Chapter Twenty Three: Joseph and Meria

"It's the best thing we can do to him." Mellisa said to the three witches."

Cora looked at the form before them laying in bed. "If we do that, he'll not remember what happened." she said, "Are you sure you want to take his memories?"

"Can we at least turn it to a dream?"

the other two witches nodded in agreement, "He loved her." Yula said looking at the unconscious man. "Isn't that cruel to take someone he love, or at least a memory of that love?"

Mellisa nodded

"The moment he'll wake up, all the memories he shared with us will turn to a dream. Including those who she shared memories with." Lides explained.

Cora turned to him, "I'm sorry, Joseph... but we're only doing this for both worlds."

***

OCEANA

4 majestic bodies floats before Poseidon, the Gods: Zues, the God of the Sky, Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, and Tyche, Goddess of good luck and fortune.

"We have seen everything." said the Goddess of Wisdom somewhat melodically, Athena and there appeared the good witch. The one Meria was seeking to save Oceana.

"You are in favor of the Gods because of your good intention and the goodness of your people." The Good Witch said. "I am always there. With her." she said pertaining to Meria, I have seen how willing she is to save the ocean. I saw how she fought to live and fulfill what she wants to achieve. The strong will she got from the Gods, the heart that made her brave, and the people who supports her are what the book had said. It has been with her all along. She carries with her the cure and she already saved the Oceana without knowing it."

That night the whole Oceana celebrated for the God's mercy and to their Princess's success on saving the sea. Meria on the other hand is not yet awake, and they are not sure if she will be awake soon.

"You, did it." Agnes whispered to the Princess she had been close with ever since, her eye glint with the tears held back. "You did it, Meria. You saved Oceana."

***

A year later

"Joseph!" Josephine yelled her son's name through the door. "hurry up! We're running late."

Joseph grumbled irritably, "I don't want to attend that wedding in the first place, mom."

"How can you say that? It's your uncle Chad's wedding."

"His third wedding" he pointed out while fixing his tie before sighing

"What's so wrong with that?"

He doesn't want to argue with his mother so he didn't replied. The fact is, he and his uncle Chad (his father's brother) isn't that close. He can't even remember when was the last time they saw each other, and now he's getting married for the third time and his mother had forced him to go.

Josephine stayed and pulled his tie to look better. "It's not your Uncle Chad's fault that he was married before Rebecca..." she said mentioning Chad's wife-to-be. "They love each other...So weather it's his third, forth, or the tenth wedding as long as it's true, if it makes him happy, I am not in the position to be be sad and object. After they announce the wedding, Rebecca was mocked because she was from a religious family and she's marrying a divorced man with two families. It wasn't easy but they stayed strong and that love they have get them through."

"How long have they been together?"

"Does that matter?" Josephine asked, he shrugged his shoulders.

"You look so handsome like your father." Josephine said to him, "Have you been sleeping well?"

He smiled at her, "Yes." he lied but Josephine knows he's not.

After the night of the launching of the new cruise ship, Napoleon. For some reason Joseph went missing after he was talking to her mother. The crew he was with said that he jumped into the water and never came back to the surface. Lifeguards and divers looked for him that night and it became the news of the country. Josephine almost break down when hours passed and they didn't found him.

She couldn't understand how it happened.

The morning after Joseph's body was recovered in the shore of the nearby island, unconscious. Everyone was shaken by the news and was relieved that he wasn't dead. It was such a tragedy, but Joseph can't remember any of it. After a week of unconsciousness, he finally woke up without any idea of what happened.

The only thing in his mind is the dreams he starts having every night. It was weird, a series of events that involves the same set of people. It almost felt real.

There was a beautiful girl with silver hair and blue eyes.

It was a beautiful dream and he'll wake up with a racing heart. As if he was really there. The ocean, the feeling, the girl. Everyone and everything in his dreams felt real but he knows it's only a dream. He might get those from the side effects of the medicines he's taking. Sometimes, he wish that it was real. The scary thing about it was he doesn't want to wake up.

Then it hit him, he is in love with the girl in his dreams.

They had a bittersweet story and even if he's waiting in his dreams, there's an incurable ache in his chest knowing that he can't do so because...

She isn't real.

***

Well, I won't give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I'm giving you all my love

I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space

To do some navigating

I'll be here patiently waiting

To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn

Some even fall to the earth

We've got a lot to learn

God knows we're worth it

No, I won't give up

Joseph stared at the two people dancing at the center of the place, both face plastered with smiles and sparkling eyes. He can see the love in their eyes and how enviously people around them look. He had been to the past weddings of his Uncle Chad, but this is the only time he stayed for the reception. He can see the happiness they shared while dancing to the song as if they have their own world.

