The Lost Butterfly-a story of aliens, love and humans. In the mountains. Ch. 3c

Ch.3c

Fuyuki’s presentiment proved to be right; Yoshiasu got a very important assignment on the capital city.  Accepting it  meant also that he had to leave Fuyuki behind all alone for six month. He suggested him to move to his sister during that half of a year; but Fuyuki wasn’t keen on it. He didn’t want to intrude in her life and he wasn’t a child to be pampered. Not anymore. He told Yoshiasu that he’d rather be back at Old John’s hogan.  The beauty of that place and the old man’s wise and comforting company was something that he needed.It was also à magical place to create art. So they’ve sent a message, asking the venerable man if he thought he could put up with Fuyuki while Yoshiasu is out of town. The answer was…yes.

When time came, Fuyuki accompanied his love to the airport; he stood there heartbroken until the plane took off ; then he returned home and packed up for his own trip. The next day, he stopped at the station, looking for Little John who was supposed to meet him. It was still early in the morning and the air was cold and refreshing. Fuyuki left his luggage on the ground and hopped atop of a beam and looked around.

The door of the post office across the road opened and Little John came out, followed by a pretty girl. She was talking excitedly to him and her big black eyes were sparkling like diamonds. She obviously liked him and enjoyed his company. Little John was basking in her radiant attention and his interest towards her was showing in the look of his eyes. The two of them looked wonderful and refreshing together.

Fuyuki smiled and decided to remain silent. He didn’t want to intrude. After a while, the young couple parted; she went back to the office and Little John looked casually around. He suddenly spotted Fuyuki watching him smiling and he turned red. He quickly crossed the road to meet his friend.

-Hi!-said Fuyuki chuckling at his friend’s embarrassment. I’ve told you I’ll be back sooner than expected.

They hugged and Little John took some of the luggage.

-It seems to me that you got yourself a beautiful girlfriend…said Fuyuki.

-Uhm…She’s not my girlfriend…We’re just childhood friends…-muttered Little John unconvincingly.

-She’s lovely anyway-concluded Fuyuki. And it looks that she has a real interest in you; she looked radiant while she was talking to you.

Little John mumbled something but he wasn’t keen to admit his own interest into that girl. Now that Fuyuki was here, his attention flipped entirely into his direction. They went to his house, packed the luggage on a mule and Little John took Fuyuki on his horse. For the young artist it was the first time to ride a horse, so he felt a little funny about it. Fortunately Little John was sitting at his back, holding him firmly with one hand around his waist, the other hand leading the horse on the way. Unable to keep his balance properly, Fuyuki leaned against his friend, the rebellious black strands tickling his face. As they were talking and laughing on their way, Little John wondered about how soothing Fuyuki’s voice was, how soft his laughter and that, oddly enough, his skin had a strange fragrance of…wild flowers. He shook off the thoughts; Fuyuki was his friend. Period.

They arrived safely to Old John; he was already waiting for them. He was pleased to see how well those two were getting together. But he warned them that he wasn’t going to pamper them; they would have to help him out with the hardship of work around the house. The boys laughed that off and they were more than pleased to help. Fuyuki planned to learn more about herbs and cures from Old John. He also wanted to exchange some knowledge with the locals about crafts and arts. On the other hand Little John promised to teach him to ride a horse so they could travel more around.

The riding lessons proved to be extremely funny. Fuyuki was the first to laugh with tears about his own clumsiness. From time to time Little John had to rescue him before getting more seriously hurt. They fell several times one atop the other, chuckling and panting, limbs tangled…Fuyuki’s amethyst eyes sparkled with fun as he was lying on back next to his younger friend. His pearly-white teeth shone as he smiled, his face lightly tanned by the summer sun. His hair has grown a little longer and was tied up in a small ponytail. Usually he was half naked just like his friend, the supple muscles moving with ease and grace under the smooth skin. The hard work and natural life made him stronger and more athletic.

Even his features got manlier, clearly cut and he built up a new confidence. Yet his mild and soft inner side was seeping through the outer walls of his person, trailing around him like an invisible halo.

