Curly

PROLOGUE

There was a small town on the banks of a river. The town had a tiny population which grew in the summer times when tourists flocked there to enjoy the idyllic scenery and the quiet of the starry nights. A girl lived there, a girl with big dreams, big hopes, a girl who was meant for greater things but her wings were clipped, as she looked after her sickly mom.


THE BEGINNING


The sky was turning into sherbet as a little girl with a mane of curls stood looking out of a window. Standing on tippy toes she could see the sunset outside. Her gaze caught sight of a little boy in the house next to hers, staring out of his window his gaze meeting hers. He was a couple of years older then her. He had a small toy plane in his hands; swooping it around on an imaginary journey. A small wave, a small smile; the beginning of a friendship.

Summer nights became colder, the days shorter and the girl knew that it was almost time for the boy to leave again. They made a little fire on the river banks as they watched the night reflect itself in the water. The boy spoke about exploring the world, flying to distant magical lands looking for countless adventures. The girl would tell him about her sick mom, the chores she had to do, how trapped she felt everyday. They got up to leave, the girl knowing that the boy would be gone when the sun came up again. The boy tweaked one of her russet curls saying, “Farewell Curly; keep out of trouble now… until I come back.” And every time the boy went away, the girl would light a single candle at night time, hoping that the flame she lighted would light the boy’s path on his adventures and bring him back safely.



Every year when the days became longer the boy would arrive again with his family, filling the girl’s lonely, silent world until he had to leave again. The little toy plane always with them, sharing their adventures. He was her only friend, her sole companion. And every summer before he left he would tweak her curls saying “Farewell Curly; keep out of trouble now… until I come back.”



The summer the boy turned fourteen the toy plane was gone. Replaced by thick books; as the boy studied and learned and practiced.

They were sitting in a field filled with wild flowers. All was quiet as the boy weaved a little circle from the wild grass he picked up. He slipped the circle of woven grass onto her smallest finger. “I’m going away for a while Curly.” The girl tried to hide the sadness she was feeling. “They’re going to teach me how to fly!” She took the hairclip from her hair; it was a butterfly with wings reflecting the rainbow. She gave it to him, “don’t forget me.” The boy took the butterfly and tweaked her hair with a sad smile. “Farewell Curly; keep out of trouble now... until I come back.” The girl watched him walk away as she twirled the small ring around her finger. Silent tears rolling down her cheeks.


(THREE YEARS LATER)


The girl was lying on her back staring at the full moon; her thoughts were restless as she wondered if maybe she and the boy were looking up at the same stars.

A sound behind her made her sit up, turning around she saw a shadow standing underneath a massive oak tree. “Hello, Curly.” The voice was different, deeper, but she knew who it was as she gasped in surprise. The boy walked into the light smiling at the girl. For the first time in his presence the girl wondered how it would feel to touch his cheek. No words were needed as he came closer, the girl stood up enraptured by him. He touched a lock of her hair softly smiling. She put her arms around him as if she’s been doing it her whole life. The boy leaned down, kissing her on her forehead, her cheek; her lips. The sky was spinning around them, the kiss growing with every second. The girl pushed him away, “no, don’t.” The boy looked at her a frown between his eyes. “Just leave, please just leave, don’t torture me like this.” “Do you hate me?” “I hate being alone, I hate the fact that you always leave.” The boy looked sad his face a whirlpool of emotions, the girl had an icy mask on now, trapping everything she felt inside as she turned her back on him. The boy walked away his shoulders heavy.

The next day the boy rang the doorbell, the girl opened it, her face showing surprise but she caught herself making her face an impenetrable mask. The boy stepped closer, he reached out to touch one of her curls, but she pulled away. The boy smiled sadly as he said, “Farewell Curly, keep out of trouble now... until I come back.” The girl just closed her eyes to hold back tears, hoping that when she opened it again he would be gone.

That night she lighted her single candle again.


(TWO YEARS LATER)


The girl was busy hanging washing onto the line; the wind was whipping at her dress and her hair. She heard footsteps coming closer, she pulled the sheet she just hanged aside her body becoming rigid. The boy was approaching her, his uniform making him look distinguished and grown up. He cautiously walked closer as he said “I’m just here for the day Curly, but I had to see you.” The girl looked at the ground, the laundry basket, anything but him. The boy stepped closer his hand hovering by her temple, he brushed a wayward curl from her face withdrawing his hand. The girl bit her lip as she looked up into his eyes, “I need you to leave, and never come back.” “Why do you keep pushing me away Curly?” She looked straight into his eyes “believing you’ll never come back is easier than waiting.” “Curly I’ll always come back for you.” The girl stepped back from him, making her voice as cold as she could, “Don’t be stupid, this is quite simple, I want to forget you; I want to wipe every trace of you from my mind. I wish I would never see you again. Believe this, it’s the truth.” The boy took a step back his face white, but his gaze was steady, deeply searching. “Give me your hand.” The girl opened her mouth to argue, but she extended her arm, they both looked down, and on her smallest finger was the small circle of grass the boy gave to her. He looked up at her still holding her hand, “I don’t believe you.” The girl kept her gaze locked downwards to hide the tears forming in her eyes. He released her hand as he started turning around, he paused and looked at the girl. “Farewell Curly, keep out of trouble now... until I...” The girl looked up masking her emotions. “Don’t you understand? I will always be trapped here and you will always be flying away.” The girl turned around running towards her house, slamming the door. That night you could see the girl sobbing by her window, the flame of a single candle reflecting on her tears. She took the ring off of her smallest finger placing it next to the candle before she blew out the flame. The boy looked up at her window a tear sliding from his cheek as he turned around walking away.



(TWO YEARS LATER)



The boy found the girl sitting by a grave. He looked at the little butterfly in the palm of his hand. She was placing flowers on the marble slab. He bent down next to her placing his hand on her shoulder. She put her hand on his hand still looking at the grave, “I always imagined this moment, loosing her. Is it wrong to feel relieved? Knowing I’m not trapped in this town anymore?” She turned around when the boy kept quiet. She was startled to see him crying. The boy looked up at her his face twisted in pain, “I enlisted in the army, I thought you would always be trapped here, I needed a way to forget you.” The girl hugged him her eyes filling up with tears. “I’m sorry” “I just had to see you one last time.” They stayed by the grave for a long time sitting in silence.

Later that day they went walking visiting all of their childhood places. They ended up at the oak tree in the park. They shared a second kiss in the exact same spot, the world stopping for a little while. As they the day turned into afternoon they headed for the small runway a little bit outside of the town. They were standing on the runway the small little plane standing in the background. The boy hugged the girl close as if he never wanted to let her go again. The girl was quiet holding onto the boy. The boy looked at the girl as he softly kissed her. He tweaked one of her curls before he started walking away. He turned around struggling to say the words, “Farewell Curly; keep out of trouble now...” The girl had her hands over her face hiding her tears as she waited for the rest of the familiar sentence. But when she opened her eyes the boy was already in the plane.



The girl stood alone rooted to the spot watching the plane race down the runway. She looked like the saddest girl in the world as the wind whipped her hair around her face. With one last tiny wave, she fell to her knees her arm over stomach, sobs wracking her world.

THE END.