Pixelated
They stared at each other, looking unable to touch. Her eyes focused on him, but he saw her staring straight ahead. He moved to touch her face but his fingers met resistance.
He spoke, his lips moved, but the words were received at a two-second delay. Nevertheless, the message itself was still clear.
"You are so beautiful."
Her eyes shimmered, she wiped it away hastily, her moves stilted and jerky.
"I don't know how long we can last."
She had nothing else more to say. The room was silent. She looked down, with a small smile, she clicked the 'Play' button.
His expression wavered. They stared at each other; the piano notes the only one speaking in the heavy silence. The memories, the emotions, trickled effortlessly as the piano players' fingers, delicately moving over the keys.
"It's Eternal Sunshine. I still have the DVD somewhere around," she said, unnecessarily, reminding him of the song they already knew. The movie they had watched together a countless amount of times, the songs they had listened to together, through fights, and tears, and whispered secrets under blankets.
He closed his eyes, inhaled a deep, shaky breath, the unspoken volumes of the moment weighing his words down. "I love your heart."
She hesitated, stumbled over his statement, didn't know what to say. "I wish I had brought it back with me," she said.
They both took a moment to decide what she was referring to.
"I'm glad to have kept it," he replies softly.
The song plays on, as they lapse into silence again, not sure what to make of their conversation. It ends abruptly, and their faces, illuminated on the screens of their web cameras, staring at each other from the tiny squares on their laptops, not touching, not even there.
He spoke, his lips moved, but the words were received at a two-second delay. Nevertheless, the message itself was still clear.
"You are so beautiful."
Her eyes shimmered, she wiped it away hastily, her moves stilted and jerky.
"I don't know how long we can last."
She had nothing else more to say. The room was silent. She looked down, with a small smile, she clicked the 'Play' button.
His expression wavered. They stared at each other; the piano notes the only one speaking in the heavy silence. The memories, the emotions, trickled effortlessly as the piano players' fingers, delicately moving over the keys.
"It's Eternal Sunshine. I still have the DVD somewhere around," she said, unnecessarily, reminding him of the song they already knew. The movie they had watched together a countless amount of times, the songs they had listened to together, through fights, and tears, and whispered secrets under blankets.
He closed his eyes, inhaled a deep, shaky breath, the unspoken volumes of the moment weighing his words down. "I love your heart."
She hesitated, stumbled over his statement, didn't know what to say. "I wish I had brought it back with me," she said.
They both took a moment to decide what she was referring to.
"I'm glad to have kept it," he replies softly.
The song plays on, as they lapse into silence again, not sure what to make of their conversation. It ends abruptly, and their faces, illuminated on the screens of their web cameras, staring at each other from the tiny squares on their laptops, not touching, not even there.
Comments
I kept it all dry. I held the things dear to me and kept them all warm. Scattered wooden water towers climbed across the rooftops. Everything was a backdrop to the rain and the rain covered everything.
The feirce storm humbled the city. Our mad and hectic ways were calm compared to its presence.
When I next turned back to see the city below it was a bright and sunny day after a storm.