It was this inner side magic that took Little John always by surprise; he wasn’t able to clearly capture the sense of this duality. He was also at loss with his own short moments of embarrassment when he found himself holding Fuyuki a little bit closer or a little bit longer than usually. Luckily the latter seemed oblivious to his friend’s awkward moments. It was a dangerous game because the more embarrassed he felt, the more he longed for another chance.

At the same time his other half of mind was set on Soraya, the girl at the station. Since that day when his eyes caught her image standing out from the amorphous crowd of uninteresting faces moving around him, Little John enjoyed her attention and her company. He diligently shared his personal time between his friend and his …girlfriend.

Old John watched him closely as the inner world of the young man was bursting out with new emotions and loads of excitement. He knew that there were many confusing feelings mingling in his heart. There were many wishes storming in and out and Little John was ready to try all of them uninhibitedly. He knew nothing about the risks involved and he was too cocky to think about precautions. Like a child, he wanted all the stars from the sky. The uncharted world of feelings was opening before Little John’s avidly curious eyes.

-Thread carefully!- warned him the old man. You might trample on somebody’s feelings!

The youth looked at him questioningly.

-Why do you say that?

-You are driven by many wishes; somebody might end up hurt, you included.

But just before Little John could say anything in his own defense, Fuyuki came out, ready to leave with him. They took the horses and left for a swim in a large lake known by Little John.

The large expanse of water shone under the sun like covered in shining gold leaves, the small ripples gently washing the sandy shore. Further there was another rippling expanse of high grass spotted with colorful flowers so they left the horses to graze at will.

The youths quickly undressed and splashed into the water; it was crystal clear and pleasantly cooling. Since they were good swimmers they fully enjoyed the water. They raced; they fooled around and had fun.

Fuyuki was the first to come out from the water and lay down in the fragrant layer of grass. Little John came after a while and splashed cold water on his friend taking him by surprise. Fuyuki moved quickly and cut him off his legs. Little John fell backwards but fought back. It was the kind of wrestling widely enjoyed by youth, a kind of friendly teasing and showing off.

They fell back on the grass breathless. Little John watched Fuyuki from the corner of his eyes; his friend was slightly flushed but his eyes were sparkling. Sensing the gaze fixed upon him he turned his face towards Little John and watched him silently; the dark-brown eyes were returning the look intently. Little John swallowed hard and Fuyuki’s lavender eyes clouded. Then Little John quickly bent over him and kissed him until Fuyuki’s resistance broke and he gave in trembling.

Breathless, they parted flushed and confused. Little John gritted his teeth in frustration but turned when he heard Fuyuki’s first sobs. The young artist jumped to his feet and ran away until he fell over a mold of dirt and grass. He stood there, face buried in his arms, sobbing bitterly. Little John fled after him. He caught up with Fuyuki and sat next to him. He was taken aback by the intensity of his friend’s pain.

-I’m…I’m sorry-he finally said in a low voice. I never meant to hurt you. You are disturbingly beautiful and I am…I am confused.

Fuyuki sighed and turned to him.

-I know-he whispered. I am sorry; I am more disturbed than anybody else. I keep on hurting people without wanting it. It’s like a curse…

Little John shook his head.

-Don’t worry, I am not hurt. You are my friend and I won’t give up on that. I try hard to understand both you and myself. Forget this, please. I was…pretty stupid. Let’s go back to the river. We still have time to catch some fish for Old John.

He took Fuyuki by the hand and helped him up. They strolled back to their horses.

-You’re happy with Yoshiasu, aren’t you?-he asked casually.

-I love him and I miss him every day-came the honest answer.

-He’s a lucky guy- murmured Little John for himself.

They went back to the river and found a proper spot for a catch. Fuyuki watched admiringly as the athletic young man cornered the elusive fish and caught them one by one. He moved with the grace and the ease of a young god of Nature, skillfully and graceful. The whole scene was like a moment of Paradise captured in time. When they finally turned home they weren’t empty handed.

Old John sensed the subtle change in chemistry between the two youth but said nothing.

