Marina frantically searched the internet. Willow trees near me. There was hardly any recorded information until her eyes landed on someone's background in social media profile. The scenario looked very familiar and it clicked. It was the same willow tree, just more mature and old. There was the same lake. She search for the location. It was far away from her home. She quickly dressed up and left.
The clock was ticking.
She took a cab and told the driver to go to the location. But there was traffic at the very end of their destination. The area was now a picnic spot and it was the New Year's day. So the whole area was packed with festiveness.
Marina could not hold on any longer. She had less than thirty minutes in her hand. She paid her fare and ran. Her heart was giving up, unlike her past self, she was not athletic. But still she ran like there was no tomorrow.
Ten minutes.
Five minutes.
Two minutes,
One!
Her legs gave out and she fell on the road while crossing. She saw the bright headlight. This was the end. She couldn't break the curse, even in this life. She closed her eyes and braced for impact.
But the blow never came.
She saw the driver of the car come out. Other passers-by stopped to help her. They were asking if she was okay, should they call for an ambulance? Marina could only murmur a soft "I'm okay".
They saw the fireworks go off in the sky. The pitch dark sky was glimmering in all the colors on spectrum. She slowly stopd up and apologised. Then she walked away.
It was already midnight. As per the curse, she would forget everything. She might never find her soulmate. Should she just kill herself and try again is the next time? Now she wished the car never stopped.
But surprisingly, she still remembered everything. Maybe the curse took some time to work properly. She didn't know where she was going. There was no point in finding the willow tree now. The time was up. Yet she found herself walking and there she saw it.
The lake.
The willow tree bent over.
Under the tree was a small gathering.
She walked over to find the people scolding someone. "You should be careful, young man. Why would you injure yourself like that." The man in question chuckled. That chuckle souded too familiar.
Marina rushed to find the man. There he sat, in the middle. He was getting his hand wrapped in a bandage. The grass around him had splatters of red liquid. And there was a large patch of red stain on the willow bark. She looked back at the man only to find him already staring back at him.
She couldn't say anything. She didn't even know what to say. The people around went back to their own spaces, enjoying the fireworks and their time. Only Marina and the man stayed just where they were. He had the same eyes, the same hair, the same lips. And the same expression on his face. He also looked like the man in ber picture. Hundreds of questions raced in her head.
Did he break it?
Will he recognise her?
Did he know about the curse in the first place?
He smiled softly at Marina, as if he already knew what she was thinking, like he always did.
"The nightmare is over, Ashera."
"H-how? I thought-"
"I have my ways, my love."
Tears streamed down her face and she again felt being possessed, by the soul of her past self. Ashera came alive and hugged him. The suffered ended. And it was not her, it was him who broke it.
"I am Marina, by the way.", she mumbled from his chest.
His laugh sent a vibration through her,
"Mine's Alex".