I am here for you

He talked all night which felt like a few minutes. We watched the sunrise together.
When sunlight falls on his face and his body. I was finally able to have a clear view of him. I was staring at him like someone had seen an angel. Maybe he was Because he stopped me from doing something horrendous without even knowing.
This whole encounter was like a dream, watching night turn into a day with a stranger.

My alarm goes off and I am reminded that I have to go to college. I was getting ready to leave when he asks

"Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead"

"What's your name? if you are not comfortable with telling me it's fine"

"Nora" "My name is Nora and yours?"
He replied with a big smile on his face "I am Hunney. Nice to meet you, Nora"
"Nice to meet you as well Hunney"

I said goodbye and left for college. I didn't pay much attention to class. I slept in most of the classes. I asked my roommate for notes. I visit the park every afternoon and spend my time there till 6 pm. We then started going to different places as well but we always return before 9 pm. He said if he stayed out after 9 pm he would get into lots of trouble and I never asked further questions. Weeks and months passed by and we got close to each other.

One night we were out eating food and hanging out, I checked the time and it said 8 pm. Around this time we start walking back to the park. Since I am the one who always keeps track of the time, I didn't tell him this time. I wanted to spend more time with him...

Little did I know this could change everything

As time passed, His voice started to become dry and his body started to shake a little bit. He quickly looked at the time it was 10 pm. He panicked and started to rush back to the park. When we were returning, I noticed that his voice was becoming dry every second. Almost as if his throat or vocal cord are shrinking. When we got back, his voice returned to normal in just a few seconds.

I was so confused about what just happened. Even if I understood, I didn't want to believe it.
I asked him what just happened to him. Why was he shivering? Why did his voice start to become dry? Why did it went to normal as soon as we entered the park?

I asked for an explanation to which he replied while being scared and facing the pond where we first met. "If I stay away from the park after 9 pm I might die"
I asked him how this can happen and does he have any idea how to fix this,

He simply replied while giving a painful smile

"I wish there was a way but unfortunately there is not"

His answer crushed my soul. Why does this have to happen, why do when things are going well they have to go in the worst case?

He then explained how this happened, he is still a little spectacle but this is the best explanation he could find. He used to collect flowers from the park when he came back from college and sometimes makes tea from them. He once drank tea from flowers collected near the pond they first met. Then soon after he started getting synonyms like shortness of breath at 8 pm and sometimes got dizzy as well. Once he was going through these symptoms and went to the park for fresh air. He found out was cured... he thought it was just a coincidence. He tried it again and it worked. After he did his research he found out the flowers he picked up for tea near the pond contained meteorites. A few days ago a meteor shower happened and tiny rocks fell from space and eventually landed in the park, Hence reacting with everything.

He told me every single thing he knew and what he thinks.

I stayed quiet the whole time he was speaking. when He was finished I embrace him tight. Telling him he is safe. Everything gonna be okay. Maybe his symptoms were getting worse because when I held him in my arms he was vibrating and I could hear him breathing loudly.

After this whole incident, I wanted to make him happy. We started doing little things like walking and sitting in the park looking at the sky. Stargazing. Going out on a picnic. I noticed his skin colour was changing ever so slightly to more mustard and dark brown day by day as the autumn season was approaching. Whenever there was a heatwave. We had to stay in the shade. That was not bad in a way he held hands and got a chance to sleep together in the shadow of trees.
When the autumn season arrived, he started having trouble breathing despite being in the park. He coughed and sometimes leaves came out of his mouth.

Just like that one day, we were sitting and

he says with a raspy voice "I think it's almost time to say goodbye"

Even though I knew this day would come when we have to part ways, I was still shocked at the absurdity of it and how early it came.

I say "I don't want this to end, these past few months have been the best of my life. You saved me from slaughtering myself the first time we met. You saved me. I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry that I wasn't able to help you. I am sorry that I failed you, I wish I could do something to make you stay with me forever..."

He gives a smile with some tears forming in his eyes and says "I wish too that I could stay with you. Stay by your side to protect you. To look after you. To be there to make you happy but I can't do it " he pauses for a moment, leaned forward to kiss me on the forehead and tells me

"I love you, Nora, I will never forget you"
To which I reply "I love you too Hunney, I will always remember you"

As we exchanged these sentences, he turned into dried leaves going the rest of the pile of leaves on the ground. His clothes are still here on my body. I grab them and cry... letting out all the pain I have been holding back to appear strong. But when reality hits me that he is not here anymore by my side. I couldn't hold back.

Sorry Hunney I am not strong as you might have thought. But it's hard to imagine a life without you by my side...

Autumn passed by then winter then summer and now it is spring again. I still visit the park daily and sometimes take care of it. It was just like any other day. Then I felt a vibration coming from the ground, my first instance was an earthquake but when I moved away to a different location in the park it stopped. I went on checking Hunney's grave. I collected all his leaves and placed them in the ground with some markings indicating his grave. What I see next is beyond surprising. His grave is torn open, I go close to it then I see him, standing looking around. I ran towards him and hugged him from behind.

Calling out his name, each time getting quieter than before he looked utterly surprised as was.

Then he said my name which made me cry and I shouted his name. I didn't care if someone watches me crying like a baby, I finally had him again in my arms, I could touch him, feel him again and I am never letting him go anymore. Ever... never again.