Could I ever give you peace?

Taylor Swift, 2020

She remembered it as if it was yesterday.

It had been a summers evening, light in the air and soft with the breeze. The air was clear, its underlying tone of salt whisking around with the wisps of past memories that hung gently around the atmosphere. They had once been lived, never destined to be twice.

Sat with him by his side as they rested on the beachfront wall. The blooming sunset that slowly crept from behind the swaying sea, as it slowly blended with the serene colours of the ever-growing sky above them. As the colours slowly grew, bleeding into one-another with the most capturing of ambers and saffron, to the quiets of the rosé and maroon.

As his hand gingerly felt its way over to hers, it allowed for her alluring aquamarine orbs to slowly turn toward him. It brought back memories of that momentous summer, rushing to the front of her head. How she was the quiet yet aggressive flame that had been built to keep his ever-so brittle heart warm, no matter the blue foamy waves that would cascade over them, and how they had peace.

And how his calloused hand felt in hers, the braille of their future spelling out every single thing they would need together.

And through every single doubt thrown their way, and how many said their love was for show, yet she knew she would die for him in secret.

The sweet serenity of the scene whisked around them, gliding around her collarbone and twisting gently toward his earlobe. The only noise being the soft waves as they tiptoed up the sandbank, only to be called back and swept out to the ever-tumbling sea once again, never destined to stay in place. The occasional seagull call sang around the desolate patch of beach. Not a word was spoken between the two. It was like no other silence, it was special.

The kind of silence that only comes when two people understand each other.

So, as they sat, side by side just as they would sit side by side in the trenches or in Heaven, somehow, she finally knew.

It might not always seem like it, but finally, she had found what she had been looking for.

Peace.

She stares at him on the cliff edge, her deep blue eyes an ocean of secrets and longing, waves of questions that were never destined to surface flowed between the topaz sea. Everything in her mind to told her to scream at him, take her with him, let her go instead, but the words fell silent, dancing on ghostly tongues as they drifted away on the freezing wind.

Never to be said, never to be heard.

Gazing at him, she prayed beyond hope that her eyes conveyed something of the storm of emotions swirling and fighting in her head, all competing for the spot that would be projected across onto his delicate olive skin, graced with years of soft rays and the warm breeze that would constantly twist around him, a shadow of his own gentle aura that had tipped her to fall for him. His velvety oak eyes softened, screaming a thousand words to her that no mouth would ever have the strength to say. Something in her chest leaped, tightening that invisible gold string tied to her ribs that had led her to him all that time ago.

That string. The same string that had pulled her here, glimmering and twinkling like the shimmer of the lake she had pondered over the night they had met.

The string tugged tightly, drawing a sharp breath from her lungs at the pull, and then loosened, spiraling away into the lonely void, only ever to have its one use.

To tie two lovers together that were never destined for eternity. Only to experience the pure love that had never been designed to last.

As the final twinkle of light of the golden string floated into the abyss, the two shared a final kiss as soft and tender as new satin on clouds, calling silent goodbyes to one-another only eyes could ever convey. Achingly, they separated.

Destined for now, never for forever.

My name is Laura, I’m 12 years old, and live outside Drumnadrochit in the small village of Lewiston. The village goes all out for Christmas. There are massive celebrations and parties, you name it we’ve done it. Anyway, let’s talk about the best part of the village, HORSES, there’s so many of them but you need to be privileged to have a horse, somehow I’m lucky enough to own one. A stunning young gelding called Blackjack. He is black with a star on his forehead. Blackjack and I don’t share likes and dislikes the same, but one thing we both share and love is sledding, we could spend weeks out sledding and never get bored.

This morning I woke up, threw on a jumper and leggings and stumbled down the stairs. As I left I noticed mum had left some toast for me. I ate it on the way to the stables. As I walked in I was greeted by a loud knocking, Blackjack wanted his breakfast. I mixed his food and put it in his stable. Blackjack began to munch. While he was eating I took the harness from its case and moved the sleigh to the front of the stables.

When Blackjack finished, I led him out and put his harness on, hitching him to it and hopped in, taking the reins and making a clicking noise, Blackjack immediately bounced into a lively walk. Once in town, I stared open mouthed, Lewiston had officially outdone itself again. Massive lights on the lampposts, pictures of Santa and snowmen on them. The star of the show was a giant red sleigh with bells and tinsel hanging from it and nine large reindeer led by Rudolph with his glowing red nose. “Come on Blackjack, walk on.” He snorted and began walking swiftly through the snow.

Two hours later:

Soon Blackjack and I were heading home after a long day of sledding. Blackjack was speeding up, knowing he was going home for dinner, even though something didn’t seem right. Then it clicked; there were no people out. Then something caught my eye, it was almost pitch black, that’s weird, no people, no lights. I know, we’ll go see the Mayor, he’ll know what’s going on. I steered Blackjack towards the Mayor’s cottage, “Whoa!” I jumped out and walked towards the cottage, I knocked on the door, but the silence stayed, no cheery voice of the mayor, nothing. “Right Blackjack, let’s go home.” Blackjack snorted, clearly unsure. As we walked towards the stables, everything went black. “What’s happening! Blackjack where are you?” I screamed, then I heard a shush. I opened my eyes to see mum on my bed, my older brother on the other side with a glass of water. “Shush dear, it was just a dream, have some water”.

