Amor Anima

The sun rose early in the morning while I sat on an aluminum bench in the train station. It was one of those little town boarding stations where you still can have a sit in the outsides to admire the enthralling view of the green mountains, a few gray clouds in the distance and a stone bridge that elegantly arched above a murmuring stream parallel to the rails. It's late autumn and a cold breeze made me shiver so I wrapped a flowered scarf around my neck and tied my coat tight to my waist.

The metallic whistle of the machine was heard as it arrived. A light shower began to fall and the first rain drops painted wet splattered forms on the wooden platform. Hastily I grabbed my luggage and  hurried towards the train that had recently stopped. That's when the sweetest man's voice spoke to me, "Good morning lady. Allow me please." The handsome gentleman opened his umbrella and offered me refuge from the now heavy rain.

Giving him a timid smile I said, "Thank you" and we boarded the train.

I found my seat right by the window and the man sat next to me. He immediately showed me the ticket in his hand noticing the the pry look on my face. "What a coincidence! This is my seat." He said.

"Yes, what a coincidence." I replied and reddened.

Outside, the mountains hid behind a curtain of clouds and rain. The train departed and the landscape began its march backwards making me feel a bit nostalgic.

"Allow me to introduce myself ma'am. My name is Shawn." He said placing a gentleman-like kiss on my fist. The soft contact of his lips on my skin produced me a tingling sensation that made me shiver.

"I-I'm Johann", I stuttered and I only hoped he didn't notice me shaking, blushing and the undeniable fact that I was staring at him like a dumb. His hazel eyes hypnotized me as the rest of his gorgeous and exotic features. His dark hair and bronzed skin seemed surreal, too perfect to be true.

We conversed aimlessly for hours. Shawn made me laugh like I hadn't for months with his jokes and travel anecdotes. It was as if he had done a world trip in different epochs. The man was simply the most interesting guy I've ever met and every word he uttered left me impressed.

"Time is always short when we're in good company, isn't it?", Shawn said.

That's when I realized we've arrived to our destiny. "It's time to say good bye, I guess." I was mesmerized by his eyes.

"Not even death means a good bye my beautiful lady. Certainly we'll meet again, I assure." He sounded so convincing in his masculine lullaby tone.

We left the train and I watched Shawn disappear among the multitude.

It was a lovely afternoon a few weeks after I moved to this pleasant town and I decided to have a coffee in a café located in a boulevard in downtown. I sat while reading a book and sometimes I glanced over people walking by the cobblestoned street and wondered.

"Good evening lady. Can I have a seat?" I heard in the sweetest voice. Goosebumps raised all over my skin and I was afraid to look up, only to find that it was Shawn standing in front of me.

I wasn't able to pronounce a single word, or smile and I just nodded all baffled. Shawn smiled that kind of smile that could thaw winter snow. My brain was all knotted. I didn't believe Shawn was there, sitting in front of me.

"Do you like wine?" He asked me and I just assented again. We weren't going to take a conversation out of two if he was the one who talked and I only bobbed like a fool. "A bottle, please!" He ordered.

"How is that... you?" I tried to conform a complete statement.

"Do you want me to leave?" Shawn asked.

"No!" I blurted.

"Let's call it destiny... Crossed paths. I assured you we would meet and so it is." Shawn spoke so beautifully. His words were like taken out of a poetry book; one written in a bygone era.

That night we drank and conversed and chaffed for hours until the café closed and people headed home.

"Well, it's time to say..." I was about to say goodbye but the dark-haired man cut me off.

"No, no good byes. I told you that even death is not a reason to say good bye... And It will be a pleasure if you allow me to see you again."

A pleasant heating current ran through my veins and didn't know for sure if it was the ingestion of alcohol or the wonderful possibility of dating this incredible man again.

"I'd love to, Shawn." I told him and gave him my phone number. He kissed my hand and left with promises of calling me to concert a date.

Another seven days passed and my phone rang a phone call from Shawn. The iPhone shook in my hand before I could slide the answer button. My heart hammered arrhythmically inside my chest. Blown away I almost collapsed when he told me he was downstairs on the sidewalk.

I thank God I'd just had taken a bath and was decently dressed. It took a few minutes for Shawn to take the elevator so I had time to brush my hair and apply some light make-up.

The door bell rang and I felt a thousand butterflies hovering inside my stomach.

"Hi", I greeted Shawn, "Please, come in."

The handsome man placed a kiss on my cheek and walked in. I invited Shawn to sit on the couch and I brought a bottle of wine and two glasses. After serving the wine and placing a plate with cheese, strawberries and grapes, we watched a movie and chatted.

And then it came that awkward moment when you find yourself without anything to say. We only stared at each other. I smiled. Shawn cupped my face and leaned slowly towards me, closing the gap between our faces. I closed my eyes instinctively and let him kiss me.

"I've been looking for so long for someone like you. I think I can fall in love with you so easily", he whispered to my ear and then kissed me more.

I was in a position I had to believe him because I felt the same way for him.

Shawn stroke my hair and hugged me. I hugged him back while kissing him ardently intertwining my fingers through his hair. He unzipped my dress and I unbuttoned his shirt and unfastened his belt. We got undressed and I took a moment, a deep breath and admired the perfection in his body. Shawn was beyond gorgeous. He resembled a Saracen god. Those jade eyes pierced me as he placed himself on top of me and made me his in the most passionate way I've made love before. I reached heaven with every given kiss and caress. I've never experienced something like that ever. We began in the sofa and ended in my bedroom, where we both fell asleep embraced.

The peeping sunshine through the window panes announced that morning had arrived. I turned to kiss good morning Shawn, but he wasn't there. I looked for him all around my house only to find he was gone.

Each and every day for a week I called him to his phone but he didn't answered. He didn't called me back either. I fell deceived in the most terrible and ruin way. I cried feeling used and left like a piece of ragged and old cloth.

Another week passed and I was sitting on my desk. I had my laptop in front of me and I typed on the search tab his name: S h a w n D e l o r e. Immediately the screen loaded a hundred images. There was his face in a black and white photo.

"It has to be a joke!" I cried confused.

I clicked on the image and some unbelievable information popped. I felt about to fall drop dead on the floor. Dead! Shawn Delore was dead! The article read he died in 1968 in a train accident. Two trains collided in the same station.. There was a storm. His fiancée said they would meet up to plan their wedding that day... In this town.

I was shocked. I needed to find out more. I needed! It was impossible that man was dead! It wasn't a dream! I wasn't creating all this out! I talked to Shawn and he was alive! So alive we made love!

I got dressed immediately, called a cab and headed to the train station. I sauntered, looking like a zombie. Tears rolled down my face and I sat down to cry on a nearby bench.

I watched the train depart.

"Good morning lady." He said... And it began to rain.

***This short story was created for the Romance contest. The prompt was a spooky date. The word limit was 2.5k words and this one was achieved in 1,515 on the dot. I hope you like it people. Feel always free to vote and leave a comment.