worry, and...annoyance.

“Wake up. Look can you...focus. Focus on me.”  She speaks again

“Do you know who I am”.

“ Yes, of course, you are Zarina, my soulmate,”  I reply a smile creeping up on my face.

“ No” Zarina whispers a frown painted on her face. 

“ Have you not come to love me?” I say waiting for her to respond. After a grueling minute, she whispers

“I wish, but my longing for you to be mine and my duty are too different things. Paths that dare not cross”. She turns away from me, her breathes are unhinged. “Then why are you here” I crow.

“ I have come to take you home Matthew,” she says.  Zarina’s voice threatens to break.

“ I am home,” I say softly. She nods her head still turned away from me.

“You have to come with me, Matthew. Do you trust me?” I stare at her back, wondering what would happen if I did go. What would happen if dared to trust? She turns around light in her eyes.

“Take my hand” She smiles, that maple syrup smile, and I knew everything would be alright. I take her hand. I dive into a whirlwind of incandescent light and forget what it feels like to feel.