Eleanor
Wiggins and Sam Fowler sat there admiring the glorious harbor
vista in front of them, just like they had done every Tuesday
afternoon between the hours of three and four for the last nine
years. That was, you need to understand, the only time they got
to spend with each other, and they preferred to share it right
there at the very spot upon which they fatefully met all those
years previously… It had been an innocent encounter; neither
of them were looking for a romantic encounter, some might call
it serendipity, others merely a fluke, and others still might
dismiss it as foolishness. Sam had been sitting on the bench engaged
completely in Edgar Allen Poe's Telltale Heart, and as
Poe was Eleanor's favorite author, she felt compelled to talk
to him. As soon as they had gazed into each other's eyes, they
both realized what happened—that it was love at first sight.
"I
wish we could board one of those boats and sail off together to
live happily ever after… Just the two of us," Sam whispered
into Eleanor's eager ear.
Eleanor
sighed, a deep longing heavy sigh.
"We
have gone over this a hundred times, darling," she replied.
"We can never be together all the time. You could never possibly
leave your wife, Margaret, and I have not the strength to leave
my husband Desmond. The resulting scandal and financial hardship
would be more than we could ever cope with. This is an old fashioned
town, and with even more old fashioned values… It would simply
destroy your career."
It
was then it happened: a sudden gust of wind. They both saw it
at once, a black witch's hat floating in the air.
"What
a peculiar thing, Sam," Eleanor said, almost mesmerized by
the peculiar object as it landed directly at their feet.
Almost
without thinking, Sam reached over and picked it up.
"We
could use a bit of old fashioned magic, Elly," Sam whispered
as he winked flirtatiously at the woman he so passionately loved.
"Perhaps this is some sort of a sign, maybe even divine intervention.
Let us face it, we are after all both complete cowards, afraid
to follow our hearts for the sake of hurting others and the silly
financial risk involved, afraid to do what we both so urgently
yearn for… Damn it Elly! We love each other, yet the only
happiness we have in our dull, miserable, pointless lives is this
one, all too fleeting time together each week."
Sam
smirked and then placed the peculiar black hat upon his head,
and instantly felt empowered. Eleanor couldn't help but giggle
at how foolish it made him appear.
"Kiss
me, my darling Elly," Sam ordered, "and allow that magical
kiss to cement our love, and let us be together for always, damn
the consequences."
With
that, they cocked their heads in an accustomed, well rehearsed
manner that only lovers who know each other with such familiarity
do, and their lips met...
* * *
Over
the following days none of the amazed townsfolk could explain
where the remarkable, lifelike statue of the two people embraced
in a kiss came from, yet all that saw it could not deny how happy
and evidently in love the two figures seemed and how strangely
wonderful seeing the remarkable statue made them feel…
The end.
