Fateful Encounter

Prologue - Encounters

Everything started with a fateful encounter.

She was a young girl raised by a pair of bakers. Beloved and growing up with the magical scent of pastries, she never spent a day hungry. Truth be told, she could have benefited with less. Though teased by her peers due to her size, she dreamed of creating colorful confectionaries. She was an imaginative and artistic girl who kept to herself but even with these flaws, she could do no wrong in the eyes of her parents.

On other hand, he was born with a silver spoon, heir to one of the nation's humungous conglomerates. His folks loved him with as much zeal as any other parent would and gifted him with almost everything. But he also learned the value of humility and generosity, as well as the duty that was expected of the name he inherited. His life was as comfortable as it could be, but things would not stay the same.

In the middle of a heavy downpour, the young girl was rushing back home. A black umbrella on one hand and a leash on a very excitable golden Labrador Retriever puppy on another, she was looking forward to freshly baked goodies and hot chocolate at home. Though her parents were probably still busy over the new branch they had just opened, she was mature enough to take care of herself and prepare a snack or two. After all, she walked the dog all on her own, though she didn't think it was going to rain soon. It was a good thing that her mother forced her to bring an umbrella, or she would be soaked to the bone, just like that boy over there.

The young girl stopped and so did the puppy, master and pet thinking alike for the rarest of moments. Both looked at the shivering boy huddled under a tree in the nearby park, his head hidden in the depths of his knees. His clothes were drenched from collar to shoe and the young girl trembled for him, knowing how cold the rain could be in this time of the year. Her parents warned her about talking to strangers and so, she reluctantly pulled the puppy's leash back to make the animal move.

"Let's go, Bubbles."

But Bubbles the puppy did not move an inch but let out a small bark. The sound caught the damp boy's attention and her eyes met with his. It was a wonderful shade of bluish black and the girl wondered how a pair of eyes could be so pretty. But there was misery in that gaze of his and she was reminded of how puppies looked when they're about to whimper and cry. She stood there, fixated, wondering why her heart was beating too fast.

Subdued by her thoughts, the girl accidentally let go of the leash and the puppy, sensing freedom, bounded to the boy's side. Surprised, she went after her pet, splashing some puddles noisily on the way. The boy looked up to girl and puppy but did not move an inch. Not even when the puppy let out a pitiful wail and poked his knees with its paws, like it was pitying him and the dreary situation he caught himself in.

"Oh Bubbles," said the girl, shaking her head. "I'm sorry about my dog, she just won't stay still."

The boy nodded but did not offer even the tiniest smile. The girl caught the leash once more, trying to pull the puppy back to the road. But the animal was loathe to move, trying everything it had to stay still.

"Come on, Bubbles. Let's go..."

The puppy fought and whimpered, but ultimately it was no match for the strength of one overweight girl. The girl pulled and heaved and soon the dog relented, following its master to the well-trodden path back home. But its ears drooped down and its tail lost its playful wagging routine, looking as despondent as the boy it left.

The boy looked at the girl and her puppy go and let his head fall on his knees once more. He owned a little kitten at home and he wondered if it was okay without him feeding it. The puppy reminded him of his pet, at how it tried to nuzzle and snuggle up to him when he was feeling down. Feeling down was a common occurrence in his life nowadays...