• “ Cinderella stories are non-existent.”

    Those four words, simple, yet utterly depressing, escaped my lips in a depressing manner as I wiped away the remnants of my sorrowful tears onto the sleeve of my snow-white sweater. I lowered the open cell phone that lay in my sweaty, shaking palm. My facial expression gave off a strong look of shock and surprise, but my cerulean eyes gave off a strong look of sorrow and depression.

    Even after you hung up the phone that warm, summer afternoon, having made your final decision and breaking my heart, I still kept the phone to my ear. I clenched the phone tightly, feeling as if the phone was all that I had left in the world. I felt those tears, one-by-one, slowly make their way down my cheeks onto the sandy grounds before me. I let them fall. I just stood there, still as a statue; petrified by the shock. It felt like an eternity before my feelings finally made their impact on the unforgiving environment that surrounded me.

    After sliding the cell phone into its closed position, I savagely threw it with all my might into the beautiful waters that lie before me, closing my eyes, breathing in deeply. What hurt the most was that that horrible event took place where you and I first met at exactly one year ago. I tried to remain optimistic over what you had just done to me, but it hurt too much. My emotions became too strong to handle.

    Tears of sorrow, depression, and sadness started streaming down my face like Niagara Falls. It was beyond painful when those two, dreadful words left your lips. Like my heart had just been petrified, turned to stone; to be shattered by the javelin you threw straight threw it. It felt like my life was over. I wanted to scream and shout and punch and kick, like a child who had just dropped their most favorite flavor of ice cream. But, I did not.

    Events of our most recent days flashed before my eyes like a burst of fire, scorching my mind, implanting a temporary burning feeling of the times we shared together in our most recent days. The evanescence of the times I made you laugh out loud, when you were about to cry your heart out on my shoulder. The evanescence of the times we looked each other in the eyes, and decided that we were meant for each other, as we heard the joyful laughs we gave each other. The evanescence of the times we looked each other in the eyes, and said, “ I love you.”

    Events of our past flashed before my eyes like a flash of lightning, electrifying my mind, implanting a temporary shocking feeling of the times we shared together in our past days. The evanescence of the time we had first met on the beach, for our friends had set us up on a blind date. The evanescence of the time we had our first embrace, for you had received the grave news from your younger sister, Anastasia, that your mother had died of lung cancer. The evanescence of the time we had our first kiss, for we sought our love for each other on the docks of Ann Harbor, whilst watching the beautiful sunset.

    Events of our future flashed before my eyes like a wave of water, water logging my mind, implanting a temporary drowning feeling of the times we shared together in the future. I would never see the gates of the grand wedding chapel, where we would get married. I would never walk down that enchanted aisle, hand-in-hand with my father. I would never see ourselves saying our weddings vows in front of friends and family. I would never see the car drive away from the wedding chapel, with a large sign on the back saying, “ Just Married”. I would never see the day our first born finally saw Earth. All of that flashed before my eyes.

    I hoped for all of that with you, my first true love. But there was no longer any chance of that happening, after those two, dreadful words left your lips.

    As I watched the sunset, I thought to myself. All relationships must have ended like the sunset, correct? No. Most relationships do not end on a sour note, like mine had. Most relationships end with a happily ever after. With the clause, “ ‘Till death do us part.” and “ I do.” But mine had ended with a happily never after. With the clause, “ My love for you is no longer existent.” and “ Goodbye, Emily”.

    As the sun finally traded places with its partner, the moon, I sighed. I started to walk back towards my car, dropping the locket that contained the picture of you and I smiling at each other onto the sandy ground. But, after five steps, I stopped. I turned back to the moon. I opened my mouth to speak.

    “ My love for you is forever existent; from the day I met you, to the day I die, my love for you shall stay the same.” I whispered, gazing at the beautiful, full moon that lie before me.

    I felt my eyes begin to water. I quickly wiped the tears away, but I smiled as I did. I opened my mouth to speak my final words.

    “ It was faith that you and I met, and it is faith that you and I left. Forever shall my love be with you, Luke.”