Living In The Moment | Teen Ink

Living In The Moment

March 14, 2009
By nextkidd30 SILVER, Oregon, Wisconsin
nextkidd30 SILVER, Oregon, Wisconsin
7 articles 0 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts."
-- William Shakespeare


I walked along the small wooden bridge that weaved its way through a thicket of trees. The lamps that bordered the outside lit everything just enough so I could see where I was going. The sun had just gone down and the sky was as clear as ever. I didn't bother to bring a notebook or anything. I didn't feel like writing. All I really wanted to do was relax. The sky was so clear and the stars seemed so big that when I looked out my window after dinner I got tempted into going to the beach for a while.

I walked for a few minutes before the trees around me began to disappear and the wood under my feet gradually turned into sand. The sounds of the ocean began to make itself apparent and before I knew it the trees were gone. Nothing but the open sea was in front of me. The stars filled the sky from horizon to horizon, and a small crescent moon was randomly placed in the middle of it all.

I slipped off my sandals and felt the cool sand on the bottoms of my feet. It was quiet and peaceful, not a soul around. Only the sounds of the crashing waves could be heard and the stars seemed about three times as bright than they were back home.

When I went closer to the water I could smell the dampness in the air. It was refreshing. It wasn't a feeling I was accustomed to. Once in sight of the tide I walked along the shoreline, just taking in the natural beauty of it all. The night seemed so calm.

I continued to walk slowly along the beach, just out of reach of the growing tide, and I periodically looked up into the sky. Everything above me made me feel so small, so insignificant. After a few minutes along the shore I went up the beach a little ways to look for a place to sit down. It was then when I spotted someone sitting in the distance. I could only see what looked like the dark outline of a young woman. I couldn't see anything more, but I had a feeling I knew who it was.

I approached her. There wasn't enough light to see her face clearly, but I could imagine her dark eyes and brown hair when she turned her head towards me. My heart began to beat a little harder.

'I was hoping I'd see you here.' She said as I approached.

'You did?' I responded.

'Yeah, this seemed like too beautiful of an opportunity for you to pass up. So I figured you'd come.' Her voice was really soft, almost a whisper.

I set down my sandals and sat in the sand next to her. I crossed my legs at my ankles and leaned back onto my elbows, just as she was doing. 'If I can't become inspired from a night like this, than I probably don't have any hope.' I said.

'Still searching for that inspiration, huh?'

'Yeah . . . I am. And the only thing I've found that helps is talking to you.'

She took a deep breath and then laid flat on the sand before responding. 'Glad I could help.'

After a minute I did the same. I could feel the grains of sand shifting to contour to my body. 'I'm beginning to wonder whether of not this was what I was meant to do, you know?'

'What?'

'I just'I don't know.' I sighed. 'You ever think about what you were meant to do in your life?'

'Too many times actually.' She began. 'And every time I think about it the answer always seems to change. Right now though, I'm meant to paint. And to sketch. And to draw. I was meant to put earth's beauty onto a canvas.'

'It's easy to say that when you know what your passionate about.' I responded.

'And you're not passionate about your writing?'

'Well, I am. It's just'maybe I wasn't meant to become an author.'

'What else could you be meant for?'

'I don't know. Nothing, I guess.'

She paused for a moment. 'Everyone's meant for something. Even you.'

Silence.

'You don't believe me.' She said.

'Well if what you say is true then what am I meant to do?'

'Above all else'above painting and writing. Above athletics and money. Above anything else in this world is the fact that everyone, including you and I, were meant to love.' She said.

I was surprised by her response. 'Love . . . you use the term so loosely.'

'But I don't.' She said, running her fingers softly over my hand. Her touch was gentle and I let her fingers run though my own. Her grip tightened slightly, as if she were making sure I wouldn't let go. I had no intention of ever letting go.

I turned towards her for a second wanting to see her face. A surge of emotion entered my body, and at the moment I wanted nothing more than to hold her in my arms and to kiss her. I saw a smile come onto her face.

