Intense Love

The sounds of screaming and crying were obvious. Doctors running up and about, shouting instructions, asking for results. The atmosphere was tense but filled with gloom. The girl lying on the bed was splashed with blood, some of his, some of her own. Her skin as white as snow, the only indication of her being alive was the beeping monitor in the background. The man in question sat on the floor, emotionless, not crying, not screaming. Just looking blankly at his hand filled with blood. Was this the end? Or was it just the beginning?

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"Se'an! You promised to keep me accompany me for dinner! You idiot, I was left with all the annoying aunties and uncles. Hmph. I am not going to talk to you anymore. You meanie." A childish voice rang in the background. A small girl with pigtails rushed into a room landing straight on the bed, like it was second-nature. Her hair spread to the sides, her face flushed probably due to all the pinching and pulling.

The ten-year-old boy sitting at the desk in the same room paid her no attention. He carried on reading a book, too thick for a child his age while a smile was threatening to show at his lips.

The little girl who realized she was not being paid attention too sat up and looked at the boy, slowly tearing up, tears threatening to fall.

"Do you not like me anymore?" She said, her voice cracking at the end.

The boy realizing something was wrong, quickly got off his chair and approached the little girl. He slowly lifted his hand and wiped away the tears that were already falling. The boy sighed helplessly, climbed up the bed, gathered the girl into his arms. His face was stone cold, one too cold for a child his age. He pats her back and slowly whispered.. "Even if the whole world turns against you, I will always stand beside you holding your hand."

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The sounds of the monitor suddenly increased, forewarning trouble ahead. The man finally seemed to jerk out of his state, got up and rushed to the bed. The doctors around were busy trying to revive the lifeless beautiful girl. He held her hand, ignoring the doctors and nurses asking him to wait outside. For the first time in years a tear drop fell from his eyes a call of silent desperation. He did not speak but emotions were running through his face. Sadness, pain but mainly fear. Fear of loosing her. Fear of not seeing her again.

Suddenly, the monitor grew stable. Doctors and nurses around sighed in relieve, knowing the impending doom they just avoided. It was obvious that the man was feared and respected. His clothes if not dyed with blood, showed his high status, his outfit alone being in the 10 000 range. On the girls hand was a ring, priced high enough to buy-out an entire nation.

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The two of them were childhood sweethearts without actually dating. Growing up together side-by-side made them closer than even normal siblings would be despite the five-year age gap. He acted more of a parent than her own, slowly teaching her, protecting her and even nurturing her with love and care. They knew each other like the back of their hands, every emotion, every thought was prominent even without needing to speak it out.

He was present at every milestone, award, failure, and even the dreaded puberty and pre-menstrual syndromes. Girls and guys approached them all the time, looking for a glimmer of hope to break this two apart but failed every time. Their parents joked that they were lovers from their past life, or even enemies. Her father was extremely bothered by the fact that he had lost his daughter to a man before she was even two years old. The others just laughed at his pain and sadness.

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But why were they 18 years later, in a hospital drenched with blood? That of course, we would have to start from the very beginning, Summer, 2007; Him; aged 10 and her aged 5.