Memories of the Hearts

Chapter III

She handed me a necklace with a gold chain and a green stone with a gold leaf outline pendent. "What's this?" I asked.

"A necklace that has been passed done our family for generations," She explained. "I had this when I was your age. I thinks it's time for you to have it."

"Wow, it's a nice necklace," I said, taking the necklace in hand. "This is for you!" I handed her the bouquet.

"Oh, these are beautiful sweetheart," Mom was about to take the bouquet from me when she stopped herself.

"Mom?" I asked her. "What's wrong? Do you not like it?"

"I just remembered that I brought a camera with me so we could take your photo of you and I with your necklace," Mom smiled at me. "How about we take it with your bouquet? I'll ask that person over there if they could take our photo for us."

As Mom went over and asked the local villager for a favor, I saw Naminè with her mother, about to leave. "Hey, Naminè!" I called, running up to her.

"Is something the matter?" She softly asked me.

"Mom just gave me this really pretty necklace!" I showed her the necklace Mom gave me.

"Wow!" Naminè's eyes sparkled at seeing my necklace, which made me giggle at how cute she was acting.

"It's a very beautiful necklace," Naminè's mother complimented me.

"Thank you!" I replied. "Would you like to join us for our photo? I think it's better if I'm standing there with my necklace and my best friend and her mom!"

"Mom, what do you think?" Naminè tugged her mother's dress.

"Let's ask Saki's mother if she's okay with it," her mother stated as Mom approached us with the villager who held the camera in their hands.

"Mom, mom!" I said. "Is it okay that Naminè and her mom joins us in our picture?"

"I don't see why not," Mom shrugged. "The more, the merrier!"

As we got into our positions-Mom and Naminè's mother behind us with their hands on our shoulders while Naminè and I held our bouquets close to us but I made sure my bouquet didn't cover my face. Outside the bouquet of flowers I gripped my new necklace by its chain so that it was visible when the picture came out. "Okay, are we ready?" The villager asked as they positioned the camera to take our picture. "3...2...1..."

Maybe I'll find myself
Sitting on that distant shore
Maybe I'm not alone

It as now that I noticed Naminè's bouquet was covering her face but I didn't have the chance to point that out because the villager yelled, "Smile!" and took our picture.

*~*~*~*~*~

Then I see the colors fading
Gentleness of light escaping
Shadows of my fear invading

It was a winter day and I was walking home with Naminè, telling her about the recent snowstorm. The air staring to feel really stuffy, which was weird because a snowstorm just passed by. Then, Naminè and I started coughing really hard. As we reached the village center, I looked up to see thick, dark smoke covering the sky. Charcoal flew in the air and landed on the snow like black specks. I looked at the village. Houses were in fire. I saw Naminè's house billowing smoke. "Mom!" She cried, running to the house.