In the evening, as they lay down to sleep Fuyuki recalled the incident; he shivered and turned on his belly, head buried in his arms. He felt confused and scared; he was vulnerable; not having Yoshiasu beside him for such a long time left him slightly unbalanced. He liked and he cared about Little John; it was almost an instant bond but it brought up unexpected challenges. Little John himself was struggling with confusing emotions and Fuyuki was afraid that pushing him away would only deepen his obsession.

On the other hand he found disturbing that it wasn’t so hard for him to give in to his friend’s pressure. Fuyuki was torn apart and totally at loss. He sighed deeply and curled up in despair.

-You’re confused, aren’t you?-asked Old John in an attempt to help Fuyuki open up.

-You knew…

-I saw it coming the day the two of you met. You were the first person little John really noticed until then. Your charm was too obvious even for a careless, self-centered young guy like him. He fell back on the earth and hit the ground hard.

Fuyuki shook his head.

-I’m nothing but trouble…his voice was sad.

-Weren’t you to shake up him from that self-absorbed state, he wouldn’t have noticed that girl at the office. They are about to be engaged and she is a proper match for him.

-Then why is he doing this?!!!-burst Fuyuki out.

-You’re both driven to each other from inside. You for instance, you have built up a sense of loss because you miss your pair. You married your first love, isn’t it?

-Yes. All I knew before him was use and abuse…Now I found myself totally defenseless, taken away by unexpected, unknown emotions.

-The logic of the heart can be very tricky at times of vulnerability. A butterfly can easily burn his wings around those flames. But unlike Little John, you’re wiser and considerate. You are his best friend. Don’t get upset; I’m here for both of you. Get some sleep now, young butterfly. Good night.

-Good night-whispered Fuyuki. Thank you.

He closed his eyes and he felt relieved; he soon fell asleep.

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The Lost Butterfly-a story of aliens, love and humans. In the mountains. Ch 3b.

Ch.3b

Yoshiasu was regaining his strength with each passing day. Fuyuki was busy around him and around the house; he didn’t want to disturb Old John’s whole life. He was more than grateful for everything the old man has done.

One day, while he was down at the rivulet cleaning and washing some small fish, he saw somebody approaching Old John’s hogan. It was a tall, good looking young Native, riding a beautiful spotted horse. He stopped for a moment, watching Fuyuki with unhidden curiosity, somehow surprised to see a stranger in that place. He raised a hand in greeting and continued his way towards the hogan. Old John heard him coming and came out to greet him. The young man descended and saluted the elder in great respect.

-I didn’t know, Grandfather that you had guests. I wanted to ask you about two young men, tourists. Their friends were worried about them and called the station.

-You can tell them that they are well and that they will get in touch soon-said the old man.

The young man looked at him questioningly.

-Grandfather…who’s that girl down at the river?

The old man chuckled.

-That girl is…one of the two young men you were asking about. You can go and tell him about that phone call. Be polite Little John, don’t stare too much at him. His friend has been bitten by a venomous spider and he needed help to cure him. His name is Fuyuki Tanaka. Go now!

Puzzled, Little John descended the light slope and found himself face to face with the stranger. He has just finished washing the fish and was returning with a bowl and a knife in his hands. He walked lightly, graciously like a cat; he was about Little John’s height and he was slender, with long limbs. He had soft, light skin and rebellious black hair cut short above his neck. But most remarkable was his face: delicate and beautiful, with amazing lavender-blue eyes, just like two gems. He had a friendly, pleasant smile and soft voice.

-Mr. Tanaka…started Little John.

-Fuyuki, please. It seems to me we’re almost the same age and besides, I’m not much of a “Mr.”

He held out his hand to Little John. The two of them shook hands, watching each other with undisclosed interest. Little John was handsome and he was well aware of this; he was slightly cocky but this time the other young man’s charm proved to be disarming. Fuyuki took an instant like on the tall, dark and handsome guy. He looked like a beloved and favored child of Nature.

-Are you a relative of our venerable host?-he asked.

-You could say that. I’m Little John. I came to tell you that we had a phone call at the station; your friends from the city were worried about you.

-Thank you! We were incredibly lucky that Mr. Whitefeather found us! I was totally at loss when my companion fainted because of the poisoning. I’m forever in debt for saving us-he added with sincere passion in his voice.

