Forgotten, rejected, and neglected—oh, if only they would see me. If only they knew, that more than a masked vigilante in the night and a magical tooth fairy, I was human, too. But perhaps, it was better to remain unseen. After all, some heroes… were never heroes to begin with.
Who was I to hold any true value? I had fallen from grace—I was a corrupted being. Even if I carried a flaming torch in the dark, bravely slayed a hundred dragons, and demanded a murderous storm to cease, it would mean nothing. I was the cold darkness itself, the mad beast in the cave, and the unforgiving rage in the seas—would it be hypocritical to try? Did I deserve a second chance—was I even worthy of a dream? At the break of dawn, could I wish for more or should I live in the lifeless shadows forever? But in those moments of unending questions, there she was… relentless.
I could see it in her eyes—we shared the same dismal thoughts, the same unceasing doubts, and the same burning questions. She wondered if I saw her, accepted her, and remembered her. Yet, she never once asked if I did. She simply donned her cape, day and night, for me. She held the blinding light at the end of my tunnel, she lured the blood-thirsty monsters away, and she braced the howling wind as she steered us through the wild waves. She was the true hero while I questioned my worth. She stood by me while I chose to be a saviour… to the others around me.
If only I saw it sooner.
She was my rock while I strived to be someone else’s. And in the midst of every rejection, I had rejected her, too. But not anymore—I have chosen to see the one beside me. I choose to spark the flames, battle the ravenous creatures together, and sail through the thundering nights as a team. For only then, we would both see the hope in the sunrise—together, we will learn that even as fallen and broken souls, we can rise from the ashes and soar once more. But… was I too late?
Did I stray too far off? Did I leave only my dusty tracks—a path she could choose not to follow? Or, was there still hope? Perhaps, I should turn back—if she didn’t come to me, I would go to her. And this time, even if she looked past me, I would stay… relentlessly.
Even if she rejected, neglected, and forgot who I was, I would be her unsung hero. She didn’t need to know. She only had to live. After all, I wouldn’t have travelled such a distance alone—I would have given up, gone off route, and wandered in the unknown. So for once in my life, I choose to go unnoticed… for the sake of the one who first saw me.
This story was inspired by the original composition, Vibrations by Thomas J. Curran.
Music Meets Story © 2020 by Jeyna Grace. All rights reserved.
(Click HERE for a list of stories in this writing challenge.)
Jeyna Grace 