'This would make a nice short story.' She said after a moment, her voice was still almost a whisper.

'What's that?'

'You and I . . . this weekend . . . right now.' She replied.

'I guess'maybe. An even better portrait if you ask me though.' I said.

'It'd be difficult to see the canvas wouldn't it?'

'Yeah.'

'But we could wait.' She responded.

'Until when?'

'Sunrise.' She said, letting go of my hand to reach behind her. She pulled out a blanket and spread it across our lower body. She put her arm around my stomach and then laid her head onto my chest. 'I told you I was hoping you'd come.'

She was so close I could feel her breathing as her chest rhythmically went up and down. My body suddenly felt weightless and my heart began to beat quicker. I wondered if she could hear it.

'Something tells me that tomorrow is going to hurt.' I began after a few minutes, speaking softly.

'Yeah . . . I know.' She said. 'To think that in only a few hours we'll be leaving each other. It's hard to imagine never being able to see you again.' She sighed. 'It's something I don't think we should talk about right now through.' She lifted her head and looked at me. 'Sometimes living in the moment is the best thing to do. I really don't want to think too far ahead. Right now, I've never felt so happy.' She leaned in to plant a soft kiss on my lips. She pulled her head away slowly, paused a second to smile, and then laid her head back down onto my chest where it was before.

Neither of us said anything for the rest of the evening. There was no need. She was right, why think into the future when the present is so fulfilling? There was a part of me that didn't want to sleep. I wished it would never end. Her body against mine made me nice and warm though, and her rhythmic breathing began to make me drowsy. Before I knew it my eyes were beginning to droop. I took one last look up at the stars and then subconsciously closed my eyes, falling asleep.



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This article has 131 comments.


on Nov. 15 2009 at 1:50 pm
nextkidd30 SILVER, Oregon, Wisconsin
7 articles 0 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts."
-- William Shakespeare

Thank you for your kind comments. Thank you EVERYONE for all of your compliments and criticisms. Because of all of you I have taken the time to continue the story. I've submitted it and will post a link when the story is posted online.

Again,

Thank you!

on Nov. 14 2009 at 5:00 pm
JordanNicole SILVER, Spartanburg, South Carolina
7 articles 0 photos 44 comments

Favorite Quote:
\"Love is strange, powerful, and sneaky. You won\'t know it until you find it...and when you have it, never let it go!\" ~JordanNicole

I love this! :) Hope to read more of your work soon. Keep up the good work.

on Nov. 3 2009 at 8:19 pm
maragrace SILVER, Spring Lake, Michigan
5 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
Be what you are. Give what is yours to give. Have style. Dare.
Stanley Kunitz

Hey>> Great Job on this, the dialogue is great, the ending is really strong, and the descriptions are pretty cool too, especially towards the end. Keep Writing.

Lungi101 said...
on Oct. 22 2009 at 7:09 am
Wow!!! that is amazing! youre reali talented and you should write more!!! super duper awesome! im gona share this wit al my friends its reali good! Brilliant.

on Oct. 11 2009 at 7:18 am
HarryPotterFan09 SILVER, China, Maine
8 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
Harry Potter: "This is night, Diddykins. That's what we call it when it goes all dark like this."

To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.-Unknown

Laundry is the only thing that should be sorted by color.-Unknown

This was so cute. You did awesome at the imagery and original dialogues. Amazing! =D

Anj16 GOLD said...
on Oct. 7 2009 at 12:19 pm
Anj16 GOLD, Eagan, Minnesota
19 articles 0 photos 74 comments
I love the dialogues. It comes so naturally.

on Sep. 20 2009 at 7:55 pm
nextkidd30 SILVER, Oregon, Wisconsin
7 articles 0 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts."
-- William Shakespeare

i haven't but i guess i'll take a look if you recommend them.

