TELL ME THE STORY

At dinner time everyone gathered around the campfire. It was brightly lit. The nature with its own unfathomable presence, colourful lanterns and smell of roasted nuts and marshmallow in the air. It was a pleasant evening with all the friends reminiscing about their school days.

But one person was unbothered by this entire conversation, brewing his coffee in the corner.

He picked up his cup and went into the woods.

Sheena, who was passing by to get a cup of herself, saw him walking away.

'Where is he going?'

'Anyway, why do I care? I'm not his mum'.

'But this jungle could be dangerous, right?'

'He's a grown up man, he can take care of himself.'

Contemplating in her thoughts, Sheena went back to the campfire.

Three hours passed away, everyone was already heading back to their tents.

"Sheena, why are you walking around here, shouldn't you go in and get some sleep?" Ashley asked from behind in a half awakened state.

"You get in first; I want to stay here for the while."

"Okay then, then go back on time. It's a jungle, there might be bears, wolves and whatnot around here."

Sheena nodded, and Ashley walked away yawning.

As time passed by Sheena became more anxious.

'It's been three hours. Where might he be?'

'Was he attacked by a bear or maybe two bears... could there be more??'

Her thoughts made her more anxious.

'Should I look for him?'

'But he's so annoying, even animals won't dare come in front of him.'

She laughed to herself.

'No jokes apart. I should go look for him now.'

'But what if a bear attacks me?'

'No I should go search for him. Who knows? He might be in danger.'

She lit the torch on her phone and picked up a stick from the side. As she followed the direction he went into. It was a dark jungle.

After a few steps, she heard some noises; she tightened the stick in her hand and marched forward. Just when she felt something touch her stick, she smacked the stick in the air; it landed on something

"You animal, don't get close to me. You think you can hurt me?" she started shouting.

Following, she heard two voices growling in pain.

She started shouting even more, as she waved the stick at them.

As the pair and Sheena started screaming out of fear, the pair tried to run away but bumped into the tree head on.

Sheena directed her flashlight at them,

"You both?? What are you doing here at night?"

The pair calmed down when they saw her. They slowly got up, massaging their head and backs.

"That's what we should ask you. What are you doing here alone? And that too with a stick to beat us up."

Sheena, upon sudden realisation, was a little embarrassed as she put her stick down, looking around to avoid their gazes.

"Me..?Ahh yes... I'm a fan of bears. I came to see if I'm lucky enough to see any."

"What?" The pair stared wide eyed at each other and said in unison,

"Weird enough... they're dangerous. You should go back."

"Yes, what kind of fantasy are you living in? You beat us up, but who knows if you'll get a chance with animals."

Sheena, embarrassed from the scene earlier,

"I'm really sorry, let me get the ice packs for you guys."

"No, don't worry, we're fine. Aren't we love?"

"Yes we are fine Sheena, don't worry. But don't roam around. It can be dangerous."

Sheena nodded," yes you guys go ahead. I'll be back in a while."

Moving onto their paths, after walking for 15 minutes, she heard the sound of gushing water.

'I'm just going to look there. If he's not there, I will go back, that troublemaker.'

As she went ahead, the sound of water became even more clear...she saw a lake in the distance. But in front of it was a hammock tied between two large trees. Well lit up with lights and lanterns around.

It was a breathtaking sight, with fireflies and the Sweet scent of wildflowers. One can't name them, yet they scented heavenly.

It was all like a dream. As soon as Sheena stepped there, she felt like she was in heaven.

'Even though I have not seen heaven, but if it exists, it'll be surely like this.'

She slowly took her steps forward, taking into every moment. Speechless, yet devoured in the divinity of the beautiful place.

Before she could realise, she was already standing in front of the hammock. As her eyes fell on the man lying on the hammock, his body resting on it with his long legs swinging down. His eyes were closed as if all the peace in the world resided in him at the moment. With his messy hair on, he was as cute as a sleepy child.

Sheena was contemplating whether or not to wake him up. Just when she was in deep thought, a voice interrupted her,

"You're here? You're late. It's been three hours."

Sheena frowned, wondering if he was dreaming.

"Yes you, I have been waiting for you. He slowly opened his eyes."

His grey deep black eyes depicting the vast oceans hiding in them, still as clear as still water. Those pair of eyes, anybody would be lost in them, and like a dense forest would never find their way out.

Sheena taking account of everything around her, it was all magical.

Breaking out of the spell which was slowly engulfing her. She uttered "Me..?"

