After crossing a stream, Maria found herself in a dimly lit and narrow hallway. Small torches were hanging on the walls, but the flames differed from each other. One had red, others white, and some occasional blue and black. The passage smelled dingy. The walls were blanketed with mold and the cobbled stones beneath her feet had dying tufts of grass growing on them. She had no idea how she got here. She was just here. Despite her confusion, she started to walk forward.

As her journey continued, she heard voices and songs, tunes that were familiar and held importance to her. So she continued forward. One hesitant step at a time.

She must have walked for hours before her confusion took its toll on her. She felt drained of strength. The path never seemed to end. The torches were gone. There was no more light to guide her path. She was trapped. But where? Why?

Disheartened by what was happening, she gave in to her worries, fell on the floor then cried. But soon, her cries was silenced by a whisper. "This way," it called.

The voice hadn't a trace of familiarity, but it offered her heart reprieve.

"This way," the voice said again. So, Maria got up, heart still in chaos but finally blessed with a purpose. "Who are you," she asked over and over. But the voice only answered with, "This way." It felt like an eternity before she finally saw a light coming from the end of the path she took. It made her smile. Instead of walking, she opted to run. She ran like she never did before, and after a few minutes, she found herself in the middle of a familiar place.

It was a playground. The same place where she played at as a child. She was shocked to have found herself there, but not close enough to panic. So she glanced around, craning her neck from side to side. She did this for minutes. But when she felt like something was truly off by how silent the place was, her lips tarted to quiver and tears welled from her eyes once more. Her crying lasted for half an hour and when finally she found the courage to wipe her eyes clear from tears, that's when from a distance, she saw someone, a familiar face from her childhood.

The young boy was standing under the oak tree where the butterflies she loved often stayed at. The scene was odd. However, she decided to walk towards him. But as she took a step closer, Maria noticed that the boy began to shiver. She could see clearly how his shoulders moved unnaturally despite the distance. So, Maria stopped and pondered if she aught to continue. But before she could make up her mind, her feet took a life of its own and moved forward.

However, every step she took, seemed to scare the young boy further. So, Maria yelled, "I won't hurt you, I just need to ask a few questions."

The boy didn't seem to relax even with her assurance. With this, Maria stopped walking again, leaving a three-meter gap between her and the boy.

The boy had ebony eyes, and hair as dark as the night sky. He looked skinny, but his build suited his height quite well.

"My name is Maria, I think I know you," she told him. But the boy didn't offer a reply. He instead, walked up to her, body shaking, and hands fisted on both sides.

After what seemed like a very long and awkward moment, the boy finally spoke. "H-hi Ma-Maria, my na-name is Benjie To-Tobias."

He sounded so awkward Maria couldn't help but giggle. "Why are you stuttering? Are you scared?"

The boy moved his head to the side, prying his gaze away from her. "No," he answered, his reply was softly spoken, Maria barely heard it.

"Hmmm, do you know what this place is?" Maria asked.

The boy nodded. "This is your heaven."

"Really? Does that mean I'm dead?"

"Yes. Does that make you sad?" The boy asked.

"Nope. It strangely don't."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"That's good."

Soon, Maria was smiling and jumping with joy. She swiveled her gaze around the playground enjoying and appreciating every little detail like the fresh grass on the ground, and the creaking sound of the swings as they swayed against the wind. Everything was perfect. Everything was how she remembered it to be and strangely enough, even the boy was just where he was supposed to be. Right where she first saw him, under the oak tree.
But why, she wondered.

Then a thought hit her. "Is this your heaven too," she asked, believing that perhaps, this boy was sharing a heaven with her. Maybe all the kids who played in the playground would be here. This was their heaven.

However, the boy shook his head in response.

"Then why are you here? Where is your heaven?" Maria asked curiously.

With all the strength he could muster, Benjie took a step towards her. When he was a meter away, he held out his fisted hand, opened it, and a blue morpho butterfly greeted Maria. It didn't seem injured, because the butterfly was moving its wings.

"Is this for me?" she asked.

The boy bobbed his head and answered, "Maria Ventura, you are my heaven. I have been through hell and back, just so I could tell you, I love you. I love you so much," he repeated.

Maria frowned, then a gush of wind blew her hair back. It started as a whisper. She couldn't make out the words. As she stared at the boy in front of her, professing his love, the whisper became clear.

A memory.

A man in cuffs.

A beeping monitor.

Letters.

Maria's eyes grew wide as saucers.

Now for my final wish.
I wish only for one thing. If you are still here, I hope and pray to the heavens to for once let the universe conspire in my favor, and lead these letters to your hands.

I love you Maria Ventura...

Always and forever
Benjie Tobias

In an instant, small fragile arms wrapped around Benjie's body. The action was so sudden, he froze. A single tear cascaded down his left eye, perhaps, the only tear that was of joy throughout his lifetime. Because finally, his journey in darkness has ended and found its light when in a whisper, he heard her say, "I know. I remember it now. I got your letters."

Sometimes our happiness is not on this earth. Maybe we are here to prepare for a better world. A world where the one we love the most will find it's way to us. Love is a good thing. It dosen't matter how you show it, but be certain to assure that the object of that love is loved in a way that when their tears fall, it is acid to us. That's when you know, you have truly loved.

Her existence and love was perhaps a Myth, but it was the only reality in his heart that never changed.

So...

If a woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets...

Maybe, so is that of a Man.

The end