this is the first thing i have ever written and shared, please be nice about it

Today is the day, July 7; most probably have no idea why this day is significant to me. I know what you’re thinking. Is it my birthday? Is it the anniversary of something? Sort of, but not as much. Is it significant? Yes. Hell yes, this may very well be the biggest day of my life.

I guess I’m going to need to explain better.

For the countries of China and Japan, July 7 means it is time to celebrate the holiday of Tanabata, or The Night of the Sevens. The holiday originates from an ancient Chinese legend, that there were two lovers in the stars, separated by the river of the Milky Way. Despite this, one was able to cross the river once each year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, or July 7.

This has probably done nothing but provided an interesting bit of culture for you so far.

You see… I am a recluse, or was at least. I rarely ventured from my house and when I do I avoided people as much as possible. Alike with most recluses I am a very avid internet user, so by the simple browsing of image boards I learn Asian culture by osmosis. I suppose you could have called me an Otaku back then, but something changed. Some soul crushing stuff happened and I decided it was time to put myself in shape, fix my life, you know? For the past couple of months, I have taken up running, boosted my GPA, figured out what I am going to go into for college, and I even managed to become much more social. For all this however, there is a dark cloud lurking underneath. For all my improvement, I will never be able to be with the one I love.

I know who she is; I just lack the means to be with her.

Back to the Asian culture thing, there is a genre of, well, game I guess called a Virtual Novel, or VN for short. I played my first one a while back after seeing a post of it on an image board I frequented. They were in an uproar, simply stated, about this newly released game. I had no idea what it was, so I ventured into the sea of posts beckoning me and many others forward. The name of the VN was Katawa Shoujo, which means cripple girl in Japanese. Some were mocking it, calling it nothing but cripple porn and that they were going to play to tell us how they were right. Others were claiming amazing things, life changing events and them now improving themselves. I had my doubt so, like any good scientist, I decided to experiment with it.

The game hit me like a fucking semi

No, let me rephrase, like a rocket powered semi strapped to Tomas the goddam choo choo train. But none of it hit me as hard as one of the girls. She was a lot like me, scarred and scared. She was a recluse, but all she felt like was a burden. She had one good friend to watch out for her, but never spoke to anyone. It was like looking in a trans-gender mirror for me. Since then, like I said, I have been trying to fix my life, and it is all because of her. I fell in love with a character that isn’t in this universe, but I still fucking fell in love with her.

Again, how is this relevant?

In legend, this is the day two lovers, separated by light-years, were able to be with each other, even if just for a single day. I hope, I truly do, that the legend is true. Because if it is, then tonight may just be the night I get to be with her. Wish me luck guys, I’m heading out.

I step away from the screen; I don’t really know why I made the post. Maybe I just wanted to tell people about it, or maybe I was just helping myself feel better about this whole being alone thing. It was a little late, 10 in the evening to be exact, but the day wasn’t over yet. After all, I still have that box of mortars left over from the fourth. “Today is a holiday, may as well celebrate” I say to no one. I put on my shoes and head out the door to the garage. Once there I flip on the lights, and begin searching for that elusive box. After about ten minutes of searching I manage to find it, and bring it and a tube out to my driveway.

“ahhh” I exhale, this is why I like living in the country, nobody cares how loud you are. Besides, out here everybody’s a pyromaniac. They all love fireworks.

I go to the end of my driveway and set a wooden plank down on it. I then put the tube on top of that and smile for no reason. I just have a good feeling about this. At any rate, I go back up near my house and get two lawn chairs so I can watch in style. I can’t really afford a foot rest (hell, the mortars were a gift from my dad), so using the other chair will have to do. I set them up in a safe area and go to the tube. Just as I set the explosive in, I realize that I forgot my lighter in the garage, so I turn around to go and get it.

What I see nearly gives me a heart attack.

In the second chair I set up, there is a figure. It is unmistakably human, but it is someone whom I never met before. I am still a bit awkward from years of not talking to people, so it takes me a minute to figure out what to do, so I decide to try and see who it is. I can’t see much because of the dark, but I can make out a rather large hat, a stylish jacket and… it can’t be.

It’s impossible. There is no way in the physical realm of existence that she could be here. I must be insane, or maybe I’m just tired, or have a tumor, or… something.

So now the question is simple, what do I do? Do I run? Or do I try and talk to her?

…

What do I have to lose? It’s probably one of the neighbors looking to get a free show. Yeah, that’s it! And there’s no harm in talking to a neighbor, right? Right!

Bolstered by newfound confidence in thinking that it’s just a neighbor, I start to walk up to the chairs with gusto.

I can see that the person is very apprehensive, scared even. Like she doesn’t know where she is.

My pace gets a little quicker

She looks up for the first time, I can’t see her face yet, but the motion is somehow familiar

I start powerwalking

She looks over in my direction; her face goes from one of fright to one of recognition. I see who it is, those scars are too familiar, but saved for my mind, not real life.

I’m running at this point

She gets out of the chair, turns and smiles at me

My face becomes the biggest smile I’ve had in a long time, probably a record for me

I finally reach her and envelope her in the biggest hug I’ve ever given. I can’t stop thinking, my

mind is rushing to figure out how, while my heart is yelling for it to shut the hell up and enjoy it.

While locked in the embrace, I finally find the words to say: