IMPRINTS OF UNSPOKEN LETERS

TIME PASSES PROBLEM PASSES

Rachel

I crouched down in front of the ginger cat that snuggled into its bed. "Oh my god, Daisy is so cute! Is she the someone important you were coming to meet?" He nodded and smiled......

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"Do you always come to the shelter?"

"I come on weekends all the time, during normal days, I come if I get time." He said. We fed the animals together, made new cat friends and enjoyed a lot until it was 6 pm and I found myself sitting beside him in a bench outside the shelter.

"Can I join you every week? Only if you enjoyed with me." I asked not sure of my intentions myself, I liked this man in general, he was respectful, humorous and everything a man should have. Only if it wasn't a disguise.

He thought for a while. "If I be honest, I enjoy my time alone and that is why I don't bring Charles or Dan with me anytime but with you I exceptionally enjoyed so sure." "Are you sure?"
"Damn sure."

•

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And from there, I met him every weekend, he would come in his bike and take us to the shelter. Always in a baggy shirt and sweatpants, I giggled at the thought and slapped myself. Why am I even thinking about him?

That day, he dropped me off at my house, but we did have a clear conversation on the bike while we were going opposite to the sea, to my house.
"What course do you study?" "Last year designing." He replied, it was the same course as me, it's just I was in the second last year.

I realized I couldn't talk to him at college as seniors had a totally different block, but we kept each other's numbers and had small chat, honestly, I don't think we could even be good friends if it wasn't for Charles and Yoora being siblings and telling us about a whole biography at the park.

Two weeks passed since that day, Charles went back to France a week ago, and I got to know that from Yoora. I had visited the shelter two more times and met new people each time, first was Ms. Rosewood, though she had the same name as the most arrogant lecturer at out college. This Rosewood was a million times better and a sweetheart. She was a travel agent and kept recommending me and Jackson to visit San Diego after he gets his designing degree in a little while.

It was a weekend again, I woke up huffing for breath with my face covered in sweat, I forgot about these. The nightmares, they didn't come in the last week, I didn't feel like somebody was stalking me since the last one week. The nightmares are back.

I drank water and stood up from the bed to head to the washroom, despite the sudden worry that had clouded my mind, I got ready to leave with Jackson.

While I was looking through my closet for clothes, I came across the same shirt I wore that day two weeks ago, 'I haven't worn this for a while' I thought and picked it up.

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Wearing my shoes, I told Mom and Jimmy that I'll be back by evening. "Where do you go every weekend?" He asked me. "I made a new friend who likes going to the shelter, so I visit the place with him every week on Saturdays, on Sundays he goes alone." I did not let him say anything else and left the house when I heard the now familiar honk of his bike.

"Should I drive today?" I asked and continued. "I am confident I know the way now." He smiled and handed the keys, "Sure."

He got on behind me and shamelessly wrapped his arms around my waist causing me to flinch. "What happened? If you can do this when I drive, I can too." I just shook my head and started driving.

I drove faster than him and that was something I realized after we got on the bike and drove, we passed a lane between a jungle that came on our way to the shelter. It was the most peaceful place in this city according to me. "What will do after tomorrow?" I asked. He was getting his degree. "My first motive is to get a job, or my parents will kill me, even though I still earn money through social media.""

I didn't know he earned through social media. "What do you do?" He replied saying he'll show me when we reach.

•

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The weather was sweet and a little cold as September started, and winter was approaching. Our day at the shelter was going like any other time. Jackson was feeding a dog that was sick while I went to play with the kids from a preschool that came to visit to the shelter. I honestly forgot about asking him what he did as I was too invested in offering chocolates to the kids.

He came outside to the shelter and joined my side in watching the kids play. "Do you like kids?"

"I myself don't know but right now, they look cute." He smiled, I smiled. "You wanted to know my job right?" "OH Yeah! I forgot about that, so, what do you do?"

"This."

His hand came forward with a canvas turned around, on seeing a canvas, I knew he was a painter, but I did not expect what would be there when I turned it around and saw the painted side.

It was me, my side profile, in the same pink shirt that I was wearing with a white cargo pant, my cinnamon green bag hanging on my shoulder, and I was laughing while giving a kid a chocolate. My red hair fallen open on my shoulder. It was so beautifully painted that I just stared for a while. There was something written with the same green shade on the top. "Sasa".

"This is...." "Don't say beautiful because you haven't seen the ones that took me hours to make." He cut me off. "Then it is magnificent." He chuckled, suddenly I was so overwhelmed by emotions that I felt a lump in my throat. "Why did you draw me?" I asked, my voice slightly cracking.

"First of all, it's paint, not draw. Second, there was nothing else better to paint." He casually put his hands in his pocket and turned to go back in the shelter, but his hand hit my purse causing it to swing, I realized that the purse was open, and something fell down from it due to the force.

Jackson was faster as he immediately picked up the piece of paper. Piece of paper. He looked at it confused and before he could ask anything, I instinctively pulled it form him and kept it back in the bag.

"What was that?" "Nothing." I muttered; afraid it would be what I thought it was.

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Min Hanna