The butterfly flew faster and further than the princess’ legs could carry her. But the princess was stubborn. She tried harder to catch the butterfly. Finally, she caught it and brought it back to where she left the little prince. Her smile was big. Until she realized little prince was nowhere to be seen.
She screamed and cried. Searched everywhere she could think of. And when she reached the river, she saw the little prince, laying on the water. Face down. Not moving.
The butterfly flew away with her scream of horror.
And she knew she was cursed at that moment.
She cried.
And cried.
She cried until the king and queen came back.
But when they did, the look they gave her told her everything she should've known.
She was cursed.
She was cursed to be lonely.
And that day, the wicked witch Life had won.
The spell had never broken ever since.
There's a lump in my throat. My hands are shaky as I force them into fists.
This girl.
Damn this girl.
I read and re-read her story. Trying to understand what part of it is real what part is fiction.
I don't know if she had a brother. In the week I stayed there, I saw no one else but her and the employees around the house. I don't know if this story was her telling me her pain metaphorically or if she was telling me a story so painful.
After sitting in the dark for so long, I get up and head for the house. It's already close to midnight, and I feel that urge to hug Evangeline again. I need to hug her. Not out of pity because it's the last thing I feel. It's just this indescribable proximity I feel toward her that makes me want to see her, touch her.
I've read somewhere its pain that brings people closer. I've never thought it would be true, but as she opens up to me, I just want to know more and more, like I can drink her pain, like I can set her free. There's intimacy and bravery in the way she trusts me with her pain. That is something that makes me feel important, a someone, almost like a hero. With every sliver of her life, she reveals to me, I feel there's another set of connections shaping between us. Like neurons in our brains, with every piece I see of the puzzle that she really is, another set of complications and an intense pathway is created. A pathway to bring us together. Feeding the electricity between us, that's been there since the first moment we laid eyes on each other.
When I stand in front of the guest house after coming home, I turn to look at the only light on in the big house. It must be her.
Grabbing my phone, I find her number which I recorded the first day I stayed here.
*Goodnight, Evangeline*
I send the text and wait. Three dots appear a few seconds later, and I wait like a sixteen-year-old boy with a crush.
*Goodnight, Elijah x*
She sends back.
Elijah. Not Mr. Richards. And I get a kiss.
That puts a big smile on my face. And I go to bed with that smile still in place.
13
Eva
I wake up before my alarm goes off today. It's still kind of dark outside, but I feel well rested and… I don't know what's the other thing I'm feeling. It's bubbly, like a glass of sweet champagne. After the story time yesterday, I assumed I'd be in a bad mood, but I'm glad it's not the case. Maybe sharing that story with someone took the weight off of my shoulders. Without questioning the reason any longer, I get out of my bed.