Finally in Your Arms... Unfortunately

Abel hummed along with the chatter of crickets chirping around him. The moon shined brightly above him and only a gentle breeze brushed upon his skin as he walked. In his hands were a few books he had planned to lend to Amos. After much thought, he choose a variety of genres for Amos to enjoy. Though, as cheesy as it was, he hoped that Amos would enjoy the romance novel he picked out the most. He looked down at the book in his arms with a fond smile.

Against All Odds was the book’s name. It was the shortest read out of what he picked, but he hoped it would be the most impactful for Amos. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t read romance books, but something about this one called out to him. Maybe he was projecting too much. That was neither here nor there, though he hoped that Amos could see where he was coming from. 

A message about how love could withstand any challenge… it was too perfect. 

It would be nice if reality could be as beautiful as fiction. As Abel made it over a hill, a large elm tree made itself known in the near distance. A familiar sight that made his gaze soften. One of the only comforting things in his restricting life. However, he couldn’t see Amos waiting for him as he expected. That didn’t raise any concerns, though. Perhaps Amos was waiting out of sight, or he was running late tonight. He picked up the pace and hurried over to the tree. 

Once he made it there, Abel walked the perimeter of the tree. “Amos?” he called out, but there was no response. Looked like the latter scenario was right, but that wasn’t anything to worry about. Abel would wait all night if he had to.

He picked a comfortable patch of grass and sat down, setting the books down beside him. A wistful sigh left his lips as he looked up at the sky. It was now that he realized the stars were covered up by the clouds, but the moon was still visible. He found himself looking at its cold glow as he daydreamed about what to say when Amos came. 

He didn’t get any sleep that night, but he still dreamed. Slowly, he watched the moon travel lower and lower. His body ached from sitting on the ground for so long, yet he stayed where he was. The crickets were slowly starting to fall quiet as hours passed by. Amos will be here soon, he continued to reassure himself. A tense hand was placed over the book pile as he waited. Though, as the moon began to disappear on the horizon and the beautiful colours of the sunrise began to blossom throughout the sky, a cold realization hit him. 

Where did Amos go?

The loud flourish of ballroom music echoed throughout the dance hall. Amongst the crowd of dancers, Abel stood by the sidelines with a small smile on his face. He tapped his foot along with the music while he listened to his surroundings. He could hear the synchronized movements of couples dancing the night away, as well as a few clumsily misplaced steps here and there. Despite any hiccup, everyone was joyous tonight. After all, this was a night for relaxation; to bask in the company of others and enjoy the pleasures of a luxury gathering such as this.  

And yet, Abel was by his lonesome tonight. Not many wanted to dance with a profound worshipper of the Moon, go figure. Which was a shame since he considered himself to be a damn good dancer. Though, he didn’t let that get him down. The music was beautiful and the drinks were aplenty. He had nothing to complain about. 

It wasn’t until he heard footsteps approaching him that he took his focus away from the music. Someone was standing near him, but they didn’t speak yet. He turned his head in their direction and his smile widened as a friendly gesture. 

The man in front of him hummed curiously. “You seem familiar… have we met before?” His voice wavered slightly. A clear sign of nerves.

It took a lot for Abel not to drop his expression. That voice sent a cold shiver down his spine. That gentle voice, it was like honey to his ears, but the taste had become disgustingly sweet as memories of his past flashed in his head. Amos… a name he thought he would never think of again. He could imagine how Amos looked before him, but in the same breath, it bothered him to not know how much his appearance changed after all this time. 

Amos’ voice quivered when he spoke, Abel couldn’t forget that. As horrifying as it was to remember his old love, it was far more sickening to realize that Amos remembered him all the same. Abel’s hands clenched at his sides and his smile became tighter. Still, he shook his head at the question. 

“I think not,” he replied. A bitter taste was left in his mouth. He hated how curt he sounded. 

The silence that followed was deafening. It was far louder than the music could ever be. All at once, Abel was back at his old village. He could feel the rough texture of the elm tree’s bark against his back. He could remember the books he was holding as he looked up at the night sky. His body felt stiff after he waited so long for his love to come to him, but it was all for nothing. 

Could love endure a challenge such as that, world? He thought not.

Though, to his surprise, Amos didn’t walk away from him. His smile twitched when Amos went closer to him. It was hard to get the full picture here, an extended hand, perhaps? His confusion was soon answered as Amos spoke up again.

Amos’ voice was gradually getting more confident. “May I have this dance, then? The music tonight is quite addicting.” Well, confident would be a strange way to describe his tone. Abel noticed that his voice sounded more stoic than he remembered. There was no smile on Amos’ face.

“It would be my pleasure,” Abel responded. 

