3) One Wish

"Please let me wake up in the sun!" I begged out loud to nobody in particular. I felt a warm breeze and heard waves crashing nearby. I felt sand under hands and smelled the salty air. I knew where I was. Midnight Bay.

I smiled at the memories of meeting Mani here on this very beach 5 years ago. Hope filled my heart as I opened my eyes and saw darkness.. Endless darkness. At least I knew where I was. I hoped Mani was here as well, but how would I find him in the dark? The first time we met was magical, at least for me anyway..

I had been walking the beach after helping a lost mermaid find her way back to Midnight Bay. I was going to walk through the usual places lost souls ended up landing. It's an unexplained phenomenon on this planet for lost souls to randomly wake up here and stay until their soul is let to the place where they will begin their journey of finding themselves and their purpose and eventually they go home or move on.

I had walked about halfway across the beach when I kicked something or rather someone.. It was Mani and he was unconscious face down in the sand. I rolled him to his back and took a brief moment to admire his beauty before I performed CPR. He awoke and looked around confused. He didn't have much memory, which was very unusual. Most lost souls remember every moment and are usually awake and wondering around trying to figure out where they are. Mani, however was not a usual lost soul. He was a traveler without a home. His pale skin and Jet Black hair led me to believe he was possibly a vampire or warewolf, but his beauty and elegance led me to believe he was royalty or maybe even a God..

He opened his eyes and looked at me as if I were an angel sent by the Gods. We were fast friends. His wonderful personality and charm made me feel special and wanted. He never turned his gaze from me in disgust, like every one else even my parents had..But also never looked at me like he was attracted to me either.. I fell hard for him but tried my best to conceal my feelings, knowing he'd never fall in love with a hideous beast like me.

"Your eyes.." He had once pointed out dreamily, "Your eyes are so deep and emotional like waves crashing in a storm. I could get lost in those seas if I'm not careful." Those words would make my heart flutter for him forever leaving me in misery knowing I would never be worthy of such a beautiful man.. We wondered the planet looking for his purpose, for his path, so he could go home. We didn't find it. 5 years we spent every single day together, looking for who he was and who he was meant to be.

Then 2 weeks ago, the sun just disappeared and darkness fell over our whole planet. The moon didn't shine without the sun to illuminate it and night became everlasting. Flashlights didn't work. It was darker than dark. On day 3 we began learning to use some sonar equipment, hoping it could help us travel in the pitch black darkness. Do you know how hard it is to learn to use this device with no instructions as it's too dark to read them? Well let me tell you, it's not just hard, It's IMPOSSIBLE! But every time I'd start to lose hope, Mani would hug me and reassure me that we'd get there.

He asked me to allow him to take me with him when we found a way to get him home, but I'd decline. Sadly I don't think he could love me and be with me and I never wanted to see him with anyone else so going with him would kill me more than letting him go.

When we entered the beam and he disappeared, my heart shattered. Now waking here still in darkness and without him, I was crushed. I wanted to roll over in the sand and die. As I lay there feeling sorry for myself I felt a presence and became uncomfortable.

I darted my eyes hoping for a shred of light to help me see who was near. I heard footsteps in the sand approaching me and held my breath terrified of who or what was here with me, when suddenly I felt a hand on my cheek and glowing silver eyes met mine.

My breath escaped in a quiet sigh as we stared at each other. I had no clue who this was but those eyes were mesmerizing. All I could think of was Mani's face and his beautiful bright silver eyes. But these were not his eyes, who was this?

"Hello" was all I could say.

"Hello my beautiful friend" a man spoke in a familiar voice.

He kept his hand on my face as tears welled up in my eyes. I heard the words but they made no sense.. Beautiful? Nobody has ever called me beautiful..

"You must be mistaken, I am not beautiful. Even ugly is too nice to describe my horrible looks" I said starting to cry.

He rubbed his thumb across my cheek wiping my tears and said in the sweetest voice " Please don't cry my love for you are the most beautiful soul I have ever met. Do you remember me? "

" Mani?" I hoped.

"Yes! Claire please open your eyes and look at me."

I hadn't realized my eyes were closed as I was staring into his. I blinked and suddenly we were surrounded by light. My eyes met Mani's again and he leaned in to kiss me. Suprised at this I jumped up looking around wondering what the hell was going on. I looked at him and screamed because he didn't look like Mani except for his eyes. He was hideous! " What happened to you? You're as ugly as I am!"

Mani giggled and showed me my reflection. I looked at myself and fainted. When I awoke, I was laying on a beautiful and comfy bed. Mani was laying next to me softly running his fingers over my cheek and across my lips. I turned to him and asked " Who was that beautiful woman you showed me in the magic looking glass?"

"That is just a mirror and the beauty you saw in it is you." He said still touching me. I looked at him realizing he looked like I should! "Mani, what have you done? How did you trade your beauty for my ugliness? And why??"

" You have the most beautiful soul in all the universe and I had the ugliest. Claire, you helped me discover who I truly was and when we entered the light, I was given one Wish. I wished that we could both look on the outside as beautiful or ugly as our souls. I woke up like this because I deserved it and you.." His voice trailed off as he admired my beauty still caressing my cheek and lips.

"Change is back Mani! This instant. You don't deserve this! I was cursed, not you and I was deserving of my curse for I was shallow and selfish and undeserving of my own beauty.." I started to sob remembering the day the curse was placed on me. It was the day I became a soul searcher and also the day I became ugly. I was told that the curse would only be lifted when a God feel in love with me. I felt that I'd be that way forever because let's face it Gods don't just hang out with soul searchers trying to fall in love..

"Mani, I love you." I said it before I realized what I said but he responded before I could take it back

"I love you Claire! I have for a long time! I never saw you as ugly, even though you called yourself that all the time. I only see beauty when I look at you. I hid my feelings because once my memories came back, I realized I am not good enough for you. But I selfishly wanted to keep you close so I decided to be your friend and never criss the line because I don't want to lose you ever."

His words melted my heart and touched my soul. Then it hit me!

"Mani! I just figured it out!! You ARE a God!"

He laughed and leaned over me, his face so close our noses were touching. " Claire, do you love me even looking like this? I am afraid will look this way forever now, but if you'll have me, I would do anything." He said it while a single tear dripped from his face onto mine. My heart ached. I do love him. I always have. We spent allot of time in the dark so looks were nothing to me. I only saw his beauty. I didn't even think twice before I leaned my face up, wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. It was my first kiss and I prayed he'd kiss me back accepting me as his love.

He leaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around me and pulling our bodies tighter together. My heart was pounding out of my chest and my breath hitched in my throat. I never wanted it to end! I craved this moment for 5 long years! Since the moment our eyes first met, I was deeply in love with Mani and I think he knew it.

As if reading my mind, Mani backed his face up, ending our passionate kiss only to take a breath, look me in the eyes and tell me he had also waited since the moment our eyes first met, for this moment. Then he leaned back in and began kissing me again. Our bodies melted into each other. I never want it to end. I must be dreaming!

Suddenly everything became so bright around us, as if the sun itself was rising in-between us, separating us. It was so intense I shut my eyes as hard as I could. I no longer felt Mani's touch and forced my eyes open looking for him. I spotted him. He was the source of the light! Light was beaming out of his eyes, nose, mouth, ears, from his finger tips and toes! Then suddenly his body dropped the floor and everything went dark again.