It takes a great deal to walk the lonely road; to hold your head up high and stride forward. The world is not kind. The world does not bow to the weak. It is not forgiving. Not many can fathom the yearning, the pain, the sorrow, or the joy until they peer through the lens of another. Not many can wholeheartedly understand one’s truth, one’s beliefs, and one’s life. It takes a benevolent heart and unbiased wisdom to embrace their soul and cherish the person one sees before them. To the few who understand, they walk staring into the abyss. They walk daringly into the unknown: to test their determination, courage, and spirit.

            For one, he knows this road too well. He deemed this road to be his fate, his destiny. Though his purpose in life was unclear, he continued to walk this road, unafraid. Not many have witnessed the strength he has to smile through the day or the mental capacity to encourage others around him, when he himself is weak. To the many, he was just another face in the crowd, the unfamiliar, the uninspired, and the easily forgotten. His heart longed for the day to be accepted wholeheartedly; he could not wish for much more. His heart yearned to find the one soul who can see his body, soul and love him forevermore. Every night, he would pray for the chance encounter that would change his life before he arrived at heaven’s gate.

            However, none knew the sadness lingering within his heart from the shortened days of death’s close, cold embrace. The reaper’s shadowy figure looms over his shoulder with each passing day; death is patiently waiting for his body to relinquish its last breath.

            Still... He waits... He places his hopes into the belief that someone will peer through his facade, save him from himself, and remind him of the joys he once had...

            There was one road that traversed into town with shrubs and trees growing alongside. The road itself was cemented with the blood, sweat, and tears of its patrons. Yet every autumn, the leaves will slowly float down as the gentle breezes caresses by. Its mixture of orange, yellow, and red leaves enveloped the road along the way creating a beautiful canvas scenery. Meanwhile, flowers would shed their petals and seep into the ground to survive the cold winter nights. At the end of the canvas road stood a town that withstood the trials of time, its beauty preserved. Before entering was a tall wooden gate, welcoming weary travelers and embracing wandering souls with its massive oak trunks. Its bark had withered away into a smooth, sleek shine; a testament to the trials it conquered. Through its doors, the town was a glimpse into the past to many of its citizens while giving newborns reprieve from the harsh realities of the outside world.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

            However, Mother Nature did not always bless the town with her kindness. The one faithful evening, Mother Nature’s heart had swelled; her tears began to shed as she watched upon her kin in front of the aged gate.

            "One day..." his voice cried through pounding rain, "Will you be able to tell me the truth? Will you be able to see me or will turn and walk away? Will you be able to take me for all that I am? Will you be able to see the broken heart or the tattered soul that is me?! When will you see that my heart has no place to call its own and all it needs most... was you?..."

            He could not let go of the memory. He could not let the last moment with her become evanescent in the lonely depths of his subconscious because she was the one who understood when the others turned away. She was the one who reached out to him and comforted him on the most solemn of days.

            The rain continued pouring that night... The two stood before one another on the blank road.  Its tranquility dispersed as if overwhelmed by emotions from the young lovebirds. He was crying; she was silent. He clenched his lips from the words. His body shivered from the frustration. He could no longer bear the silence, he closed his eyes and slowly turned away. The rain swept away his tears, the cold numbed the pain, his heart bled, yet his body would not move from where he stood. Her hand had reached out for him.

            "I knew from the moment I met you..." She said softly. "My eyes remembers the first day we met. My mind could not forget the days we had spent together. And my heart had longed to do this..."

            She pulled him closely by the collar and kissed him gently on the lips.

            His anger had melted away. His body stood weak by the surprise. He had wanted to push her away from his life; he was about to make another mistake. He slid his hands down to her waist and pulled her closer into his embrace.        

            "Don't let this moment go," He thought to himself. "You won't get another."

            "I'll wait for you." She cried quietly to herself. "One day, we'll be together, forever."

            His body still remembers that moment so clearly: every drop of rain, every beat of his heart, every second their lips touched. It was the one moment in his life, he was able to share his happiness with another person on the lonely road. The world had disappeared; the two were interlocked in bittersweet ecstasy.