[2]: Breathtaking Sunset (2)
Chapter 2: Breathtaking Sunset (2)
'Wait. Is this real or my mind is just playing tricks on me?'
The person he portrayed as his only hope entered the dim and thick woods causing his mind to be in turmoil.
What he was currently following is a girl around five feet and a half tall. Her hair was a slightly curled waist-length light brown and was braided from two sides on the upper while letting down the rest. She was wearing a clean white knee-length dress that made Marco spot her even if his vision was a bit blurry.
"What is she doing?" Marco asked in a whispering tone, particularly to no one but himself.
He was bombarded with his thoughts. His mind became a mess as he assesses the situation he was currently in.
'Why is she heading inside the forest at this hour?'
'The sun's already setting and the forest is dangerous for a girl to be in, especially at this point in time!'
'She's quite small and thin. How could she protect herself from who-knows-what awaits her inside?'
He couldn't help but start worrying about the person's safety. A sudden thought entered his mind and all his worries came to a stop.
'What if, all of this is not real and just the works of my mind?'
Marco halted his steps and remained standing at the entrance of the forest. He was dumbfounded and unsure about what he was seeing. The thought of all this as a product of his imagination crossed his mind. It was not impossible if everything is considered, in all actuality.
His desperation for a presence of a breathing person so that he can know what and where exactly is he, and to add up that he has a mere empty stomach, an exhausted body, and drained mind from all things happening in such a bare single day. It can be said that he really can't have a straight way of thinking now and being stuck in a place that he doesn't have any idea of, tensed him more.
'It can also be a fairy that protects this forest...' Marco couldn't help but also think of this possibility.
His belief about supernatural creatures or fairies particularly was influenced by his mother and his hometown, way across the other continent. He knows that it's childish and outrageous but he will still consider it as one of many other prospects.
The bushes up ahead of him swayed to the rhythm of the wind blows and it opened up the path more. As if enticing him to enter and follow the other person in a dimly lit and shady forest.
He was hesitant and still couldn't think properly. After building up enough courage and heaving a deep sigh containing all his concerns to the matter at hand, he finally decided to enter an unfamiliar forest.
As Marco entered the woods, the atmosphere became much colder than before. The trees are casting their shadows over the ground and the leaves are swaying while the whistling wind. Dry leaves are falling swirling through the air before finally falling onto the ground.
Luckily, there was still light passing through, which made the surroundings somewhat visible to the eyes even though it was surrounded by towering trees. Marco was able to see the light footprints of the person and so he followed the faintly seen tracks that led him towards the cliff. Though it was quite far ahead and the bushes and vines are blocking the whole view, so he could not see the girl.
Marco stood frozen right after he got through the thick vines. He was dumbfounded by the scene before his very eyes.
'What the freaking hell is she doing?!'
The girl is currently standing on a huge rock, right at the edge of the cliff. Her long brown hair was swirling through the air as she stood there and her white knee-length dress is also dancing with the wind's rhythm. Her hands were wide open as if she's embracing the cold wind. Just one wrong move and she might actually fall over to the crashing waves below.
Marco is not that far from the girl's spot and from his point of view, he can see a smile etched on her lips while her eyes were closed. It's as if… she's happy.
Seeing that smile plastered on her face that's contrary to her current state, Marco doesn't really know what to feel and even what to think. Indeed it was unexpected and so, another surge of turmoil occurred in his mind and several thoughts traveled in.
'Did she… did she go here to kill herself?'
'She couldn't possibly be thinking of jumping down the cliff now, is she?'
'This isn't the perfect time to be thinking this and it totally doesn't sound right… But if I'm going to kill myself, I would also want it to be like this one. It's a perfect plot, after all.'
'No one would even know that I died until they saw my corpse.'
'For those who wish to have eternal peace, this would be perfect for them.'
The salty sea breeze is cold yet also soothingly calm, like cuddling with a soft blanket every time the wind blows. Listening to the sound of the crashing waves below was somehow comforting. There's also the greenery environment brought by the grasses and trees. And the most astonishing thing is the view of the setting sun slowly vanishing from the horizon. It's dusk and everything seems surreal. This scenery is worth dying for.
Marco's train of thought stopped as he felt like a bucket of cold water poured on him. His eyes widened and he shook his head to regain his sense of rationality.
'Wait… What?'
'What the hell was I thinking?'
'A life's at stake here! Thinking about such things at a time like this, really?'
'Damn it, Marcus! Pull yourself together, will you?'
Marco took a step forward after calming himself. He's trying to at least dissuade the girl from taking her life. Never did he ever want to see a person die before his very own eyes, much less commit suicide.
Unfortunately for him, Lady Luck was not in his favor as his foot landed on a twig. It caused a cracking sound which was actually not that loud but amidst the silence, it was enough to be heard despite the sound of the crashing waves. Not only was the twig but the silence was also broke.
Marco's eyes were still glued to the girl.
As the silence was interrupted by the sound the breaking twig created, the girl took notice of another person's presence. She turned around in the hopes of finding who was responsible for that.
For some unknown reason, the flow of time seems to slowly die away. Marco couldn't completely perceive her face because of the setting sun lighting against her but he saw a glimpse of her hazel eyes and long eyelashes.
Her once smiling face became troubled and gradually a hint of surprise could be seen on her quaking irises.
Marco noticed that the sight of the girl that he has been staring at was slowly fading. Like a leaf ascending from a tree branch or that of a petal drifting down as the flower gets shattered by the wind.
It was a breathtaking sight to behold.
Marco's once pounding heart skipped a beat and his breathing was uneven. Every breath that he takes feels heavier than it usually does. It felt like choking him in the throat and his lungs were desiccated empty of air.
He was momentarily stunned. It took him seconds before he could realize what was actually happening. It came to him that she's literally getting out of his sight as she tumbles backward, to where the end of the cliff was and the harsh seawater waiting for her.
She slipped on the rock due to her sudden movement of being startled by the unexpected noise.
"Shit!" Marco let out a curse as it was all he could cope with the spat with this current situation unfolding before him.
All his thoughts brushed away and no logic was needed. He doesn't know what to do at such a moment but every single one of his senses seems to scream of a single thing he can and wants to do.
'I want to save her.'
It was all that matters now. Rationalization is unnecessary for that thought to be acquired. So as his resolve was clear enough to be his conviction, he runs towards her while reaching out his hand without any hesitation.
He couldn't hear anything except for the loud thumping of his heart. With every step that he takes and every second that passes, his heartbeat's rapidly increasing.
Everything happened so fast for Marco and the next thing he knew, he was already hugging her.