Little John’s dark-brown eyes rounded up a little at this sudden burst of emotion but he could understand that for a city guy to find himself lost in the wilderness, along with an injured companion could be a traumatic experience. So he smiled and soon they were back at the hogan.

Yoshiasu was already outside, chopping some woods for a fire. Little John watched him closely and he had to admit that the guy was good looking and strong despite his recent illness. Yoshiasu was slightly taller than both of them and he was the elder of the group of youth. He was athletic with a strong bone structure and an open, direct manner. They shook hands. Fuyuki’s face lit up as he saw his companion and Yoshiasu smiled back at him reassuringly. The short but intimate communication didn’t escape the young Native’s sharp eyes; he was surprised by the sudden flow of emotion between the two young men. To his surprise, he felt a little bit…envious.

As the youngest of them, he was full of pride and completely oblivious to love and commitment. He was still in that state of happiness and lightheadedness of the young men of his age. He probably needed another 2 or 3 years of maturing.

Fuyuki helped Old John with the cooking while Little John helped Yoshiasu with the woods. Finally, they ate together and the talking went on easily. During the following days, Little John came regularly to visit them. The three young men bonded easily; to Old John, it became clear that Fuyuki’s mild personality eased the communication and that somehow, he was a point of common interest for both of the other two men. There was some kind of discreet magic radiating around him, catching the bystanders.

As Yoshiasu got back his strength, he and Fuyuki were ready to go back to their cabin and from there to the city. They thanked Old John for his help and hospitality and promised to keep in touch. Yoshiasu asked Little John if he could come with them to their cabin; he wanted to send some items to Old John. Little John came with a horse and this way their luggage was carried back much easily.

The young man soon discovered that parting with his newly acquired friends won’t be so easy; there were so many things to talk about… Fuyuki promised him to talk as much as possible. They packed up the things for Old John and the rest of the stuff in the car. They locked the cabin and shook hands with Little John. Fuyuki’s heart sank a bit watching the regrets clouding Little John’s handsome face.

-Something tells me that we’ll be back sooner than expected-he said softly.

A short flicker crossed the deep-brown eyes as they looked intently in those lavender-blue. Fuyuki’s cheeks turned pink under the gaze; he smiled and got into the car. Little John watched as they went away, wondering why was  Fuyuki’s slightly embarrassed smile standing so vividly in his memory…

To eat or what to eat, that is the question…

Leafing through my collection of articles about Nature, I’ve stumbled upon one concerning the way plants communicate between each-other. If there is a part of the living world underrated and overlooked, then the Vegetal kingdom surely is. That we share no great interest, respect and consideration towards it comes probably from our closer connection to our next to kin, the animals.

    There is a trendy and heated debate nowadays between meat eaters and vegetarians/vegans. I’ve read over the years a lot of mind-blowing stupidities used as arguments and I have witnessed mindless rage and hatred, lack of understanding, of mutual respect in the clashes over this topic: what should we eat?

“ I will not put dead animals in my mouth!” -shouted some people. Really? I hope you are not putting living ones either; I don’t find that a better option. So, if you don’t want to get animals killed in order to feed yourself, then the only feasible solution (for now) is to eat plants,fruits, vegetables.

  Well, my dear fellow human, plants are living organisms too. When you cut them down, they die. They might not bleed with shocking red blood, but they die. We don’t even know how it feels for them to die. They might not scream, they might not run away (they can’t), you might not witness the light going out in their moist eyes…but they die anyway. Silently. Or perhaps not. We don’t know yet. And when you eat plants, vegetables, fruits picked, plucked, cut off from their stems/branches, you eat dead organisms. They die and start decomposing the moment they’ve lost contact with their feeding roots. So if you don’t want dead animals in your mouth, you can have dead plants instead.

“ But plants are not our next to kin!” -you would argue. Seriously? As far as science is concerned, living organism split in two evolutionary directions, plants and animals at one point in time; but till then, life came a long way as one.

