• Love is such an enigmatic feeling . I heard that love was the master key that opens the gates of happiness. It seemed that love was two things: one, the scent of a glistening flower of crimson. two, a sharp arrow that was from Cupid's bow that embeds into one's back, so the target falls in love. Love was an antidote of my own soul's loveless trait, so I sought out for the emotion. But there was this one fateful day that I will never forget. To be precise, that fateful day was when I met the love of my life named Belle . Upon the days that I met her, an unwanted presence in my soul called temptation had taken over my soul. Temptation put Belle and me into the pits of sadness. That is why I deemed love to be such an enigma.


    At first, love seemed like a happily ever after for me however, it went wrong. Ever since, I always thought to myself, "What is life but a harbinger of the penalties of romance and the glut of eternal torment? The cruel harbinger was only there to chain me with its confinement of temptation. Life made me suffer from love, as the love that I had once gotten was lost by temptation’s influence over me." Let me tell you the story that had forever broken my heart and the passions of a formerly love struck, but tempted kind of angel...




    February 13, The Year Before


    At first, I started off as an angel that had a heart of ice, due to the fact that during the time of my birth into this world, I had all but one emotion. That emotion was love. Not only that but, not even a kiss could melt the iciness that pervaded my soul. Yet, the curious thought of what the emotion of love had felt like, the juicy kisses, and the candy hearts passed out to couples on Valentine's Day with the message of ,"Oh, will you be mine, valentine...?" engraved in crimson preyed upon my mind of what love was really like. Whenever I sought out for love, it eluded my heart so. I felt that love was the master key that opened into the gates of sadness, because when I hunted down for the everlasting comforts of love, I found nothing in return.


    When I tried to find romance within the deep, brooding confines of my heart, the inferno of passions would vanish out and die abruptly. For many years, I was but a wandering soul that walked through towns each month of February, since I was an Angel of Forgotten Passions, a being that seeks for love, yet in truth, it has none. Since it has ice around its heart, it could never love and the way to nullify this affect was to in someway, melt its heart. And through each February that I failed terribly in finding myself of lover, the thought of, "Woe is me..." would fill my mind.


    February the thirteenth. Angels of Love and humans went about their business, but contemplating on their loves. Like the many years before, I wandered through and through town, with the hopes that I would find a valentine. Sadly, there was no valentine. A small tear shed from my face and I thought, "Love is elusive to those who find it. And even to me, who seeks such passions all the time. Ahh, I feel that the tears of a sad angel have fallen upon me.

    Oh, love, come to me. From my ice-cold heart, I wish to be free. I long so much for a heart that eternally blazes with the heat of passion. I wish for the multitude of kisses, caresses, and strokes to my black hair." I forced myself a forlorn sigh, my head down in sorrow.


    "Hello?" called out a soft and high-pitched voice. I turned back, seeing a short woman with shining gold hair, creamy white skin, pink eyes that felt sorry for my inability to love and wished to help me in any way possible, small lips, and a silky red satin dress along with silver heels. Those features and voice softened my heart to the point where it had almost completely melted.


    We smiled at each other for a brief moment, before this woman said, "Did you fall out from the heavens, my angel? Do you wander from world to world my lost soul? You have won the affections of my heart and you have stolen my thunder. I am Belle. What is your name?"


    I held Belle's cheek caressingly and held her within the comforts of my wings. "Sinclair." I responded, my eyes were ripened with the fruit of passion. "My soul will romance for yours all day night long. My heart roars a blazing wildfire for you. It burns with such desire. I long to provide you with infinite kisses. If beauty were a kind of minute, then you'd be an hour. If beauty were a kind of flower, then you'd be a rose. I can just imagine it, you softly pressing your lips upon mine. I wish to fall into the protection of your arms. 'And why must I say of these passions?' you may ask. This is all to win over your heart of gold. Nothing shall never take us apart. Not even the evil forces of temptation itself..." I released her from my wings, flying gracefully to my abode, before kissing her. I felt as if on Cloud 9, sighing happily.


    February 14, The Year Before


    The daylight broke through my window in a trio of colors: Red, yellow, and orange. All of these colors blotched across the highest reaches of the sky. The sky was but a canvass, with those three colors to paint the sky into a beautiful picture. The sky reminded me that the dawn was a messenger that the Valentine's Day Festival was just 9 hours away, mostly because of red, the color of love. To the left of me, from my ivory table were four things that I had not noticed before within my domicile. One, an opened box of rich, decadent, melt-in-your-mouth milk chocolates. Two, a clear vial that contained some pink elixir that was labeled "Love Potion Number 9" with a thick curling smoke with a sweet scent from it. Three, a portrait with a frame that was carved of the finest gold that read “From your Lovely Belle” And four, a chiffon white envelope with a heart shaped seal on it. I opened it, seeing that it was a love letter inside.

    Sinclair,


    "Oh, how must I confess my sweet nothings to you in this note? What are the ways? One, your smooth black hair, which I would want to rake my fingers through. Two, the fact that fate attaches us in this chains of love. Three of your soft wings."
    P. S. And you must come to the Valentine's Day Festival tonight, for on this annual spectacular event, many valentine souls come here.


    Valentine's Day Festival: Many Angels of Love and humans twirled gracefully, with women's elegant dresses spinning about, while a slow harp glissando played a lovely tune in the background. Many lanterns were lined at the top of the festival, with the carvings of hearts designed on them. A sign was hung above the lanterns and said, "Be Mine Valentine!" Belle was draped in a shimmering, pink gossamer gown, and had a rose resting at the top of her right ear. I had a red gentleman's suit with a pink corsage. We looked at each other deeply. Belle's pink-orbed eyes focused on my suit.


