Sarah woke herself in a small wooden drawing room. She was sick of opening her eyes to alien places and searching for the only constant—Nathan.

She got to her feet and simply walked out of the front door. She was still wearing Emily's dress that she had been good enough to loan and Nathan's over-sized trench coat.

A series of thoughts stormed into her mind at the pop of Emily's name.

Oh no!

Wait.

Emily.

What was with her?

Did I just forget what happened yesterday?

Did I just meet Ava for the first time?

Where is Ava now?

Where is Nathan?

Where am I?

Who am I?

Okay, I'm Sarah and I know that.

Sarah had forgotten what actually happened last night—it was all a blur like paraselene moon. She had been so intoxicated with pain and a certain draining momentum that she felt this was a hangover.

All she could remember was the usage of not-so-colloquial words and phrases.

She stepped out of house looked around. They were staying literally on a precipice. As she stared down into the chasm, she could see fresh and green pastures growing and dancing on the tunes of the winds that blew. Rivers making their way through the pastures were shimmering as the subtle sunlight touched its surface. She seemed to like this sun—she missed it. It felt relaxing and cheerful. Sounds of cows and goats rung into Sarah's ears but these sounds weren't resonating from a place so far, on the contrary, Sarah realised it was all coming from a ranch which was on the west of the house. And, of course, the blessings of these animals were the best scent of the world. This aggravated her to make a face.

Her eyes crawled up to view the small wooden duplex. She surmised that if a strong wind blew, it would take the house away with it. She saw the upper window of the tiny duplex where she saw Nathan sitting on the corner of something Sarah surmised to be a bed. Another figure came in and sat opposite to Nathan.

It wasn't Ava. It was a 'he'.

The stranger 'he' had a slim and long face. He was wearing a plain black shirt which looked semi-formal. Sarah could only get an obscure glimpse of him through the dusty window.

She went back inside the house. To the east of the foyer was the hall where she had woken up, while a smooth and half-polished staircase on the west led to the first floor.

She didn't mean to eavesdrop, nor did she not aspire of the revelation of the identity of the stranger.

Needless to say, Sarah's discreet tiptoes were remarkably audible to Nathan who was still looking at the figure lying on the bed. His eyes were stuck at the body that lied motionless in front of him. Just the face itself of the figure reflected such emotions of something so enigmatic—perhaps a feeling you get on a long drive with cool breeze greeting your face as it offered your hair a gentle swing. Rock music echoing on the radio whose lyrics you don't understand, while your car revving rectilinearly on a deserted road. Maybe it was another imaginary expressway to the non-existing Paradise.

Nathan had long ago named this feeling 'Archaic Exuberance'—'Archaic' because it was an old feeling that, if not cyclical, revealed itself at least once in every generation regardless of whether it was eighteen twenty-nine or ninety thirty-two. 'Exuberance', because in that moment, there was an aura or presence of reality and of existence that was simplistic. Like white phosphor, dazzled the truth; like glitters, shimmered the truth that made life visible but not aching.

That was what Ava made Nathan feel like.

Her existence taught him a meaning of the word 'selflessness' that no dictionary ever could. She obliviate his core. It was a ceaseless earthquake that developed only to give birth to his new visionary.

When Sarah reached the first and top floor, she saw a tiny window posing opposite to a room with closed door. As soon as she thought of knocking the door, it opened only enough to let the stranger boy with dark brown eyes peep at her. He had sharp curves with an incredible curve of eyebrow. Seeing him was like a desirable apparition—he looked so uncanny but in a way that could mesmerise one. He had a too fair complexity with thin lips like Nathan. He was more skinny than Nathan but of the same height. He didn't look American at all, instead had a flair of British. But there was a tint of some other country as well.

Sarah thought she was looking (more like gazing) at him more than she should but the silence between them was compelling her to flip through his physical features.

He softly cleared his throat and Sarah ducked her face slightly. Although words of sorry never escaped her mouth and she once again went staring at him. 

***

Thank you so much for reading till here. It really means a lot to me.

Question: Have you ever felt what Nathan calls "Archaic Exuberance"? And also, any guesses of who this stranger it? Come on, it's an easy one. P.S. You know who it is.

Have a day when you feel Archaic Exuberance!

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Please DO NOT promote plagiarism AT ALL. It is a punishable offence. If you do, serious action may be taken against you.

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