   We came to learn about the intricacy of plants life in recent years and from what I’ve read till now, it’s no less intriguing, amazing, awesome than animal life. I’m certain that we’re in for big surprises in this area of scientific research. So what can we do now? Should we give up on eating animals and plants too? That would be an utterly stupid decision.

   We, as humans, we belong to the Animal kingdom and we are, by our nature, meat and vegetable eaters. Just like most of other animals, we feed on other living organisms in order to live, grow, thrive, survive. We cannot change that, not for now and not without radically changing, or even giving up on what we are. So maybe we should accept ourselves and re-learn how to respect all that keeps us alive, animals and plants. In the best manner of our evolving humanity, we should humble before their unwilling sacrifice and try at least to make it less brutal.

Maybe we should remember the way people like the First Nation used to honor the animals they hunted, honored the plants they grew  or gathered from Nature.

  Maybe, just maybe, one day we’ll become so changed that we could take the necessary energy to live  the way plants do, using minerals and sunlight. But then, that human being will be an entirely different creature, hardly resembling to the top animal we are now. That’s a long,  a very long perspective.

   What should we do now? Eat your meal ( whatever it is), be thankful for it and shut up! Use your energies for things worth fighting for, use your energies to build bridges with your fellow humans and together, let’s make this planet a home for all. Humans,animals and plants, all together.

The Lost Butterfly-a story of aliens, love and humans.Chapter 3. In the mountains (3a)

Ch.3a

Yoshiasu and Fuyuki had long before decided to spend their summer vacation in the mountains. They rented a car and a cabin in a very remote place, close to the one of the Native counties. The place was wild and almost untouched, so they’ve  found great joy in discovering  brand new spots of unharmed beauty.  The first days in the mountains went on eventless: it was just them and Mother Nature in all her splendour. Although after 3 or 4 days they’ve lost communication with the outer world due to a huge solar flare, they were not concerned. They had enough provisions and they knew that communications would be fixed sooner or later.

 But problems strike when they are least expected; at first,the trip started well and the weather was fine. They ventured far enough but there were no reasons to worry; not until Yoshiasu slipped on some rotten leaves and lost balance. Instinctively he grabbed a branch but he also closed hand over something/ somebody unhappy about that. The tiny creature bit the hand that came upon it and ran away as the man gave a cry and released the branch. The small red bite mark was sore. In less than an hour the pain grew more intense and the hand became red and swollen.

Suddenly Yoshiasu felt sick and was sweating profusely. Before they could realize what was really happening, Yoshiasu lost consciousness, leaving Fuyuki scared to death and desperate. They were in the middle of the wilderness and Yoshiasu looked badly. Fuyuki calmed down and tried to take some measures. He laid down Yoshiasu on a higher ground; he put his coat over him and the rucksack under his neck. He garroted the swollen hand to stop the poison to diffuse in the bloodstream. He made a mental notice of the place and descended to the nearby rivulet to look for some plants.

He was so absorbed in his search that he didn’t notice the old man that was approaching him. He only became aware of his presence when he heard him call out:

-Are you looking for something? Can I help you?

Fuyuki looked up and stared slightly confused into the wrinkled and suntanned face from which two piercing black eyes were fixing him. On the other hand, the old man himself looked surprised at the flushed young face with wide, worried eyes.

-Could you help me?! My friend was bit by something and now he’s lost consciousness…Please!

-Was it a snake?-asked the old man.

-No! Rather like a small spider but it fled before we could see it. Help me, please! I’m afraid that I might lose him…

They both hurried to the place where Yoshiasu was lying. His condition was the same. The old man studied the hand and the bite mark and mumbled something. He then made a quick decision; he took Fuyuki and they fetched some materials for a stretcher, tied Yoshiasu on the improvised transport facility and they proceeded downhill.

Old John Whitefeather was very old indeed and during summer he lived here alone in his hogan. He had a few sheep and some horses but his main activity was that of medicine-man. From spring till late autumn he was collecting herbs and fruits for various healing potions and ointments. That da,y he was out collecting some plants when he spotted the franticaly searching young fellow. Since tourists were scarce on this area, an instinct of a lifetime told him that this particular person was in trouble.

