A definition of happiness...

I open the door and gaze at the world. Sunrise is in its middle stages…its half-light, half-dark…the world is blue.

Early morning, and people haven’t left their warm beds yet. All is quiet...except for the sound of the rain.

As I stand there, I close my eyes and listen to the sound of water drops as they gently hit the ground. That beautiful musical sound that no instrument can produce. I inhale deeply…the smell of the rain…a scent that no perfume can compare to.

Slowly, one by one, every muscle in my body starts to unwind…every nerve starts to relax…every worry is diminished…every pain is numbed…thoughts are pushed to the back of my mind…I am being hypnotized.

I open my eyes and look down…I smile.

A little tabby cat is standing at my feet. Its emerald green eyes gazing into mine. I see its small body shivering as it tries to keep out of the rain. It doesn’t make a sound…just sits there near my feet...pleading with its mesmerizing eyes.

I bend down and pick it up. It snuggles against my neck and chest as I hold it close to me. Its shivering little body seeking the warmth of mine. I stroke its head gently and whisper into its ear. I stand there for a while…holding the cat…stroking it…and listening to the rain.

After a while, I put the cat back down on the ground and I step outside. The first few cold rain drops are a shock to my senses. I gasp…and step out further.

The rain hits my head…trickling softly into my hair…a gentle massage…

More rain hits the bare skin on my face, neck, and arms sending shock waves to every nerve in my body. Soon, I am soaked. I close my eyes once again and lift my face up to the sky. The feeling of the rain against my closed eye lids, my cheeks, my lips…is pure delight.

The sound of gentle laughter escapes from between my lips.

This is bliss…I am in heaven.

Reality hits me and I open my eyes. I am drenched with water. My body is shaking from head to toe. I am freezing cold! I try to control the shivering, but my body mechanism is stronger than my will. I have no choice…I rush back inside.

I dry myself and change my clothes…but I am still very cold. I go downstairs seeking the warmth of the fire-place. I find HIM there…

He is sat close to the fire…facing the window…a tender, amused smile on his face. I realize that he witnessed my moments of madness and heat rushes to my face…I blush!

He lifts his arm up and holds out his hand to me. I walk slowly towards him and I shyly place my hand in his. His fingers close around mine as he pulls me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around my body protectively.

I forget the meaning of the word ‘cold’…

At that moment, I feel a delicate stroke against my feet. I glance down to see the small tabby cat…I smile. We sit there in silence…and listen to the sound of the rain…

This is the definition of happiness for me.

Enemy

They both froze. Each of them pointing a gun at the others heart. Both were breathing heavily after the fight that they just had. They were both strong and very powerful. But even with all her strength, he was more advanced. Eyes locked on each others, neither of them made a move to finish it. They studied each other. Both composed, unafraid. Then to her astonishment, he smiled. A slow, sad smile that appeared faintly on his lips. He lowered his gun.

“Ladies first” he spoke softly.

She gazed at him for a very long time.

“Don’t…don’t you dare…” she said as her eyes started to fill with tears.

“You coward! Don’t back off now!” she shouted at him but he didn’t respond. He continued watching her. She was beautiful. Tears flooded her eyes and slowly fell down her cheeks. Without thinking of the consequences or the meaning of what he was doing, he moved closer to her and pulled her into his arms. For a moment, she stood there rigidly in his arms and then with a quiet sob, he felt her body sag. The gun dropped from her hand and she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. She let him hold her and she cried. Silent tears full of anguish, misery, and grief. It was a long time before she stopped and even a longer time before either of them spoke.

“Why didn’t you do it?” he asked her gently.

“Why didn’t you?” she replied evenly.

“I didn’t because I like you. It sounds ridiculous but there is something about you. Maybe it’s the fact that when I’m fighting you, it feels like I’m against an equal. I haven’t felt that in a very long time.” he said.

“I’m not your equal” she replied softly, “you are much stronger than me”

There was a small pause before he said.

“No. maybe I am in some aspects but don’t forget, I have had a lot of years to develop these skills and powers, where as you, you have only had a few years but you are still much more powerful than the majority of them.”

Another small pause where there was no sound except for their breathing.

“You know, this doesn’t change anything. I still hate you” she said.

“So what are you doing in my arms” he asked with amusement.

As soon as these words left his lips, she pulled away. She bent down and picked up the gun. Holding it in both hands, she studied it with thought.

“Why do we hate each other so much?” she asked with sadness in her voice.

He didn’t answer. She looked up at him taking in his every feature. He was very handsome. He was looking into her eyes as if searching for something.

“I love you” he said simply.

“I know” she answered gently. Then, with out hesitation, she lifted the gun and shot him three times in the chest.

“I love you too” she whispered.

At first, nothing happened. He didn’t move, didn’t utter a sound. Still looking at her, he lifted his hand to his chest. A confused expression came into his eyes as he saw that it came away covered in blood. The confusion quickly turned into surprise, and then the surprise to understanding. He fell to his knees, blood pouring out of his chest wounds. He fell gracefully. He fell in a manner in which a fighter would fall…with a great amount of dignity. He was smiling.

She watched it happening as if in slow motion. She wanted to run to him and take him into her arms. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry. She wanted to get him help. But she didn’t do any of those things. She stood still and watched as the life slowly drained out of him. His breathing had become shallow and rapid, and even from where she stood, she could see that his pupils had dilated. Except for his breathing, he seemed calm, under control, and he was still smiling up at her. The smile clutched at her heart and she had to bite her lip hard to avoid losing her composure. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something. He seemed to be struggling to get the words out. She waited but nothing was said. The smile vanished, the spark in his eyes started to disappear, and she knew that he was nearly gone. Suddenly he sighed…a deep sigh that seemed to come from within, and then he was still. She knew that his sigh would always haunt her. The silence that followed was deafening. She closed her eyes as another tear fell down her cheek. Putting the gun away, she slowly made her way towards his body. She gazed down at him for a very long time. Then, she turned around and walked away.