Closing back his eyes,

"Yes, who else?"

"But you didn't ask me?"

"Do I need to ask you?"

"How would I know you were waiting for me if you don't tell me?"

He opened his eyes again and sat down.

"Aren't you here already?"

I was just looking around; it was a mere coincidence that I bumped into you. Sheena replied reluctantly.

"Were you?" He giggled.

"Do you think I would come to look for you? I don't even know your name."

"Either way, you're here. You know what that means?" Signaling her to sit next to him.

Sheena sat beside him on the hammock. "What??"

He looked at her intensely,

"Our hearts, yours and mine, are connected."

Sheena, attempting to break out of the awkward conversation,

"You're good with words. Do you by any chance think that I'll be the next in your list of admirers? If you are, then you're dreaming."

He giggled to himself and laid back,

"Do you see that constellation?" he pointed to the sky.

Sheena looked up in the sky, as he slowly took her hand and pulled her down beside him.

"What are you doing??"

"Just making sure I'm not to be blamed for your neck pain the first thing in the morning."

Sheena glanced at him. He seemed careless, yet precious. Sheena turned back to look at the sky,

"Which constellation?"

"There, that archer, do you see?"

"Orion?"

"Yes."

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Deep in his thoughts, he replied,

"Beauty is what we see on the outside..but only the people who sacrifice to attain it know the price they pay for it."

Sheena stared at him. She sensed something hidden in his words.

Waiting for him to complete, she asked,

"Elaborate."

"Do you know why he is up there in the sky?"

"No."

"He had to sacrifice his love, moreover, his life. His only mistake was that he fell in love with the goddess being a mortal."

Sheena looked at him with curiosity. Sensing her gaze, he opened his eyes and looked back at her.

"Tell me the story", Sheena whispered.

He turned back to face the sky.

"Orion, a mere hunter, used to hunt in the forest alone."

"He lived a simple life until he encountered the goddess of the moon, owner of the forest, and a skilled hunter who was celebrated by all. Animals were honoured to be hunted by her, even the tiniest of flower worshipped her. Beautiful than the moon itself, yet generous and humble."

"Just a look at her was enough for Orion to trade anything for her to be his."

"Orion, being an attractive man himself, made Artemis notice him. Taking into consideration his hunting skills, Artemis asked him to be her hunt partner."

"Over time, coordinating with each other, even they didn't realise when they fell for each other. So much, that they couldn't be separated."

"There's always a villain, and here it was the wise yet jealous God of Sun Apollo. When he came to visit his sister, he noticed Orion."

"As they say, love can't be hidden. It resides in the eyes, eyes being the mirror to the soul depicted everything clearly to him. "

"He couldn't accept a mortal loving his sister, when his sister also reciprocated the love."

"Artemis was an immortal goddess who is eternal, although Orion being a mortal, he has to leave one day, leaving her a heartache for an eternity."

"Apollo couldn't allow that. So, he left Scorpius to kill him."

"While escaping from Scorpius for his life, Orion jumped into the sea."

"Apollo on the other side took Artemis there, making her believe a traitor is swimming away in the water."

"Believing her brother, she shot an arrow straight at the person, without realising who he was."

"When she went to capture the body of the traitor, she was shocked to see her beloved Orion lifeless."

"With a lot of unsaid words, she couldn't let him go. Holding his lifeless body in her hands she flew over the world, yet no practitioner nor any medicine could make his cold body go warm again."

"Artemis losing all hope, took him to the sky and put him there as a constellation. So, she could look at him through the eternity. "

"He couldn't accompany her, but she suffered the pain of loss."

"Taking her broken heart, an unconfessed love and his memories, she lives through eternity alone, wandering in the forests and watching his constellation from the moon."

"He lost his life for loving her, and she lived with the pain of loss of her beloved."

As he finished, he looked at Sheena.

Her eyes glistening, she was looking straight at the sky.

"Love isn't that sweet, it's a disaster in itself". Sighed Sheena

The guy mesmerized by the beauty in front of him, how he wished the time to stop in that moment.

Sheena closed her eyes and sighed.

After sometime, he nudged her softly.

But no movement.

He sat up; he pushed her again lightly. Yet no movement.

'She fell asleep...what a timing.'

He muttered as he carried her and put her comfortably on the hammock.

As he sat on a side noticing her expression. Even in sleep, she was no less than an angel.

He wandered into his thoughts, contemplating about his feelings. There was something different he felt in himself, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He covered her with a blanket and caressed her hair carefully before looking back at the sky.

....