Love Bracelet

The town's market bustled with people, as the afternoon sun which was showing signs of setting, shone down. People went about their activities, buying things, selling things, coaxing customers, etc.

A young man who had the exquisite look of a woman was walking the market, enticing the attention of the female sellers on the street.

A young skinny girl with white hair followed behind the young man with a dark expression on her face. The young skinny girl was naturally Elsie and the young man was Damien.

"Humph!" She derided with crossed hands, "Whores!"

Damien chuckled within him and an ample smile emerged on his face. He was amused by Elsie's reaction when she's jealous.

Elsie who was already irritated by those women who continued throwing themselves at Damien finally lost it when she saw a female seller pretend to stagger and fall into Damien's arms.

Just what is wrong with these women! Are they blind that they can't see her beside him or is it because he is not holding hands with her?

With a dark expression on her face, she sauntered towards the girl and shoved her off Damien, then with an authoritarian face she flapped her finger in front of the girl, "Stay away from him or else, I will cut you limb to limb and feed you to the birds!"

Then she turned around and strolled to stand beside Damien. Under the girl's watch, she interlocked her arms with Damien's and dragged him along with her. "Let me see anyone who will try and tumble into him again!"

Damien who was held tightly, sealed his lips to restrain himself from laughing. This mate of his is becoming more intriguing every day.

"So...where are we going?" Elsie who was red from anger moments ago smiled as she lifted her eyes to glance at him.

"To buy sky lanterns," Damien answered as he glanced at her.

"Lanterns?" Elsie was a little confused. Buy lanterns... Why? She couldn't resist giving Damien a frown.

"We will go to Hanson river tonight to float our lanterns."

"Why?...is it a sort of tradition stuff?" Elsie frowned as she couldn't comprehend. Did he mean to float lanterns like the one she saw on one of the movies she watched on earth?

"You will find out when we get there?" He withdrew his arms from hers, then clasped her skinny hand and led her into a tower that had the name 'One Wish' written on a huge board.

Elsie who was strolling into the tower with Damien broadened her eyes in amazement. The place looked glamorous and magical.

People were ambling up and down the compartment with red lanterns in their hands.

Damien held her hand and led her upstairs and shoved the first door that came into sight open. What came into view were unique types of lanterns displayed on receptacles.

Elsie's jaw fell when she saw this, the lanterns looked exceptionally lovely.

"Choose anyone you relish," Damien smiled at her and left to select a lantern for himself.

She ambled towards the receptacles brushing each of the lanterns with her fingers. She didn't know which one to select, they were all lovely.

Her fingers resumed to brush past the lanterns and abruptly curbed on one. This lantern had the shape of a marshmallow with some ancient carvings on it.

She traced her finger on the carvings and felt some sort of comfort within her.

With a nod of her head, she selected the lantern from the receptacle and hurried to find Damien. When she arrived back at the spot where he left her, she saw him coming back with the exact lantern she bought in his hands.

She strolled towards him with a smile plastered on her face. "We bought the same lantern!" Happiness washed over her face as she glimpsed at the white lantern on Damien's hands.

Damien chuckled and led her out of the room. They walked downstairs and left the tower.

He decided to walk her around the market before twilight.

Elsie who was waddling beside Damien abruptly sprinted to an accessory store and peered at a bracelet that has a lustrous color with tiny heart-shaped trinkets hanging all over it. Desire gleamed in her eyes as she gaped at the bracelet hanging on the rack.

"Miss, do you want this bracelet?" The seller's voice resounded as a broad smile plastered on his face.

"Yes," Elsie nodded her head furiously as desire glistened in her pitch-black pupils.

"Then you have chosen well, this bracelet is a bracelet of love. If a man gives it to you then he will love you and no other woman forever. Furthermore, if you give it to a man you love the both of you will be together forever," A warm smile formed on the seller's face, "Just 100 gold for the two."

"Is that so...?" Elsie pondered for a moment as disappointment flashed across her beautiful eyes, "I...don't have that much with me."

If she had known she would come across this bracelet, she would have come with more money instead of just 60 gold.

"Oh am sorry miss, but I can't sell less than that. This bracelet is very costly." The seller shooked his head and proceeded to attend to another customer.

However, a man's voice reverberated halting the seller on his step. He turned around to see a young man with the looks of a woman clad in a blue robe.

