1 Prologue

We were strolling around my neighborhood, the streetlights creating golden patches along the sidewalk. The full moon, accompanied by the stars, hung overhead- a sky filled with vast mysteries, yet it felt all so familiar to us. Our nightly walks set aside time that was just for us, where we'd talk about the future and dreams that were beginning to feel more tangible with each passing day.

      We said we'd face the world together; go to the same college, share an apartment in New York City, and travel the world side by side. She was going to become a Broadway singer, cast into the spotlight for the world to hear her sweet voice. Everyone who met her knew she would become something special, if not already. I saw how music brought her to life, how her eyes twinkled along with a smile that could warm anyone's heart. I made note to write a poem to capture her in those moments.

"Promise you won't ever leave my side. Even if fate leads us to separate paths in the future, you'll wait for me, right?" Kalia's dark eyes were filled with urgency, her voice clouded with emotion.

    After staying quiet for a few seconds, I nodded, "Of course, what else am I going to do? I wouldn't be able to survive on my own."

    "Yeah, you wouldn't be able to function without me." Her laugh was a melody on its own, filled with joy and purity.

     Every night, Kalia would make us promise to each other that our friendship would never be broken. She had this fear that there would be someone or something that would tear us apart, and that uncertainty made us closer. It felt as though we've been through it all together. We've seen the ugly sides of each other, yet we stood stronger than ever. But perhaps it would be inevitable that we would go our own way despite what we want.

     Kalia sighed as we finished our final loop, stopping at the front of my house and sitting on the bottom step. The concrete was cool against our skin despite the humidity of the air. Our outside walks and conversations would usually last so long, she'd just end up sleeping over. Time didn't exist when we were together. We never ran out of things to talk about or explore in our minds.

    "Em, can you tell me a story?"

     There was only one story she wanted to hear; our story and the chapters that haven't been written yet. We were future thinkers. Our conversations would hold promises and aspirations that made us feel less trapped in our current lives. Our passion to explore the rest of the world began making us restless, wanting to escape, together, of course.

      So, I started telling her what we both wanted to hear, creating a fantasy that was slowly becoming a reality. I saw as her expression turned from wistfulness into determination- she was going to assure that this story would come to life. We'd create our own dysfunctional, yet happy ever after.

      We made this promise that our paths would intertwine, no matter if they diverged at one point.

     I guess I shouldn't have made a promise I knew I couldn't keep. Well, I thought I could, but my mind had other plans. Drowned in fantasies and pointless wishes, I found myself fading. I lost myself, I lost my happiness, I lost sense of reality. I lost her.