What's the point of being able to make these flowers if they will never glow for me? I will never form a romantic relationship strong enough.
“Hey Amias!”
I perk my head up to see Glaide in a cream colored shirt and a black leather vest. He's smiling, oblivious to what happened a second ago.
I mimic his grin and tug my black suit jacket to make it look straighter. “Hey Glaide. How's it going?”
“Great!” Glaide glances around. “Where's your girl? I thought you had a date.”
“Yeah.” I sigh. The pain spreads through my body. “No luck this time.”
Glaide’s jaw drops. “Again?”
I purse my lips and shrug. “I found her soulmate.” I walk past him. “They're a rather nice pair.”
Glaide keeps pace with me. “On your brother's Soulmate Celebration, too? She could've waited until another day.”
“I showed her to her soulmate. She wouldn't have left if I didn't push it.”
His brows furrow. “Amias…”
“It's okay.”
“That's the fiftieth-”
“Yeah.” I smile. “There's nothing I can do about that.” It hurts to know I'll never find romance, but it's just a burden I'll have to deal with.
“So then…what's next? Are you just gonna turn every date into a matchmaking session?”
My body slumps over. “I guess I-"
“Here comes the young prince.” I look up to a woman with a cloak, the black hood casting a shadow over her face. The only thing visible is her wrinkled grin and dull white hair. “Perhaps you can save us from the hate that has plagued us.”
I scoff before noticing the cloud clasp keeping her hood together and the flier in her hand. Laughter escapes me. It's one of those crazy people. “Don't even try. ”
“Dreamscreecher aren't all evil but Amara would never know….” She rasps. “She’ll never understand-"
“Amara does understand. They were created to put us in harm's way.” I lower my voice, keeping it firm. “It was proven when we tried to befriend them all those centuries ago when they were first created. When we wanted peace, they attacked us. Isn't that proof enough?”
“That story isn't-”
“Amara's just trying to make sure people like you aren't torn by these demented creatures. Thehatethat we feel towards them is justified. Besides, Cosmo wouldn't make the Gift of Love hateful. He doesn't make mistakes and he loves us too much to do that! We're only following her story.”
“But dreamscreechers. They-"
I don't let her finish, just like Grandmother taught me. “Look, lady. I know you mean well but this ideology is something you need to talk about with a therapist. This kind of thinking is dangerous.” I offer her a smile. “I only say it with love.”
She opens her mouth again when someone shouts our way. We snap up to a cop, his face red like his uniform. The woman squeezes her cloak quickly, turning invisible. Only her face shows but with a quick turn, it's like she's not even there.
I walk away with Glaide beside me, knowing she’ll escape as the cop stands where she was, only to be whipping his head in different directions. I chuckle under my breath and shake my head. The woman's insane, but honestly, I'm glad she has an escape. She doesn't deserve punishment for her delusions. It wouldn't help her case anyways.
“I still don't get how someone could even think that way.” Glaide's eyes narrow over his shoulder. “That's crazy.”
“Maybe if people weren't getting cleansed all the time, they could learn the truth instead of forgetting how they got tricked in the first place.” The dreamscreecher sympathy isdangerous but therapy should be the solution. They have good intentions after all.
“But that’s why they also come to you. You're an easy target. A listener.” Glaide shakes his head. “I say cleansing is their best chance to restart life.”
I open my mouth to counter him when a buzz comes from his pocket. He sighs, taking out his CaeCae phone. “Ivy's looking for me again. I'll catch up with you later, okay?”