The spider bite wasn’t lethal but it was nasty; it was both painful and persistent and it looked like this young man was overreacting to some of the poison components. Old John offered to help and thus he learned that the two young men were a couple and that they were in vacation. Old John was surprised to see the amount of strength that fragile looking young man could put up to help his companion.

While preparing an ointment and some herbal tea, he took a closer look on Fuyuki. Almost everything about this young man was deceiving: he was an almost feminine beauty, with very unusual lavender-blue eyes; he was slender and well built but looked fragile and vulnerable. He was soft spoken but he wasn’t tiring or complaining about anything. He had no eyes but for his suffering companion but he had a sharp attention to everything Old John was saying. So despite the first impression that he was made of glass and that he might shatter  any moment, he proved to be calm and resilient and deeply dedicated.

Old John cleaned the bite mark, put an ointment and  he bandaged the swollen hand, showing Fuyuki how to do it. It was Fuyuki’s task to change the bandages until the hand would return to its normal aspect. While Fuyuki guarded Yoshiasu, wiping the sweat from his face, Old John made a strong tea from a concoction of herbs and roots and let it cool. The dark-brown liquid was having a strong smell and an even stronger taste; but for Yoshiasu it was the only hope to overcome the poisoning.

Every fifteen minutes Fuyuki forced down his throat 2-3 spoonful of the tea. This went on and on, day and night until the redness subsided on Yoshiasu’s hand and he’s got back from the unconsciousness. The first thing he saw, opening hazed eyes on the world after days of struggle, was the thinned face of Fuyuki and his worried eyes.

-What happened?-he whispered. His throat was sore and dry and his head was still heavy.

-You’ve been bitten by a nasty little thing when you fell on the slope. Luckily this gentleman found us and cured you, getting you back from the shadows-said Fuyuki, his voice trembling from the sudden emotion.

Yoshiasu slowly turned his head towards the other shape; the old, sun beaten face of a venerable Native man, with intelligent, intent black eyes was looking benevolently down on him.

-Welcome back among the living, young man-he said in a deep, throaty voice. You’re back on track; in less than a week you’ll be as  good as new.

-Thank you, sir…whispered Yoshiasu. I never thought that something  so small like that could knock me out.

-I’ve told you: it was small but nasty and it had no sense of humor-said Fuyuki with a playful smile. You have to rest and eat to get back your strength. Luckily you don’t have to eat my cooking; Mr. Whitefeather is cooking delicious meals. All I do is watch and learn; maybe there’s some hope for me in the cooking area…he chuckled.

Old John watched from the corner of his eyes their conversation. It became obvious for him that they were sharing a special relationship; there was a communication beyond words in every gesture and in the lights flickering in their eyes. No matter how unusual it looked to him, love was clearly and visibly connecting the two young men. Old John made a mental note and left them to enjoy each other’s company.

Walk a Dream-illustrations in various colors

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As the connection between the two characters evolves, the unexpected love glows in various colors inside them. The original drawing was made on paper with graphite and ink gel pen.Enjoy!

CREATURA (RO)

E toamnă iar. Un vânt subțire mână frunze aurii spre albastrul intens al cerului. Albastru, auriu….Culorile unei amintiri ce nu vrea să pălească.

Eram proaspăt absolvent de exobiologie și sociologie planetară. Preluasem de puțină vreme postul de Observator pe  planeta GX-3, desi aveam unele rezerve  privind politica de neimplicare promovată de  angajatorii mei. Ascuns ȋn spatele hologramei proiectate de stația de observare, urmăream zi  de zi cu o curiozitate crescândă, desfasurarea evenimentelor din zona mea. Asta până  cand….

Creatura ȋsi scoase capul cu precauție prin desișul de sikhra. Ciuli urechile și adulmecă aerul dimineții. Totul părea să fie ȋn ordine.  Se strecură cu grijă printre crengile țepoase și ieși la lumină.

