AURORA

XXII

JANUARY 2020

THE MODERN WORLD

DEATH

-

It felt abnormal to be back on earth. I couldn't lie, the place was still beautiful and standing right now on top of the building I was supposed to be inside of, it certainly looked stunning. The gentle cool wind of the night ruffled my hair and the sky above me was so clear that all the stars brightly shone down.

I sighed, hands in my pocket. I had been so restrained from humans these past hundreds of years, that I had almost forgotten what it was like to be one of them. The suit, I was wearing was well fitted, charcoal black in colour.

I disappeared from the roof and appeared in the room. Women and men all dressed in their finest clothes, talked and laughed. As I entered the room, I got a few admiring glances from throughout the room, but choosing wisely to ignore them, I walked to the drinks.

"What can I get you, sir," the bartender asked.

"Whatever is the best," I replied, not looking at him. I was born this way, restrained from the manners of people. I grew hard and sullen and it took a lot to bring the kindness out of me. I had learnt very early on, that if you didn't give people your attention, it gave you power. It was selfish and cruel, but I had come way apt that.

A woman in early 30's sat next to me, dressed in fur and jewels. I gave her a sideway glance. It wasn't admiring, it was just me assessing my surroundings.

"Hello," she said looking at me. I looked up then, trying to force some emotion to my face. I nodded as a sign of acknowledgement.

"What's your name, you seemed quite surly sitting here by yourself," she said. I was staring at her, now willing her to get remove herself from my sight. She wasn't bad to look out, she had good feature and good air of confidence.

"Marcus," I said saying the first name that came to mind. She smiled.

"So, Marcus," she purred, "Why is a fine man like you sitting here alone."

I turned to grab the drink the bartender had served and gulped a drink. I had to fall in love, somehow. I had to. I turned to her forcing a smile to my face. I could already feel that my smile looked like the fakest thing alive.

"What's your name, darling," I asked her, my voice sounded hard and cryptical, but she still smiled.

"Vanessa," she said, "it's nice to meet you."

"You too," I said, not sure exactly how to continue the conversation. With some people conversation came faster, it was weird. Like Azeala, the amount of times she had prompted me to respond to her jests this morning was abnormal.

"I haven't seen you here before," she said, "You know, I would remember a man like you." I raised a brow at her. She giggled. The sound like poison, I winced.

"I tend to avoid these kinds of situations," I replied.

"Ahh, well that is understandable," she giggled again, "The events normally end with some drunk man, crashing the whole thing." I was somewhat interested now.

"Do they not act of manners, here, I thought you were the higher-class," I asked, coolly.

"Yeah, we are the higher class," she asked confused, "where are you from."

"Not from around here," I responded.

"Ahh, well then, we have manners, of course we do. But only between us, why do we need to gift our time to the low-life's, were just a bunch of rich kids trying to get lost in the world." I don't know what she said that prompted such anger in me.

But I turned away from her and gulped down the rest of my drink.

"Would you excuse me," I asked. She looked a little shocked then giggled again, nodding. I got up and walked out of the room, disappearing out of it and back onto the rooftop.

The wind had picked up and was now more fierce. I gazed into the distance, trying to breathe more calmly. This was not going to work. I wasn't going to find love. And at that, Azeala would win.

That would be disastrous.

I was screwed. Royally.

OOMPA LOOMPA