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~3 years ago~
It was a day like any other day. Rena was going for her daily walk with her dog, Annie, down by the lake. Rena was just an average girl, nothing too special. She was 5′2" with long brown hair that she almost always wore in a braid pulled to the side. Her signature look during the summer consisted of jean shorts and crop top t’s. One staple item you could find her wearing all the time is her signature high-top black Converse.
She had just graduated high school and was spending her last summer in her small hometown in the middle of nowhere. She was hoping that her childhood friend would show up, it had been 3 years since she had seen them. If they didn’t show up then she’d leave. She had plans to move to a new city, go to college, and try to make friends. But for now, she was just relaxing by the lake of her childhood that held so many memories.
She let out a soft sigh. This was supposed to be an epic summer. It’s just not the same. Something feels like it’s missing, or maybe it’s someone.
The duo came across a cluster of trees along the bank of the coastline. Annie ran up to the trees and started wagging her tail excitedly.
“What is it, girl?! What’d you find?”
Rena walks up to the treeline and spots a small pathway leading up into the trees. She follows the path and comes to a clearing. In the middle, there was an odd tree. It was thin but the bark was cracked and white. The tree was also covered in strange-looking thorns.
“Hmm. This is weird. It’s got spikes coming out of it. I don’t think this is a tree that normally grows here. What do you think, Annie?”
Rena suddenly had a sense of deja vu but couldn’t quite place why. Why was this tree familiar?
Annie starts sniffing the tree then steps back and starts to dig. Rena crouches down next to Annie.
Annie kept digging until something was shining out of the hole.
“What’s this?” Rena reached in and dusted some dirt off the object. It was a metal box with a lock. It was small but it seemed to be holding something inside. Weird, did someone bury this here?
She flipped it over and saw some markings on the bottom.
“C. E.”
Clark? Did he bury this here? What would he need to hide?
She stood up with the box deciding to take it with her. She looked up and noticed the sun was setting. She whistled for Annie who was off doing doggie things.
“Come on girl. Let’s go home. I need some comfort food and a nap.”
Once she was home, she started moving about the house getting things ready to turn in for the night. She filled up Annie’s food and water bowl and then headed back outside. She began walking towards the backside of the house.
Rena rounds the corner to the back of the house. There was a large oak tree standing tall in the middle of the backyard. Its branches seem to reach the heavens. In the middle of the tree a few yards up sat a treehouse.
Rena climbs to the top of the tree house glancing at a carving that says ‘R&C 4ever’. She sits down and turns towards the skyline viewing the lake, the distant mountains, and the setting sun.
She looked down at the box, trying to remember a time when she saw him with one. Nothing came to mind, just memories of a time she longed for, when he was by her side.
She looked off to the setting sun as a tear slid down her cheek. “Where are you Clark? You said you’d be here. You promised.”
~Two Years Later~
Rena walked into the backroom of the shop, her movements slow and heavy. She reached for her apron, letting out a deep sigh as she slipped it on. It had been two days since she received the devastating news of her childhood friend and first love’s disappearance. The news, delivered by Clark’s father himself, had left her in a fog of confusion and sorrow. She was torn between holding on to the fragile hope that he was still out there somewhere and accepting the unbearable possibility that he might be gone forever. How much longer should she wait? Should she keep clinging to the past or move forward with the new friends she had made? She wanted to move forward, but something still tethered her to the past, a shadow lingering over her heart.
Rena opened the door to the lobby, her eyes scanning the busy shop. She saw her coworkers, some of her favorite regulars, and Keiko and Azul chatting in a corner. A small, bittersweet smile graced her face. I’ve found a place here. It’s time to let go, isn’t it?
Just as she was about to walk behind the counter to get started, her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket, noting the unfamiliar number but recognizing the zip code. Swiping to answer, she raised the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Miss Serena Reyes?” the voice asked.
“Yes, this is she,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Miss Reyes, we regret to inform you that your grandmother has passed away. There was an accident. Would you be able to—” the voice on the phone said solemnly.