    "Will you accept this dance, my valentine?" she asked me, quickly kissing my cheek. I traced my fingers down the strands of her hair by her face and her lips. "Oh, would I?" I chuckled. I took her hand and I spun with her in the moonlight. After the brief dance, Belle clutched herself into my chest with her eyes closed . I leaned down to her a bit and I whispered a soothing "Happy Valentine's Day." I embraced her closer to me. Once again, I felt myself upon the lofty heavens of Cloud 9.

    I observed the beautiful lilies floating above the surface of the pristine water. After its swift observation, it seemed that I became driven to drink from it.
    "It something wrong my dear?" Belle asked, playing at the smooth and unkempt strands of my hair. I suddenly broke free of my urge at the sound of Belle's voice. "No." I kissed her, chiding her from my new secret.


    February 13, The Year After


    It was February the thirteenth. The domicile was no longer light with the dawn and the burgundy curtain that dangled over my window had been pulled down so that Belle wouldn't see the deplorable, tempted, unpromising creature that I became. Since that night on last year's Valentine's Day Festival, when I looked at the deadly beauty of the water, which unbeknownst to me possessed me with temptation. This water after that day, I named it "Water of Temptation". This was the force that I promised to Belle that I would never become subject to.

    Within the darkness of my room, that same sweet scent of The Love Potion Number 9 that Belle gave to me spread across the room. The trademark smell of the Love Potion Number 9, reminded me fondly of Belle. Oh, I could just feel Belle's words going through my mind. They said:


    "What is wrong? I have not heard from you in a long time. It has been since last year on Valentine's Day when we danced in such harmony. Ever since that day, you eluded me so..."


    A chill ran down my spine at the thought of her questioning words, covering my face in the blankets and bracing myself for the next Valentine's Day Festival, which was tomorrow.


    February 14, The Year After


    February fourteenth. Many groups of Angels of Love and humans whispered sweet secrets with the redundant message of "Will you be mine, my lovely valentine?" flourishing in the February air while a slow love song played in the background. This time, a violin played. Everyone was clothed in a variety of Valentine's Day colors like light red, pale rose, white and hot pink. Except me, I wore pessimistic and gloomy black suit because I broke Belle's and my rule to keep our love lives intact a while ago ------- never to give in to the powerful force of temptation, because those who become subject to it, their pure selves will never be seen again.


    But alas, I didn't want to. The Water of Temptation tempted me to drink into it. Once I drank into it, the water forced me to drink it due to my obsession for it. I would, without Belle looking, drink my possessed will into the Water of Temptation, thus purging the purity out of my soul. Still at the dance, the crimson, white, and rose-gowned lovebirds still danced on, except Belle, while I thought:


    "What is temptation but a predator to the pure-hearted mind? Is temptation but a mistress known for feminine wiles, beautiful, but pale white skin and sleek black hair? If so, then had she kissed and caressed me so, and bringing me into a deep, unbreakable spell? Belle forewarned me of such danger. Yet, I feel that I ignore her, and as a penalty, I was chained by temptation."


    I suppressed a sorrowful sigh, walking to the gorgeous, pink-eyed Belle and giving her a heart-shaped note that insinuated of my secret.


    "To drink or not to drink? That is the question, my love. There are some secrets we can keep to ourselves, and there are others we tell."


    "Sinclair... ?" Belle had looked upon me worriedly. I saw the confusion in her eyes, the confusion that signified that she wouldn't understand, even if I told her the whole story.


    Yet, through the midst of this tragic tale, I had to choose between two things: Either I drink the water that had poisoned my life, or forced to tell my secret, with the deadly risk of breaking her heart.


    My glance to Belle and the note were both angry presences in my head, a constant reminder of why I had been tempted by the Water of Temptation. It was as if the note was a way to keep myself from Belle -- and my isolation made me snap the pen I used to write the note, and the angry presences in my head had made me angrily contemplate how I would break up with her and a possible cry of agony to be freed of my prison of corruption.


    I eyed down at the Water of Temptation which was feet away from the Valentine's Day Festival. But I had to resort to one thing to release the tension in my soul.
    Heart break. But how was I to do it? I couldn't risk breaking up with her fragile and feeble heart ---- it would just give out and drench her in heart break.


    "Had Cupid's deep spell of romance stop and break upon this fine day? What had made this day go wrong, the day at once being of gleeful romance, but now spiraling into the endless pits of tragedy?" I thought. And to make matters worse, I had to confess my secret to Belle at the final dance which started at 7: 30 PM.
    Later that day...


    It was that time of the night ---- the final dance at the Valentine's Festival in which everyone, in tribute to their. Banners colored in tickle-me-pink hovered just slightly above a huge and white sign of, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY outside the festival's entrance.
    And beside the festival's entrance, a small, thin being, immense in beauty draped in a shiny pink gown that brought out the color in her eyes, and golden curls with a shining red rose that lit up the night was Belle.


    "Sinclair ... ?" her serene voice called. "Wherever you are, please come back...."


    "Belle ..." I called to her, only to have her grasp at my waist. I kissed her, softly pressing my lips upon hers.


    My voice became as serene as hers and sounding apologetic.


    "I ... broke... your promise, Belle.. I became subject to temptation..." Belle was speechless. Tears rolled down from her face. I left her without a word, departing into the night, choking back on tears like Belle, though my soul's pressure of atonement had lifted off of me.


    A single tear shed from me.


    Belle and I, once strongly bonded in our relationship fell prey to sorrow...