Set You Free (CANEM)

XII

She was wearing a white dress. She looked so beautiful.

The pure sheets of the silk slipped over her shoulders, peppering her body with soft, sensual kisses. Like a lover, it seduced her senses. Small stems of white Gypsophilia had been ideally placed into an updo and her curls fell against her face which radiated her pure, natural beauty.

She was not a girl anymore and she never would be again.  

He tried his best to see her through the thick fog, absorbing all he could from her in that moment. A moment that felt like it could last a life time but could be snatched away at any minute.

The flowers entwined between her fingers, reinforcing their place in her hands like roots. White roses tied together with brown string. The way she liked it. Simple, elegant.

Like her, they had opened from a small bud at the perfect time. They had never looked more divine than at that moment, when they were ready for their day It was their prime. The flowers stood proudly but almost unaware of their own class.

Her body swiveled so that she could watch how the train glided as she moved. She outwardly beamed at the pure joy she was feeling. He could see pieces of her appearance, every inch was tantalising for him. All he could do was watch this woman, she seemed not of this world. There were hundreds of expressions hidden beneath the surface of her face.

She swayed, immersed in her choice of garment, loving how the lace moved with her.

He couldn't see much but from the pieces of her he received, he was in awe.

Yet, there was still some obstruction to his view, as if the pieces of his vision hadn't been successfully completed..

It was then she turned to him, acknowledging his presence.

Those familiar, wonderful eyes met him once again. Like two little moons that reminded him of a time long passed, the ones that made him feel at home. 

All he could do was stare back. His body paralysed, unable to come to terms with what he was seeing. At his arrival, she greeted him with an broad, glowing smile.

He had never seen anybody so beautiful before in his life. It was the kind of allure that you could only imagine somebody having, the kind that was impossible to see for yourself in such a short lifetime. Her lips were carefully tinted a soft pink and her skin was flawless. He was still rendered speechless. The feeling wasn't just physical. This woman radiated a comfort within her beauty. The kind that would turn even the greatest man back into a young boy who would yearn for her to love him. To care for him. He yearned to be protected in her arms.

And then the woman spoke.

"Can?" Sanem called. 

The noise echoed around his head and his picture became distorted. 

He could no longer see the beautiful face of his wife. 

-

Can awoke without warning, eyes flying open, wide and red. 

He reached out to her, cocooning the empty space that was left for him. His mind traced her imaginary figure, outlining her. He burrowed himself into the warm soft sheets as if he felt the ghost of her presence. 

But he was alone.

He was filled with a lonely feeling of detachment. There was no longer the endless possibilities of her but the empty void of the raw emotions that were left for him.

He longed for what he saw to be real. He could never long for anything more. The need ached in his chest.

Can tried to come to terms with what he'd seen, the marvel of his own imagination. He had never witnessed anything so beautiful in his life. It was beyond words. Held freely captive in his own head, he had dreamt of something he never thought he'd needed to see but now it was the only thing. This was all he cared for.