Era suplă și grațioasă; o tanără femelă cu aripi translucide, ȋncă insuficient dezvoltate pentru zbor. Ȋn ciuda diferențelor evidente dintre speciile noastre, o simțeam tulburător de apropiată. Ȋn lumina difuză a toamnei târzii, pielea ei aurie avea un luciu mătăsos, iar ochii ei albaștri, cu pupile reptiliene străluceau intens ȋn fața delicată. Creatura scrută ȋmprejurimile cu simțurile ascuțite la maximum. Părea preocupată de apropierea unui dușman invizibil.

M-am aplecat spre ecran s-o văd mai bine și am mărit imaginea. Ȋn clipa aceea, am simțit cum tremurul lăuntric al acelei ființe ȋndepărtate mi se transmite și mie. O teamă fără chip și nume  ȋmi invadă simțurile și stomacul mi se contractă nervos. Aerul ȋncăperii se umplu de mirosul ȋnțepător de transpirație. Cine  ne urmărea? Cine ne voia răul? Creatura se avântă  si cobora dealul ȋn viteză, căutând scăpare ȋn spatele unui pâlc de arbori răzleți. Vântul ce-i șuiera pe la urechi ȋmi răcori  o clipă obrazul. Am răsuflat adânc cand ea s-a oprit, scrutând valea. Dincolo de petecul de arbori era un drumeag ce se bifurca; ambele drumuri duceau spre așezări umane.

Creatura ezită o clipă, apoi ȋnaintă un pic pe drumul din dreapta. Valul de teroare dinlăuntrul ei m-a luat complet pe nepregătite. Ȋmpins de-un resort lăuntric, am sărit in picioare ca ars, răsturnând totul ȋn calea mea. Inima ȋmi bătea nebunește ȋn piept și preț de cateva clipe, am fost incapabil să mă orientez. Tremurând din toate ȋncheieturile, m-am târat ȋnapoi la scaunul din fața ecranelor și m-am așezat, ȋncercând să mă liniștesc.

“Adună-te!-mi-am strigat. Ea e ȋn pericol, nu tu!”

Mi-am impus să mă calmez și m-am concentrat din nou la protejata mea. Creatura se ȋntorsese din drum și se uita acum ȋn direcția mea. Am ȋnțeles atunci că ea știa că eu sunt acolo, ȋn spatele imaginii ȋnșelătoare, un martor neputincios al tragediei sale. Ȋn clipa aceea, m-am urât pentru neputința mea. N-o puteam ajuta, n-o puteam salva.

Creatura se ȋntoarse și fugi spre stânga, dispărând din raza mea vizuală, lăsându-mă ȋn urmă, scăldat ȋn sudoare rece. A doua zi, mi-am dat demisia din post.

Au trecut ani de atunci dar privirea ei  bântuie  cărările memoriei mele ca un vânt de toamnă.

The Lost Butterfly-a story of aliens,love and humans. The Stalker (2e)

Ch.2e

-I still can’t clearly remember all that happened but I can put two and two together: the way I feel, the gift, the photo and the note…I’ve had enough of this!!!

Fuyuki’s face contorted in pain; Yoshiasu slowly calmed him down. His mind was searching for a solution; he made a long distance call…home. He called detective Harrows and they agreed to talk more on the computer.

-How’s Fuyuki now?- asked the detective.

-Upset and disturbed- came the answer.

-Can I talk to him?

-I think so. Fuyuki, detective Harrows wants to talk to you…Yoshiasu turned to his companion.

The young man sat in front of the computer and greeted the detective. He looked tired and subdued.

-Good evening, Fuyuki. I’m sorry that we speak only on such occasions.

Fuyuki’s face lit up a little; he sighed but the corners of his mouth curved up a little.

-I’ve listened to the recount made by Yoshiasu; I must tell you that this might be harder to prove than your previous one. This guy ( if he’s  the one I suspect  to be) is difficult to catch. He’s not a bragging fool. Do you understand me?

Fuyuki nodded.

-I’ll talk to one of my good friends from there; he’s a retired policeman but he likes to keep his mind working. I’ll let you know; until then, be strong, my young friend.

Fuyuki smiled briefly.

-Thank you, detective. Sorry for being such a nuisance-he said softly.