Both men appeared to know what game was being played here. As Abel reached out to hold Amos’ hand, he didn’t hold the hand of his old love. He held the hand of a stranger. Still, there was a familiarity with the domestic nature of this situation. He could remember the softness of Amos’ hands. It was a wonder what Amos had been up to all this time, but that wasn’t his business to know. A stranger doesn’t pry into another stranger’s life.

Without another word, Abel pulled Amos in closer so they could go to the dance floor. A few couples shifted away upon recognizing Abel. Sometimes he wondered if people looked upon him with admiration from fellow Moon worshippers or fear from everyone else. His mind began to wander as he held Amos’ hands tighter. What did Amos think of him? How much did Amos know? He shook those thoughts from his head. 

With various couples dancing around them, they knew they shouldn’t continue to stand still. The elegant, yet simple melody was a pace the two men were familiar with. As Abel put his hand on Amos’ waist and pulled him in closer, he could remember the scent of the valley. When their only music was the chirps of crickets and their humming. Their only witness was the grand elm tree that shielded them from the rest of the village. 

“Shall we begin, my friend?” Amos asked as he held Abel securely.

The word “friend” sounded foreign to the priest, but he relented. Abel could hear the familiar footwork of those around him and soon pulled Amos to follow along. The waltz was a simple, yet timeless dance. Even boys in a reclusive village could remember this dance off the back of their hands. 

“You know your dances well. Others have stepped on my feet when I tried to spend time with them.” Amos hummed quietly in amusement. If not for Abel’s abnormal hearing, he would’ve missed the sound altogether. 

Abel smiled with a slight nod. “It’s hard to forget moments like these. Try as I might.” He spun Amos around in a flourish, like a fairytale prince dancing in an extravagant ballroom. Those around him awkwardly moved to mimic his style, though they all fell short. He laughed under his breath hearing their clumsy footwork and hurried apologies for stumbling. “It comes in handy given my condition.”

He could do quite a lot considering he was blind. One of the many gifts the Moon has given him. Amos never got to see the immediate effects of the “disciplining” his family gave him. How he, eventually, began to cope with his disability and overcome the shorthand those Earth worshippers gave him. What a time his past lover missed, yet they danced like nothing happened between them. 

Amos stepped closer to Abel as he was pulled forward, nearly touching chest to chest. “It must be a shame that no one wants to dance with you, hm? I found you standing off to the side.” It was easy to see those who stepped away from Abel given his reputation. Already people found it a surprise that Abel was dancing with a proud worshipper of the Earth.

“Can you blame them?” But it seemed that Abel paid them no mind. “Everyone admires the moon from afar.”

“I heard people dedicated to the Moon can be very,” Amos paused, trying to think of a polite way to say this, “secretive.” With the plethora of rumours that follow the cult-like group, ‘secretive’ could be considered a compliment.

The comment made Abel laugh. Though, his smile looked tense. “Perhaps you’re right. They do like their privacy,” without warning, Abel stepped forward assertively and dipped Amos backwards. He leaned in close to continue, whispering in Amos’ ear, “but, at least, I can trust them.”

The silence that followed was another form of music in itself. Abel could imagine Amos’ eyes widening as he thought about what to say next, but he was at a loss. A figurative checkmate to their encounter. The song was coming to an end, so they straightened up to finish their dance. Abel was the first to let go, making sure to step away from Amos.

“Looks like our time together ends here.” Those words tasted bitter-sweet on his tongue. 

He could imagine Amos frowning as he replied, “Does it have to? I feel like you’re good conversation.”

“Those days are long behind me, Amos.” There was a firmness to his tone that demanded to be followed. 

If Abel entertained this further, then… No doubt this would end the same way he remembered. Him alone, with only the moon as his witness. There was no use in chasing figments of his past. Surely, Amos could understand. After all, why would any of them want to remember what happened in that village? Abel never knew why Amos had to abandon him back then, but he wasn’t keen to know. 

Still, it looked like Amos couldn’t qualm his curiosities. “Maybe we might bump into each other again.” But for now, he stepped back so he could retreat to the rest of the party. He exhaled softly, and Abel could imagine him glancing over his shoulder to look at him one more time. “You really changed, Abel.”

That was barely audible amongst the crowd, but Abel could hear it louder than ever. He hummed in amusement, smiling to himself at the thought. He certainly did change. That much was clear. No longer was he the boy that was heartbroken underneath that elm tree. That village wasn’t caging him any longer, nor was he allowing himself to be puppeteered by overbearing Earth worshippers. In his mind, he had changed for the better. He was a stronger man… That’s what he told himself, at least. And yet, the air around him felt colder.

He could never forget that young boy that was abandoned that night.