---

 

“You can do it.” She whispered encouragingly to herself.

 

She had been walking hours in search of the last key.

 

Just one charm left, she thought.

 

One charm and her wish will be finally fulfilled.

 

She was a fool to think it would be that simple.

 

Nothing in this world would ever be that simple.

 

She had travelled hard. For months she had searched high and low for 8 keys mentioned in a legend. It was a legend that told the story that for anyone who completes the 8 key charms, a wish would be granted.

 

Anyone would think that such legends weren’t true.

 

Only a fool such as she would believe it.

 

She knew that the legend may be a false promise but she wanted a chance. She forced her feeble heart to believe that miracles do happen.

 

At that moment, she had 7 charms in her wrist. Each charm decorated a bracelet given by the one person she cherished most in the world.

 

Kris.

 

Feeling those charms touching her skin gave her strength. It was a reminder that all was not lost.

 

She still had time.

 

There was still time.

 

There were still a couple of minutes left.

 

Her feet hurt. The girl was sure that it was blistering. For days, she had walked for hours, resting only when necessary.

 

Her hands were freezing.

 

It had been raining constantly.

 

She would have brought gloves but she had lost them along the way and she barely had enough money to spare.

 

She could make it, she convinced herself.

 

Many times, she repeated those words as seconds ticked by.

 

Each second lost, her hope wavered but she kept on walking.

 

Pain shot through her body as she felt another blister decorating her feet.

 

She couldn’t stop when the last key was almost within her reach. Once she completes the 8, she could be happy again.

 

60 seconds.

 

Her feet moved faster even as she labored for breath.

 

The rain couldn’t stop her from her goal.

 

She couldn’t afford to stop. Not now.

 

40 seconds.

 

She would be able to smile.

 

30 seconds.

 

Kris would return to her side.

 

10 seconds.

 

She deserved a happy ending.

 

Tears mixed with the rain.

 

Her pace slowed down and her strength depleted. She was finally absorbing the truth.

 

There was no legend. The legend was her fabrication. For months, she concocted a story of a miracle and she ate those lies.

 

1 second.

 

All she wanted was to get back what she had mistakenly let go.

 

Her body stopped moving and screamed, clutching her head. Physical pain couldn’t numb the emotional pain.

 

Zero.

 

All was lost.

 

She fell on her knees, crying as the truth hit her like a bullet to the heart.

 

There was no such thing as the legend of the keys. A silly set of keys won’t bring the one thing she wanted most.

 

“He’s not coming back. Whatever I do he’s not coming back!”She screamed her pain out loud to the world.

 

Her hair was matted with dirt but she was too far gone to care.

 

It was too late now.

 

Kris could no longer be hers.

 

She could imagine it now…

 

Kris was smiling in the arms of another. Her bride was smiling back at him on the day of their vows.

 

She, the desperate ex-lover, deluded herself that she could make the impossible possible.

 

“Why won’t you come back?” She sobbed. She hit her chest with her fist repeatedly trying to stop the pain from conquering her heart.

 

There was numbness all over her body but her heart was beating in pain. It had been almost unbearable to breath.

 

She closed her eyes and spoke as if her unrequited love stood in front of her.

 

I loved you too.

 

Maybe more than she, but you wouldn’t see.

 

You wouldn’t look in my direction because all you see is her.

 

Not me.

 

I would forever be a forgotten memory.

 

 

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Short.

Making it long would ruin it... I think.