Once Upon a Time
Onceuponatime,aboyandagirlfellinlove.Fromrivallingfactions,differenthouses,opposingsides.Ataleasoldastime.Hewasfromafamilyofconstellationmappers.Scientists.Whosawtheworldandbrokeitdownintomathematicalprecisionanddetail.Charted,calculated,plotted.Shewasbornamongthestory-tellers,whodrewupfablesandfairytales.Legendstoexplainwhythingswereandhowthingscouldbe.
Thestory-tellersdespisedthescientistsfortearingapartmysterytorevealbarebone.Likeopeningabodytorevealtheinsides.Sacrilege.Thescientistcouldn’tunderstandhowsomecouldgothroughlifesoblindtoitsreality.Ignorance.
Butshelovedhisattentiontodetail.Hisinterestinallthingsbigandsmallintothemostminiscule.Howhecouldunearthandexplaintheworld’smosthiddensecrets.Andhelovedhersweepingvision.Abottomlessknowledgeofthingsbeyondhisken.Howshecouldaccountfortheworldandeverythinginitandthenspinbeautyoutofthemundane.Sotheyplannedtorunawaytogetherandstartanewwayofbeing.
Allgoodthingscannotlastinalandfullofenvy.Theywerecondemnedandtornapart.Nevertoseeeachotheragain.Bothsidesdidtheirbesttomakethemforget.Forgetaboutfeelingwhole.And,time,well,timedoeshealallwounds.Memorieswerebrushedoveruntilhecouldn’treallythinkofaplacewithherandshecouldn’trememberitbeinganyotherway.
Buttrueloveknowsnoboundaries,anditfoundthemintheonlyplaceitcould.Betweenwords.Thathalf-waypointbetweenreasonandimagination.Folktaleswouldreachhisears.Hispeoplewouldsitinacircleandlaughattheabsurdstoriestoldoverthere,ontheotherside.‘Onceuponatime’onemimicked.Andtheboy’sbreathcaughtinhischest.Wordshe’dheardbefore,spokendifferently,softer.Forasecond,apresencewithinreach,afeelingonthetipofhistongue.He’dbeenherebeforewithsomeonehehadonceknown.Thenitwasgone.
‘Onceuponatime’andshewouldfeelashiftintheair,alingeringtouch,aflutterofherheart.‘Onceuponatime’,‘onceuponatime’.Likematchesstruckinthenight.‘Onceuponatime.’Andforabriefsecond,itwasliketouching.Thennothing.Andhewouldshakehishead,andfeelalittlebitemptier.