Rena didn’t hear the rest of the sentence as the phone slipped from her grasp, shattering as it hit the floor. Her fingers remained curved as her hand hovered by her ear. Everything went blurry, a high-pitched ringing filled her ears, and her knees gave out as she collapsed to the floor.
The town looked almost the same as Rena remembered, but there was an eerie emptiness to it now. They pulled up to what used to be her grandmother’s house, now a pile of ash and blackened wood. Rena stepped out of the car, staring at the remnants of the place that was once called her home. She didn’t feel much looking at it; it held very few good memories. The best memories were in the treehouse. She looked to the tree and what remained of the one happy place she had here. Half of it was burned, the remaining half barely holding on. She caught a quick glance at the carving in the tree, the side with the “C” had been burned. Her heart sank. Is that the world telling me something?
~A few months later~
Rena stepped off the plane, her heart pounding with anticipation. It had only been a few months since she had been here, but it felt like a lifetime. As she walked through the bustling terminal, her eyes scanned the crowd until she spotted Kei waiting for her. He smiled warmly, but she could see the tension in his eyes, a reflection of the weight they both carried.
“Hey,” she said softly as she approached him, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Hey,” Kei replied, pulling her into a gentle hug. The familiar scent of him brought a sense of comfort. “How was your flight?”
“It was okay,” she said, pulling back to look at him. “Thank you for picking me up.”
“Of course,” Kei said, taking her bag with a reassuring smile. “Ready to go?”
Rena nodded, and they made their way to the car. The drive to the cemetery was quiet, both of them lost in their thoughts. The landscape passed by in a blur, the silence between them filled with unspoken words and shared memories. When they arrived, Rena took a deep breath and stepped out of the car, feeling the weight of the past pressing down on her shoulders.
Kei stayed by her side as she walked to her mother’s grave. The cemetery was peaceful, the only sounds the rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds. She knelt down, placing a bouquet of flowers on the headstone. Tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered a few words to her mother, feeling a sense of peace wash over her. The cool breeze seemed to carry her words away, a silent promise to her mother that she would be okay.
After a while, they made their way to the lake. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the water. The sky was painted with hues of orange, pink, and purple, reflecting off the calm surface of the lake. Rena stood at the edge, taking in the beauty of the scene. Kei stood a few steps behind her, giving her space to process her emotions.
As she watched the sunset over the water, she was lost in the waves reflecting the colors of the sky. It was a beautiful sunset, one of the most beautiful ones she had seen. It reminded her of that night, the night he said goodbye.
“Ree…” his soft voice split the air.
“Yes?” she answered just as delicately.
“I… I wanted to spend today with you because I’m leaving. I’ll be gone for a while,” he said, looking away, out towards the water.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
He was silent for a moment, trying to move his words delicately. “I have to go somewhere. There’s something I need to do, and it’s going to take a long time. I’ll be gone for three years, but I promise to come back, right after graduation.”
“Where are you going?” she started to tear up.
“I can’t… I can’t tell you, but I promise I’ll do everything I can to come back,” he said firmly, turning back to her to see a tear sliding down her cheek.
“You promise? Promise you’ll come back?” she whispered as more tears began to fall.
“Yes, Ree. I promise. But before I go, there’s something I need to tell you,” he said as he reached her cheek to wipe a tear away with his thumb. He continued to cup her face as their gaze locked. They started to lose themselves in each other’s eyes.
“Ser-ena?” a voice called out to her, soft yet unmistakable, carrying a familiarity that sent shivers down her spine.
Realizing someone had called her name, Rena turned her head towards the voice. A shadow stepped out from behind a tree and into the light, the golden rays of the setting sun casting a halo around him. As their eyes met, tears began to fall uncontrollably from her eyes, her breath catching in her throat.
There he stood, hands in his pockets, a soft smile playing on his lips. “Hey,” he said gently, his voice carrying a warmth she had longed to hear, a sound she thought she would never hear again.