I sat up and sipped the water, “Mum, where is Blackjack, is he ok? And the village, where was everybody?”

“It was just a dream Laura. Blackjack is fine, so is the village, now back to sleep.” My brother smiled at me and left, closing the door.

I closed my eyes, fell asleep, and began to dream again…

“Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away, now it’s though they’re here to stay…” ;yet another unsuccessful day of singing. I could see Ellie sitting on a bench nearby. Ellie was my best friend, my manager and my only fan, she had short brown hair. She walked over to me and smiled, “I thought that was great!” she said. “Yeah well no-one else seemed to think that, if you ask me it was rubbish,” I replied, bowing my head sadly, removing my guitar and placing it into its case. “Come on you, it’s getting dark.” I nodded and followed Ellie to her car.

Just as the tiny car purred to a stop I leapt out and grabbed my guitar from the back and walked down the path to get my bike. Once I finally reached my bike, I unlocked the keeper and hopped on. After about 5 minutes of cycling, I noticed that all the lights were flicking in and out. At first, I thought it was a power cut then CRASH! A bus hit my bike and sending me flying, then I hit the road with a thump, and the world went black…

“Jack, come on Jack wake up,” My eyes shot open and a familiar face was in front of me, but not Ellie’s, Paul McCartney, PAUL MCCARTNEY? “Paul?” I stuttered, not believing my eyes. “Aye, it’s me Jack, heard you were a struggling musician, so I’m here to help you, come on,” he clapped his hands together. I stood up and followed him; it turned out we were in a recording studio. After about 8 hours of studio training and some hoarse throats we had finished.

So, for about 10 weeks we had been training and I just got the letter of a lifetime. Once I read over it, I told Paul, “Paul, I’m going to Glastonbury!” Paul looked so stunned, “That’s amazing Jack!” He congratulated me and we continued to record.

Today’s the day I’ve always been waiting for.  Today I’m going to Glastonbury and I was up next, “performing 6 original songs, MR JACK MALIK!”

As I heard my name I slowly walked on stage, my guitar hanging around my shoulders. For the next 15 minutes I sang my heart out. Once I finally stopped, I noticed something, during all my performances I never noticed Ellie in the crowd; she’s always at my performances. Then again now that I think about Ellie, I’ve been so caught up with singing I haven’t been on my phone in 10 weeks, I opened it but nothing, strange. Maybe Paul will know? “Paul do you know someone called Ellie Hunter?” Paul looked at me and smiled, “You’re going back, Jack.” Suddenly I felt a bright light on my face, then Ellie screaming “He’s awake! Jack you’re awake!”
“Ellie? What are we doing here?”
“I’ll explain later…”

Then suddenly I remembered the crash, Paul, Glastonbury, everything, just a dream, nothing was real…

Have you ever wondered what was out in the void? Well, in this story you’ll find out!

This tale is set millions of years into the future so, wait, why am I rambling on? It’s time for the story…

One normal black day (or night, you never know in a void) on the fire circle sat Crimson, the dragon of the fire circle. He was one of the four soul dragons, the others were: Storm, the lightning dragon, Mauwe the weather dragon and Tin-Can the non soul dragon. Tin-Can was Crimson’s sidekick, but he was rather, well.
“Wait for me Karl!” shouted Tin-Can as he bounded after his imaginary friend.
“BE QUIET TIN-CAN” bellowed Crimson as he laid his head lower into the fire.
“Oh have a heart Crimson, he’s just playing” said Mauwe, standing up and flying over to them. “I don’t approve of playing” mumbled Crimson, he then grunted and turned over in the fire. That lasted five seconds until he leapt up as the floating island they were standing on began to shake vigorously.

“That’s the soul weakening” whispered Crimson as he looked nervously at Mauwe.
“What does that mean?” asked Tin-Can his small, purple tail wagging in curiosity.
“That’s soul dragon stuff Tin-Can, you don’t need to know, now GO play while we need to go!” Crimson did love Tin-Can very much, he just had no emotion.
“Oh please Crimson or Mauwe, PLEASE can I go with you?”
Mauwe shook her head and sighed, she jumped up as the soul bell rang for a meeting.
“Bye Tin-Can, behave yourself!”

And with that Crimson and Mauwe were gone.
“We NEED to destroy the crystal or otherwise the islands could explode!” Storm began to pace back and forth, a concerned look on his face.
“S-sir” Mauwe lifted her leg as Crimson and Storm darted round. Their jaws dropped. A huge ugly crow like beast thing reared up out of the void then, BLACK. Crimson rose up to see Mauwe and Storm out cold. He was just about to stand them up when the island plummeted down into the void. Crimson’s heart thundered in his chest then, nothing. Crimson was dead. Mauwe, Storm and Tin-Can had lived. Then if things already couldn’t get worse they did. The crow had reappeared but the heart on Tin-Can’s chest was lifted and hit the huge beast right over its heart. Tin-Can had killed the beast and saved the island!

At last Tin-Can was rewarded by becoming a soul dragon, the soul dragon of the love circle because love was stronger than any defense you could get. None of the dragons forgot about Crimson; he was like the father to all the dragons, especially Tin-Can. But did the dragons recruit another dragon? Nobody knows. All we know is that even though Tin-Can was ecstatic at being a Soul Dragon, he was never truly happy again…