Word count- 748

--------------------------

Once, I was nothing. Literally nothing. I still existed, but as something nobody bothered to care for or look at. My memories were blank; they were dark and empty.

You were the one who filled that space with happy memories.

At our first encounter, we were at an old children's park. The playing equipment were all old and rusty, yet people still came and went. I had suddenly popped in front of you like I'd been there all along. And you had been crying.

They weren't pretty noises, your wails. I never understood why you had been crying, nor will I ever. But seeing your little round face crumpled up, your pretty blue eyes crinkling as you sobbed, made me want to cry as well. So I had wiped your tears away. You had immediately stopped crying and stared, as if surprised by the fact that anyone was there to comfort you.

I don't know if you still remember. But I do.

For some reason, I couldn't leave the park. Whenever I tried, an invisible force would shove me back to the park. So I had no choice but to stay. I would spend days staring at kids playing with each other, and honestly, I felt lonely. But whenever you came, that feeling disappeared. 

You would visit at least thrice a week, always bringing a bucket of toys. We would play in the sandpit, push each other in the swings, and ride the seesaw together. You never failed to brighten my day.

These playdates never lasted long; you always had to leave at some point. But I was happy. Being able to see your smiling face always filled me with joy.

But as years passed, your visits ceased. You wouldn't come as excitedly. There were times when you wouldn't visit for months. I grew lonely once again, and spent my days hoping that at some point, you would finally come back.

And you did. It had been almost three years when you visited again. My heart had pounded with joy at the sight of you. You were here! Sure enough, I saw you entering the park gates. You had towered over me like a giant tree, your brown hair streaked with red, your blue eyes as pretty as ever.

You also had others with you.

Three other boys. Two shorter, one taller. All wearing black leather jackets. One with an earring in his lip.

I had watched curiously as you brought out a small box full of pinky-length tubes. One of the shorter boys took out some sort of metallic tool. When he flicked a switch, a tiny, orange flame leaped out of it. It fluttered slightly as each boy slid out a tube from the box, lit the ends, and put the tubes in their mouths. Including you.

I had no idea what they were. But I knew they weren't anything good.

The three other boys had talked and laughed while blowing smoke out of their mouths. You had stayed silent, blue eyes emptily fixed at the ground. Your body seemed to hunch forward a bit like an old man's.

It was then when it hit me: You'd changed. You were no longer the smiling, laughing little boy I'd once known. Your pretty blue eyes weren't innocent and sweet anymore—they were dark, hollow, and empty, like my memories had been before meeting you.

My heart ached with grief.

After that day, you never came back to visit. I was alone once again. With no cheery, smiling boy to play with. No pretty blue eyes to stare at.

At some point, I started to fade away. I had glanced down at my hands and realized they were growing transparent. I could see the ground through them when I looked closely. My thoughts started to grow fuzzy. For some periods of time, I even blacked out.

I was scared. Scared of disappearing forever after you did so much for me. Yet, why was I so satisfied?

Because of the memories. Even as I faded away, I remembered all those times we'd spent laughing and playing together. So thank you. Thank you for filling my hollow space with happy memories, for giving my existence some sort of purpose. I don't care if you will never be the smiling, cheerful boy I once knew. I don't care if you will never be the same again.

As long as you're content with your life, I will always be happy.