“Are you not afraid?” His tone was firm and oddly solemn.

She frowned and softly replied, “Of what?”

He rose from the sofa and made his way to the window opposite them. The sun had begun rising and its rays lay on the wreckage of cars that were scattered all over the street. Some were still ablaze from last night, but at least the bodies had been cleared. “Are you not afraid that we might stop trying?”

She shivered at the thought; “The only way we could ever stop trying is if we stopped believing.” She stood, made her way towards him and hugged him from behind.

He held his breath and allowed the familiarity of her body to comfort him. When he could no longer do without breathing, he took a deep breath; her sweet scent entered him and began melting the ice that had gripped his heart. “But is it really bad? Is it really bad if I stopped believing?”

She tightened her grip. “No, it’s not. It’s just impossible. You cannot, not believe.”

He laughed, whilst observing a bird land on a streetlamp. “I don’t believe that what we are doing is right though…” she released her grip “… I believe, but I’m not sure that what I believe in is the same as what they believe in.”

She sighed. Walked towards the door. Opened it. “You need to leave.” Her voice had lost all form of affection. Her blue eyes had become two diamond rocks – beautiful and delicate looking yet extremely strong and expensive.

He smiled.

She remained immobile. “Leave. You and I can’t be together.”

Ironically, in that instant he was reminded of the reason he had fallen in love with her. He walked towards her. Kissed her on her forehead for the last time, whispered, “Goodbye” and left.   

She closed the door and crumbled to the floor. She knew she had some phone calls to make, but she wanted him to get as far away as possible…

Ronald Olaibi