pinky promise

There once was a girl and a boy.

And they promised to always stay together.

"Pinky promise?" The girl would ask, and the boy would hook his finger around hers, smiling.

Every year, they promised, ending it off with a simple tug around their fingers.

Every year, it was the same.

"Together forever?" The girl would lift her pinky, and the boy would hook his around hers, his lips tugging upwards.

But the girl knew that the day would come where he would go off to the war...

And she would have no one to make promises to.

She pushed this to the back of her head, and buried it in a box, storing it in a dark corner of her mind.

After all, they would always be together, if not in body, then in spirit.

Right?

When the day came, she was unnaturally silent.

As he drew her into his arms, she realised how terrified she was.

Terrified at the thought of losing him, terrified this was the last time she would ever see him.

Terrified this would be their last promise.

"Promise me something." She had said suddenly, lips quivering, "Promise me I'll see you again, promise me we'll always be together."

He lifted his eyes to hers, and for a moment, she was lost in the depths of a deep, deep blue.

"I'll be back" He had said, "I promise that—that we'll always be together." and she lifted her finger to hook around his, but she had noticed the shake in his hands.

Every day, the girl waited, and days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months into years. She was left with the memory of his eyes, reflecting the blue of the skies.

And one day, she decided to go on a journey.

She promised him, didn't she? They would always be together forever, so she would find him, she had to find him!

So she set out on a journey, running on nothing but that cerulean blue so many years ago, and the familiar tug of pinky fingers.

She spent years wandering, until her soles broke, and her skin was ashy with dust, but at last she found him.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting..." She choked out, knees falling to the ground, "But we're together again, and that's what matters, isn't it?"

Reaching out, she brushed her numb fingers across the name engraved in stone, and a single clear droplet fell from her eyes.

"Just like we promised."

Author's note

Sooo this is my first short story here, hope you enjoyed it;)