The reception is held at the Napoleon. The same cruise ship that he fell from a year ago, although it's been a year the dreams still hunts him. beautiful nightmares.

It's the second song and the people started joining them. He stood up with a glass of champagne and went to the end part of the ship. It's his favorite spot where anyone can barely see him while he can see everything.

He sipped his glass of champagne and lean to the railings of the ship. When the doctor asked him how did he fell, he can't answer him because he doesn't know either.

Suddenly a blinding light was shot to his direction that made him squint. He put a hand over his eyes and look at the direction the light is coming from. He can see a figure behind what it seems to be a flashlight, but he can't see who is it.

As if something that happened before is happening again. Deja vu. He pressed his eyes shut when his head ache. Did it happened before? he wondered.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked in a harsh tone

He didn't get a response but the light wasn't directed to him anymore. He can tell that it's a girl by the way her hair was blown by the wind. She's on the uppermost deck where only one can fit. What is she doing there?

He was about to take a step towards her but his mother called him, "Joseph!" he look back at the direction opposite of the girl "What are you doing there? Come, your uncle Chad wants you to meet his wife."

He nodded. "Okay" he answered and look back to the direction where the girl is only to find an empty space. He sighed. He had been seeing things for the past few days but he couldn't point out where he had seen them.

He was introduced to Rebecca, his Uncle Chad's new wife. After a few interaction with the guests, he decided to go to the bar station and grab a drink.

When he turn his eyes back to the dance floor, he saw Rebecca took the mic, "It's such an honour for me that she made it to my wedding. Let's all welcome, Ms. Meria Sheldon."

Then the room dimmed and a spotlight was put to the person behind the grand piano. He can't see her face clearly because she kept her head low, but he can see how her hair reflected the lights.

Silver hair that made him stop sipping his drink. His heart beats faster when she raised her head. Her eyes fixed on his.Those eyes that mirror the color of the Ocean.

~~But watching you stand alone

All of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehow

One step closer ~~

As if the world spinning when their eyes met. Her eyes were sad. Suddenly, series of events came flooding his mind.

"You're cheating!" Meria shouted when she saw Joseph sneaking a card under the table.

"What? No!" he denied with a goofy smile

After discussing random things, they came to the idea of playing cards and now they're arguing on the third round. Joseph laughed.

"Yes you are!" she argued and stand up from her seat. "Let me see your cards!" she demanded but Joseph was fast enough to run before she get to him. Meria run after him trying to get the cards from him.

"I told you, I didn't cheat." he said waving the cards in the air where she can't reach.

"I saw you did. Don't deny it. Now your lying." she said as she jump up to reach the cards that she did but when her feet landed back down, another torbulence occured that made her loose her balance and fall to Joseph. He fell straight to the couch behind him.

She's on top of him and their faces an inch apart. A wave of awareness washes Joseph as how her body is pressed against his. When she was about to pull herself up, another turbulence happened. A bit stronger this time which made her shriek in surprise and clutch to him, burying her face on his neck.

Joseph pressed his temples by it's sudden throbbing. Everything that he had dreamed for the past year over and over again, this time familiarity washes over him. Those faces he see every night, memories that what it seems to be real flashes before his eyes. his breathing was rugged, he started shaking.

His head hung low, and his eyes started to burn without knowing why. His hand clutched his chest, feeling the cold sweat at the back of his neck.

That voice...

~~And all along I believed, I would find you

Time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more ~~

He knew that voice...

He loved that voice...

Then he realized who she is the moment her face fill his mind. She's her, the girl from his dreams.

She's real.

She's here.

His breath once again hitched when he raised his head and their eyes once again met. The same eyes that captured him. The same majestic hair. The same angelic face. It's her.

"Meria..."

He didn't know he was walking towards her direction seeing her face clearer. Tears running down her face as she sang.

~~one step closer~~

Her hands pressed the last piano key as Joseph stop beside her. She wiped her tears and turn to him. A sad smile plastered on her lips. "Hi." she said as cheerful as she can be and sighed, not wanting her voice to crack now that the song is over. She look around the room and saw several people crying followed by applause.

As if she read Joseph's mind, she look at him and saw the tears on his cheek. Her hands automatically reach for him, wiping the tears he didn't know was there.

Warm hands caressed Joseph's cheeks and it was the most comforting feeling. The familiarity of her skin, her warmth, her scent, everything she is before his eyes is everything that fills the emptiness of his heart.

His eyes landed on the shining thing placed on her chest.

"You may not remember me, but I do. You may not feel the same way, but that doesn't change my feelings for you." she said with longing, "We may have different worlds, but I don't care."

"W-Who are y-you?"

"I am Meria..." she introduced and smiled knowing that he can't remember her. "...and this time... I'll wait."

[end]