Rena didn’t answer. She continued to stare at him, her jaw quivering, tears streaming down her face. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing the disbelief and hope swirling within her. The world around her seemed to blur, focusing only on the figure before her.
“You were always such a crybaby, Ree,” he chuckled, stepping closer, his eyes twinkling with the same mischief she remembered. His movements were slow, almost hesitant, as if he too feared this moment might shatter.
She stayed silent, her eyes wide, as if he were a mirage that might disappear at any moment. Her mind raced, trying to reconcile the image before her with the reality she had come to accept.
“Cl–Clark?” she whispered, her voice trembling as she stood up and walked towards him, each step feeling like a leap of faith. Her legs felt weak, but she was drawn to him, unable to resist the pull of the past and the promise of the present. She reached out a trembling hand, afraid to touch him, afraid he might vanish like a dream.
Kei watched from a distance, his heart aching but knowing this was the moment Rena needed. He took a deep breath and turned to leave, giving them the privacy they deserved.
“Yeah, it’s me. Sorry I’m so la–” he started to say, but was cut off as Rena grabbed Clark’s shirt and pulled him towards her, their lips met with an intensity that took both of them by surprise. The world around them seemed to blur, leaving only the sensation of their connection. Her lips were soft yet insistent, conveying all the emotions she had kept bottled up for so long—love, longing, relief, and a hint of desperation.
Clark’s initial shock melted away as he felt the warmth and urgency of her kiss. His eyes fluttered closed, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. The kiss deepened, their lips moving in perfect harmony, as if they were made for each other.
Rena’s hands moved from his shirt to his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. She poured every ounce of her feelings into the kiss, her tears mingling with their shared breath. The taste of salt from her tears added a bittersweet note to the moment, making it all the more poignant.
Clark’s hands roamed her back, holding her as if he was afraid she might disappear. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest, matching the frantic beat of his own. The kiss was both a release and a promise, a silent vow that they would never let go of each other again.
As they stumbled backward, their bodies pressed together, the kiss grew softer, more tender. It was no longer just about the urgency of their reunion but about savoring the moment, feeling every nuance of their connection. Their lips moved slowly, exploring, memorizing the feel of each other.
When Rena finally broke the kiss, they were both breathless, their foreheads resting against each other. Her eyes were still closed, savoring the lingering sensation of his lips on hers. Clark’s eyes opened slowly, filled with a mixture of awe and love as he looked at her.
He reached up, his thumb gently wiping away the tears that still clung to her cheeks. “You’re late,” she huffed, her voice a mix of relief and frustration as she took a step backwards.
He looked down, dropping his hand from her face. “I know, I’m–”
“I love you,” she interrupted, her voice firm and unwavering.
He froze, then looked up, meeting her gaze once more. He searched her eyes, tears beginning to form in his own.
“Say… say it again,” he whispered, his voice breaking.
“I love you, Clark,” she repeated, her voice filled with all the love and longing she had held back.
Tears began to fall down his face. “Those words… they sound more beautiful than I ever imagined.”
She stepped closer, closing the gap between them. Clark wrapped his arms around her slowly, as she reached up to wipe his tears away, just as he had done for her. They stared into each other’s eyes, losing themselves in the moment.
“Then I’ll never stop saying them. I love you. I love you so much, Clark.”
“I love you too, Serena, more than you could ever know.”
They slowly moved their faces together, sealing the moment with a soft, passionate kiss as the sun disappeared behind the mountains, casting a golden glow over their embrace.
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aXPw1Ijty
An aspiring writer leaves a book on the bar of a lively guild hall.
A winged hero sets a book down on his desk in a office above the clouds.
A pink-haired magic knight sets a book on a table in a hidden hideout.
A firey navigator lays a book atop her maps in the ship’s library.
A tanned captain adds a book to a stack of medical volumes in his newly built submarine.
This book told the story of a traveler, a long lost friend, one who gave them each a sense of Serenity, and how she found her own.
The book:
Finding Serenity
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVntIWwCba0
33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5uO4j0E8S