Fuyuki left Yoshiasu to end the call while he went to the kitchen to fix something to eat for both of them. He’s got so caught in that he realized only later that Yoshiasu was standing in the kitchen door, watching him with an amused but loving smile on his face. Fuyuki reddened.

-I sincerely hope this will be edible- he said. Anyway, there’s nothing else in the fridge, but we still can order Chinese food if you want…

-I’m willing to try your cooking-chuckled Yoshiasu.

Fuyuki smiled; they both set the table. Fuyuki leaned against his companion.

-I feel safe when you’re around-he sighed. I’m sorry; I’m quite a handful….

Yoshiasu kissed him.

-You’re my most precious one. We’ll work this out together; just keep it in mind that I love you.

The next day Yoshiasu called the gallery and excused Fuyuki for at least two or three days. He knew his love was not ready to face that place so soon; they’ve been through this before. Healing required time. Detective Harrow’s friend visited them; he was a kind gentleman and promised to look into this delicate matter.

During this time things were on the move in the outside world to. The man woke up next day with mixed feelings; something was bothering him from inside but he wasn’t ready to admit the feeling. He sent the gift to Fuyuki in an attempt to muffle the regret that was building up inside him; he wanted to prove himself that he didn’t care and that the young man was only a whim for him.

  Yet the same day, he drove his car to the gallery, waiting for hours in the hope to catch a glimpse of the young artist; but he didn’t show up. Nor was he coming the next two days. He wasn’t leaving the house either; the handsome Japanese was at home but his fragile companion was nowhere to be seen.

The man became restless; there was a sense of emptiness and loss building up inside of him, despite his best efforts to ignore it. He drove home and the next day, the five artists received a generous offer of scholarship for each of them. Fuyuki turned down the offer but he was happy for his friends. In less than an hour after that, he received a call from the Foundation for abused Children; they’ve received a very generous funding from an anonymous donor,  a donation made in Fuyuki’s name. Fuyuki smiled; the pain caused by what happened to him was slowly diminishing. The works of art sold well at the exhibition, thanks to all those people they’ve met at the club. The money helped the four young artists to fulfill their dreams and opened new opportunities for each of them. Fuyuki knew well who was behind this sudden success but he wasn’t upset. He sensed that something has changed inside that man; he wanted to redeem himself. Fuyuki didn’t hate him; he was simply unable to hate. He could be hurt, deeply pained, even crushed by the inflicted pain; but he was oblivious to hatred.

That night, watching him laid down like a torn butterfly, still beautiful in his sufferance, the man discovered for the first time his own feelings. He faced regrets, remorse and above all, he realized that in fact, for the first time in his life he fell in love. He’s had a lust for that perfect body but he right now, he was in love with that gentle, fragile, generous soul that gave the magic of that beauty. He knew that there was no chance for them to meet again; he didn’t want to torment Fuyuki.

One of Fuyuki’s works was put on sale at a charity and the man put up the highest bid ever. It was a painting depicting that elusive “Lost Butterfly” that symbolizes  both hope and the inner world of that beautiful artist. The day after the successful auction, Fuyuki showed up at the exhibition hall. He looked slightly changed; he looked a bit matured and his beauty deepened. He has lost some of his innocent touch, but he has gained a certain serenity that just added to his magic. As he stepped out of the car, he turned towards the black car parked on the other side of the street. The man was outside, looking at him. Fuyuki faced him for a moment, then slowly turned and disappeared inside the building.

The man stepped into his car. The painting was packed up and placed beside him on the rear seat. The car slowly departed. The man was never seen in public again. The rumour was that he was ill; but only a very close few knew that he had an unrequited love. From his “high castle”, he kept an eye on Fuyuki but he never approached him anymore. He was happy just to watch from a safe distance the dance of that butterfly in the light.

-Amazing-said one of the creatures of light. I never thought the Child would have such a powerful influence on people.

-He’s not very happy about it. We have to watch him carefully; he might end up in trouble again…-said the other one.

-Luckily, his companion guides him well…

-Yes, but accidents might occur…-said the second creature, concern echoing in his voice. We cannot afford to lose him…

-Don’t get annoyed…I promise I’ll be careful about him. He’s our Child anyway.