The seller gaped at the young man who was naturally Damien and could not help but think, "He is beautiful!"

He promptly snapped back to reality and with a broad smile on his face, he proceeded to attend to Damien, "My good sir, do you want this bracelet too."

Damien glanced at the seller with an indifferent face, "Yes."

He amassed the bracelet and turned around to glance at Elsie who was beside him gazing at him with a deep smile on her brims.

He took her hand and latched the bracelet on her wrist, "You can have it."

A surge of happiness danced about in Elsie's heart. Is this a dream? He bought the bracelet for her! Does that mean he will love her? Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she caressed the bracelet on her wrist. "Thank you!"

Damien smiled and clasped her hand to lead her away but she halted her steps and scurried back to the store.

"Sir, can I have the other bracelet?" The smile on her lips, became broader when she saw the seller outstretch his hand to pass the bracelet to her.

"Thank you!" She scurried back to Damien the moment she paid the seller and with a lovely smile on her lips, she took his hand and latched the bracelet on his wrist, "This is for you...Now we have the same bracelet."

With happiness visible on her face, she moved to his side and interlocked her arms with his.

Damien on the other hand was dumbstruck, he didn't expect that at all. He could not help but glance at his wrist and a charming smile crept on his lips. This was the first time, a woman has given him a genuine gift!

....

Night fell and people commenced to walk towards the Hason river with varied types of lanterns in their hands. Both children and adults.

Damien ambled towards the river with Elsie who had her arms interlocked with his. They took their boat and rode on the river. Not just them, everyone sat inside their boats on the river, gazing up at the sky that had thousands of stars twinkling on it.

He watched Elsie who was gazing up to the sky and a smile formed on his lips. He really can't comprehend how this girl makes him smile without doing anything.

He gently clutched her hand to get her attention and smiled at her, "Make a wish and light up your lantern."

Elsie nodded and shut her eyes, making a wish no one knew about. She lit up the lantern and it exuded a yellowish glow. She glimpsed at Damien and confusion could be seen in her beautiful eyes. What was she to do next?

Damien smiled at her and caressed her hair, "This lantern is a wish you send off to those you have lost." His smiling face suddenly changed to a sad one as though he recalled something he shouldn't have.

"Oh... Is that so?" Elsie's face turned painful the moment she heard those words. Her thoughts wandered off to her mother and her eyes raised to the sky.

She could send wishes up there to her. A feeling to cry overwhelmed her but she held back tears because she didn't want to cry in front of Damien. But how would she know that Damien was going through his heavy time too.

He was thinking of Beatrice, it's been a long time since he visited her grave and he was going to send her wishes today.

At the same time, both of them shut their eyes and proceeded to make the wishes they would like to send along with the lanterns.

"Mum, it's your Sisi, I hope you're doing good up there? You don't need to worry, your Sisi is doing just fine. Mother, I want to apologize for turning this way. I know you saw my first kill and I hope you forgive me. I hope to see you in heaven one day!"

"Beatrice, how are you doing? I hope you're doing good up there? I am sorry I didn't visit for such a long time and am also sorry for that day. If you're to come into this world again, I hope for my words to you that day to come true and for us to meet once again."

They took a deep sigh in unison and glimpsed at each other. They could see the pain and sorrow in the eyes of each other.

They pushed their lanterns into mid-air and watched it float up far into the sky with thousands of sky lanterns beside them.

Elsie who watched the lantern float away couldn't hold back tears anymore and two lines of tears streamed down her cheeks.

Beside her, Damien suddenly felt his heart ache and he couldn't help but glance at Elsie only to see her sobbing silently with tears streaming down her face.

He clutched his aching heart as he could feel every emotion Elsie was feeling. Something one would call tears began to fill up in his eyes as he watched the skinny girl who was weeping silently.

Unknowingly he drew her into his embrace and hugged her tightly. This was a hug of comfort. He wanted to chase her pain and grief away.

Elsie who was being hugged was dumbstruck. She didn't expect that from Damien. More tears couldn't help but stream down her face and these tears were mixed with happiness and sadness.

Damien drew back to glance at her face and used his thumb to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. "Do not cry, you're here with me now!" With a smile, he comforted her and drew her back into his embrace.

The dazzling lights emitted from the thousands of lanterns in the sky shone down on them as they tightly hugged each other, comforting each other of their pain.