on Sep. 19 2009 at 3:17 pm
xxxVanessaxxx SILVER, Alexander, Arkansas
9 articles 0 photos 66 comments

Favorite Quote:
"i CaNt Be AwAy fRoM hEr BeLlA, iT hUrTs ToO mUcH." (Jacob from the breaking dawn book)

i love it! it inspires me for my own writing and for my personal life. you are very talented. have you read 'sunrise' or 'first chance' i heard they were good. i've never read anything like your work though =)

on Sep. 14 2009 at 5:49 pm
nextkidd30 SILVER, Oregon, Wisconsin
7 articles 0 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts."
-- William Shakespeare

Nope, it's not a completely true story, but it was based off of a few things that actually happened. I'll leave what's accurate about it a mystery, just cause i can. =D I really appreciate your kind words. They truly made my day and i wanted to send you a message saying thanks.

Jaquie BRONZE said...
on Sep. 13 2009 at 6:13 pm
Jaquie BRONZE, West Palm Beach, Florida
3 articles 0 photos 407 comments

Favorite Quote:
This is certainly one of my favorites: "I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." -2 Samuel 6:22

This is amazing. Is it a true story? (Forgive me for intruding on your personal life but I'm a hopeless romantic and like to believe that things and nights like this really do happen.) Your imagery is incredible; from the trees giving way to the beach, to the feel of the sand. All of it is just as I have experienced before, but I have never found myself capable of putting it into such words. You're gifted, truly. You've left me speechless so that I don't know really know what to say, but after reading this I feel as if I must in some small way thank you for putting this kind of work into the literary world. Surely it would be incomplete without it. Keep writing, and never take all that support you have for granted. I'll look forward to seeing your name tossed around with that of J.K. Rowling and Bronte's.

God bless,

...,

on Sep. 8 2009 at 8:54 pm
chartothalatte GOLD, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
10 articles 1 photo 62 comments
wow! this is really, really good. you have a talent. i'd like to see what happens in the morning. :)

on Aug. 28 2009 at 6:35 pm
MM4ever PLATINUM, Owosso, Michigan
23 articles 1 photo 45 comments
i love this story, you're a great writer

k said...
on Aug. 26 2009 at 5:59 pm
Jason, i never even knew you were interested in writing... i only wonder how you could have kept such an amazing talet so quiet! keep writing.



k

on Aug. 23 2009 at 5:52 pm
for a second, I almost thought that what you were writing was actually real. live and write for the moment. that's what i do. maybe you should think of song writing. i think you could sell some nice lyrics or poetry even; your writing is very descriptive and it gives beautiful imagery. maybe i'll see your first published novel in chapters indigo. maybe you could even turn this story into a video. know what i mean? it'll be beautiful!

on Aug. 12 2009 at 1:55 pm
liltrinhle SILVER, Raleigh, North Carolina
8 articles 6 photos 37 comments
Very well written. I really like how you have lots of imagery, I can clearly see what's going on. I also like how you avoid using names.

Stina C. said...
on Aug. 7 2009 at 8:47 am
Wonderful, you have a gift! Though it was not perfect you definately have a talent for drawing the reader into the story, I just want to read more! :D

Chklvr00 said...
on Aug. 7 2009 at 7:35 am
You are an amazing writer! you get your reading audience to feel what your feeling! you are truly gifted and i hope you become an author...i would definitely buy your book

aivilo SILVER said...
on Aug. 6 2009 at 5:37 pm
aivilo SILVER, Circleville, Ohio
9 articles 0 photos 22 comments
wow.

awesome!

keep writing, forever please :)

Schubster said...
on Aug. 6 2009 at 3:39 pm
beautiful story. keep writing :)

on Jul. 20 2009 at 12:41 pm
Leena7395 SILVER, Spring Grove, Illinois
8 articles 0 photos 80 comments

Favorite Quote:
Be who you are because those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter.

Great job! You have an amazing talent so keep writing!