LETTERS

"Tell us. What did the letters say? Is the writer in love with you and can't hold it but to write to you?"Sarah was becoming too much!

Curiosity was burning her inside. She wanted to know the details in those letters. "Let's see what he's written now."

For Aurora, she was old enough to understand that Araxie was feeling shy and uneasy to open the letter in their presence. "I promise we'll keep it a secret, don't you trust us?"

Araxie felt a little bit convinced and like that she opened the wet letter for the three of them to read.

"My Dear Crush, I can't get you off my mind. You're doing things to me even when you're not here with me!

How are you? I missed you a lot and thought of writing to you again. I just feel like telling you how I feel about you. You became my life the night we accidentally met. Thinking about that incident makes me feel like flying. And please do not let me fall because I would break and die.

If loving you is a dream, I wanna live in this dream where you're mine only!

I will prove that my promises and love for you are true.

It seems that I was waiting for you a thousand years, and suddenly you came into my life. It's indeed a great feeling to remember how accidentally we met, and it was a beautiful coincidence.

I love you."

"This man is in love with you my dear. Do you perhaps know him?"Aurora asked after passing through the letter.

"I don't know him and I don't think the two of you know him either. I don't know this mad man who's playing around with me. I feel like meeting him and teach him a lesson."she said between clenched teeth.

Of course she had to think that way. What did you expect from someone who's seventeen years old. She was innocent and naive.

She really didn't know what love was all about and what it meant to love someone.

"Don't worry dear, we'll find him and tell him to stop all this nosense."Aurora assured yet deep down she knew it was happening for the best. She wished the writer could gradually win her friend's heart. Perhaps he could change her life for good and erase all her pain and sorrows that Marina inflicted on her heart and mind.

Judging by the words and emotions of the writer, she could tell that he was in love with their friend.

"We need to get to this person before Araxie can. We have to help him where we can. I don't know how but we need to make Araxie fall in love with him. I have a feeling that we can trust him."Aurora whispered to Sarah, not allowing their friend to hear anything. "Alright then sister "Sarah nodded.

Aurora was Sarah's elder sister. She was twenty years old and for her sister, Sarah, she was eighteen. As for their friend, she was seventeen.

"What are you both whispering to each other now?"Araxie asked after she noticed a sudden worried expression on their faces.

"I'm very sorry if you're both angry with me because of this letter. I promise I won't read any more letter from this person."she apologized.

"No dear. It's not like that. I mean...."Sarah was still finding a good word to use when her sister cut in. "You didn't tell us how you got back Marina's necklace. I still can't believe you found it!"she was changing the topic.

"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. Well, the thing is...."she told them everything.

Aurora was wise enough to tell from the story that the one sending the letters might be that same man who saved their friend.

Things made sense when she remembered that they were wet. "He must be the one!"a sigh escaped her mouth.

"Who?"

Ignoring Araxie's question, Aurora walked away. Revealing the man to Araxie would complicate things yet she didn't want to risk it all. She wasn't a hundred percent sure, though.

When Aurora and Sarah were going to sleep, they remembered about Araxie's situation. The man might've sent her another letter.

Who knows if he revealed his details in the letter. "Oh Lord, please don't let her open it."

Meanwhile the egret brought a letter to Araxie's room as usual. She felt she wanted to read it but couldn't after recalling a promise she just made to her friends, that's when she placed on the table before she fell asleep.

She could've torn it but she felt she could give it to them and the two would decide what to do with it. She was good at keeping promises.

The first thing Aurora did the next morning was to run straight to Araxie's house. She hoped to confirm if their worries actually happened and the man actually sent her a letter.

"Good morning Araxie. I hope you had a good time while sleeping."

"I didn't sleep at all. How do you expect me to sleep when a lot is happening in my life. I will only enjoy my sleeps after I've found the person behind all this. Maybe he will stop it after I've talked sense into him, don't you think?"

"Hmmmmm!" Aurora couldn't stand seeing best friend worried but she had no choice at the moment. "I'm very sorry that I can't help you even if I want to... You have to bare with all this till you realize that you are also falling for this stranger man. I only wish to see you happy- that's why I can't support you this time."she breathed inwardly.

"I don't think looking for him is necessary. We can send him letters as well. How's that?"Aurora suggested.

"You're crazy dear. How can you reply to someone you don't even know. What address would you write to. How will your letter find him."she was laughing at her.

"He has been sending you letters through the bird. I think we should do the same."

"I think you're right. By this I will be able to tell him how I feel about him, right?"

