Picture Perfect

The Path to Infinite Love

Our love was like an old, beaten down path that wondered aimlessly throughout the woods. Sometimes, our two trails would come so close that they would almost connect. During these times, we are the happiest people in the world, planning our future and dreaming of it coming true. Similarly to any young couples' fantasies, we had hopes of going to the same college, starting a family, and being together forever. Nothing is forever, and sometimes our paths would be separated by bright green grass suffering to continue to thrive under the rocky ground. People try to get in our way. Our parents and jealous classmates tried to break us up. We fight, scream, and yell so deeply we would both fear we will end up heart broken and afraid to love anymore. Yet somehow, we overcome this misery and continue to drag along the path, and the distance between our trails comes together once again. We apologize, realizing that our love is inseparable. These are the times we feel stronger than ever, and nothing can hurt us. Many have walked this path before us, and they have all overcome these same challenges to fulfill a happy and successful life together. However, some people choose the wrong path, and they are wretched for an eternity, until they force themselves along the same trail with another companion. We are nothing without our love, and we are determined to pick the right paths, no matter how far apart they may be. We know in our darkest times that we will find peace again. We have heard stories about the end of the path, and we are compelled by the images of eternal peace and happiness. No matter how many obstacles get in our way, our hopes and dreams will continue to drive us back together in the end.

Broken Memories

The rotten, dried up flowers sitting on my bedroom dresser hold memories of a lost love. One rose, given to me on our first date, reminds me of the pizza we ate, the sand we walked on, and how perfectly our hands fit together as we watched the sunset. The second rose holds the memories of our wedding day. The day we came above all odds, a high school couple lasting through many years of separation through college. Although our families opposed us, we were determined to secretly stay together. Through many cries and laughter, this day will mark the beginning of everlasting love. I accepted the flower, tears filling my eyes as it finally came to my realization that we could finally be together without fear. Another flower arrived on the day we found out we were going to have our first child. Our life together flashed forward in my eyes, and the dance recitals, soccer games, play dates, and birthday parties that awaited us brought excitement and joy to my heart. The final rose was wrapped around your hand as you lay in the coffin, waiting to enter infinite peace. After many years of fighting, the cancer took over your body. Our memories will forever be stored in the lifeless flowers that sit on my bedroom dresser.

The Game

The lavender laces are tied as tight as possible, almost to the point where they suffocate my feet. The light colors are prepared to be turned a dark beige shade after being crushed by the spikes of an opponent's boots. Sweat dripped down my face like rain trailing down a window. This is the moment all athlete's wait for their entire career. As I hit the pitch, I felt the roar of the crowd vibrate under the sole of my cleat. As my cleats dragged me to the middle of the field for kickoff, I envisioned all the challenges they overcame to get to this position. From the first day they were opened, the light glowing off their white toe, the orange echoing the light of the sun, they visioned being in this situation. Their colors, which seemed so strange put together, worked beautifully together. As I stand on the field and the initial whistle sounds a noise common to my ears, I await the ball to be interrupted by the strength of the cleat. The sound marked the beginning of a battle that only one team would win, a fight that left you breathless and shaking with adrenaline. Every touch my cleat made with the ball made me feel more connected with it, and we worked as one unit to strike the ball into the net. My cleats and I aggressively dashed though the tough grass and dirt to beat the opponent to the ball. Through many hours of practice and games and many yards of sprints, the colors began to dry away, but the success of the cleats did not.

Rocking Chair

The old man was a shriveled toothless creature, charismatic and walked with a cane. He looks as though a puff of wind could blow him down. He had a hand tremor and constant waggling and bobbing of the head. The old man's deep wrinkles seemed to carve a map of his life on his still agile facial features. His twinkling eyes were framed by thick white eyebrows and on his stubbled chin were white whiskers. His memories both warmed and haunted him, sometimes drawing a smile and other times a tear. When he told us his stories on warm, sunny summer days on his old porch, we were transported into a new world. His slow, calming voice spoke the words of a long, unforgettable life. The man’s heartwarming tales gave all of us chills. We loved to hear the stories, and his face often grew red under his wrinkled skin as he told them. As he rocked back and forth in his ancient rocking chair, the floorboards under him creaked with every movement.  Every child in the neighborhood would show up to his house to keep him company, but we didn’t mind. One day, we all showed up to his house, and he wasn’t sitting there anymore. We waited a few more days, and still no sign of the man. My older neighbor said his mother told him the man was in a better place now. I don’t know what this means, but I guess I won’t be visiting anymore.

Sunset

An orange haze casted over the moving sea, reflecting off every wave. Half of a glowing, radiant light was still visible on the water's horizon. A warm sensation was splashed onto my face from the beaming rays of the sun. Calmness flew by with the wind making my heart stop for a single second. You could hear the grasses rustling behind me as if they were whispering to each other. Dolphins lunged out of the fiery waters, and they quickly plunged back underwater. The birds huddled with their young ones getting ready for the night. People observing the nature stop to take pictures, and they form different shapes with their bodies using the sun’s reflections. The sun was sinking faster now and the whole sky was turning to blood. Finally, the sun disappears along with its shine. After a blisteringly hot day the sun had finally set, and there was a sense of relief from the hot, dry air as the cooling sea breeze swept over them. But the stars peek out under the black, night sky. Nocturnal creatures come to the surface and chirp many different echoing songs. Small crabs appear out of the thick, white sand and scurry towards the ocean line. In just a few, short hours, these animals will go back into their homes, and a new day will come and go.

 

 

The air was turning cold as fall began to approach winter, and heat from the campfire seemed to be sucked into the frigid air before ever reaching our frozen bodies. We added more wood and poked it with long sticks to create new sparks that would soon become flames. It seemed to die a little as if unsure of its abilities to keep us warm as we sat outside enjoying each other’s company. It devoured at the new logs like a child at Thanksgiving and sent feeble sparks to die in the air and turn into ashes that rained down on them. Soon it found its confidence and grew until the heat warmed them, orange flames celebrated with their wild flickering dance. The fire continued to grow as much as we fed it and when we ran out of logs, it slowly died down as we shared our last laughs.

On our last day together at the lake, we spent every second together from the moment our eyes woke up. I was careful to not miss any time with my friends, because this is the last time I would see them until next year. As the night grew darker, our voices became raspier as we spent our last moments together. Although I couldn’t see anyone’s faces over the glare of the smoke, I knew we were all holding back our tears. When the fire went out and we zipped up our tent, I realized how lucky I was to have such amazing friends to share these memories with.