"Yes, do you maybe have feelings for him?"she hit in the bush to see what would come out.

Seeing how excited her friend was, Aurora hoped she would write something positive. "Tell me dear, what are you going to write to him that has made you this excited. Are going to tell him that you love him back. It would be so romantic!" She was tricking her to clear her doubts. She was sure that Araxie would use this chance to reject this man.

"What makes you think that I love him. You know I can't fall in love at this age - I'm just seventeen. So...."

"So what? Will you fall in love once you step in your 40s?"

Oh no! That wasn't the right time for Aurora to show her side. "You see, I'm not saying that you should fall in love right now. But my dear, true love happens once in a lifetime. It only knocks at your door once. It's up to you to embrace it or reject it. I'm not saying that you should love this man, I only want you to think about yourself too. You will need someone who will to you like no one else. Dear, everyone needs a soul to relay on and a shoulder to cry on. You're human too. And mind you age doesn't matter in love especially not in this modern generation of ours."

"What do you mean by that, Aurora? I hope you aren't pushing me into loving a stranger."

"She meant to say that you should find someone whom you would trust and love with all your heart and soul. I know you're thinking of turning eighteen first, right? What's the difference anyway? Don't you remember that I fell in love with Allison when I had just turned fifteen, remember?"Sarah said after entering the room. She overhead their conversation.

"You too! Your supporting her?"

"You know I always aside with whom is right and this time my sister is, and as for you..... you're totally right."

"Really?"

"Sarah is right dear. You're old enough to fall in love if you want to but it's okay if you don't want to. It's your life and your choices matter the most. Love doesn't ask why or when. One doesn't need reasons to fall in love and it's also true that one doesn't need to reach a certain age to fall in love ad well. One thing is certain that you'll prove me right after meeting the perfect man. That special someone who will steal your heart in just a heart beat. That one person who would make your heart melt like snow. I will wait for that day." Feeling so disappointed, Aurora walked out of the room.

"Think about it."Sarah said before she left the room too, leaving Araxie puzzled. She couldn't believe that her friends were advising her like that.

She hoped they were kidding her. Perhaps it's part of their plan. They must have planned to scare me a little bit. But I..... I've defeated them on their own game!

No one can scare me so easily."she praised herself little did she know that Aurora heard it all. She had come back.

"We aren't playing any game with you, Araxie. Whatever we just said, it was all true and we meant them. You're our friend Araxie. It's our responsibility to advise you. Anyway, I'm not here to lecture you again."

"Why are you here then?"

"Did he send you another letter last night? Did you read it?" She was curious to hear that she didn't read it. If not, she hoped he didn't send one.

"He sent it."

"What! I mean what did it say. Did he tell you anything about himself like where he lives and what he does?"Aurora hurried to ask. Her heart was throbbing hard.

"Why do you look bothered about all this. And why do you need this information anyway? I mean...I can't believe you've come just to ask me about the letter."

I'm only asking about it because I want to know where we would start from when replying to him.

Actually I was thinking if I could help you to write to him."

"I will do it myself. Thanks!"she cut in.

"I don't think you've thought about your situation. I'm afraid Marina would catch you writing one and..... anyway it's okay."

"Oh yes. I'm sorry dear. You're right! Mother might not come to my room but she can surely watch my every step in this room from far."she looked thoughtful.

"I thought you had forgotten about her being a witch." All Aurora could do was to scare Araxie to the core so she would believe her and ask for her help.

Wait! Why did she want to help her?

Without saying a word, Araxie hugged her friend. Aurora who didn't expect her friend to be convinced so easily looked surprised.

She thought it would take long to convince her but look....it didn't take her a lot of time to get her convinced.

Soon Aurora's heart was beating with so much excitement. "Now that you've asked for my help, I'll show you how stubborn I can be sometimes. You won't even believe how I will make you dance to my tunes that you won't realize when you will develop feelings for this man! Take this as a friend's promise!"she breathed inwardly with her heart still jumping in joy. She was now on a mission to get these two together at any cost!

"You're right Aurora. I'm so fortunate that I have you guys as my friends.

I'm so stupid that I had forgotten about my mom and what she would do to me if she...."

"You don't need to worry as I'm right here. I will help you and write to him, okay?"

"Thank you so much dearest."

"Hey, don't mention it. Just give me a smile, won't you?"

(Smiling), "but promise me you'll tell him that I don't love him."

"Of course I will do as you say. I will do my best. You just need to trust me".

"I do. I trust both of you more than anything."