How to Make a Sinner Sleep

82 | weeds; to play a charming fool

Kaden waited outside on the streets of Corpus, the town that grew busy at the night, crowded with people. There were those out drinking after a long work week, bellows of laughter cast across the night skies. His hair had been dyed black, a mole drawn at the corner of his eyes.

He sat by the fountain near the center of the main plaza, another person among the many others that passed him.

A black coat spread around him as he twirled a flower between his fingers.

A little girl with two messy pigtails ran up to him, a gap in her front tooth as she giggled. She wore a clean brown dress, neatly dressed. "Hi Mister!"

Kaden's expression softened slightly. "Hello."

"That's a really pretty flower! Where did you find it?"

"This?" Kaden held the small blue flower up, and she clapped her hands enthusiastically.

"I want to buy my mama some flowers, but they're all so ugly! Where did you buy it?"

He shook his head slowly. "I didn't buy it."

"Ah?"

"I grabbed it along the roadside. If you look carefully, you might find some more." He nodded to the streets; to the pockets of grass sprouting in the cracks. "I was lucky, but If you try hard enough, I'm sure you'll be lucky too."

The girl pursed her lips. "Isn't that just a weed, though? It's not so pretty anymore."

"Is its beauty defined by what it is?"

"Hm... well, it is pretty. Mn, but—"

He handed her the flower he was spinning, smiling. "If you take this one, it's no longer a flower from the road. It's a flower that belonged to me, so it's okay, isn't it?"

The girl stared at him with large eyes and nodded happily, as if satisfied. She grabbed the flower and gave a hearty wave before dashing away to find her mother. Kaden watched her as she ran up to a slender woman, happily revealing her given treasure.

Her mother laughed and her father picked up the child, spinning her around, full of praise in his wide smile.

Children, like that girl, were pure and innocent, yet to be tainted by the reality of society. They loved the beautiful and clean things, yet to experience a life outside of their loving home. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

To grow with love; to be nurtured into naivety.

He really didn't think that was such a bad thing at all.

It was as if his bones and blood had merged with air, a bystander like the weeds that grew in the cracks, simply watching. Why did a person have to grow, to learn how to fit into society and be selfless, to be kind? To treasure the beauty in the world even if there was none?

Why did they have to struggle endlessly when in the end everything would return to death?

For the sake of saving and protecting. For the sake of living for themselves, to enjoy the blessings of living. He didn't think it was all that worth it—although he supposed it would be ironic to say aloud.

His body tilted back, sitting dangerously at the edge of the fountain. With the sweep of the wind, he could fall backwards into the water, filled with coins and wishes.

The pair of pale green eyes slowly opened, meeting the sharp gaze of a woman across the street. She was dressed in a sultry outfit, wearing a mask that hid her face. Her hair was half done up, an elegant and alluring braid pinning it to her head.

In her arm was a drunken man, a hood high over his head though the flush of his face was noticeable.

The woman and man staggered over to where Kaden sat. The masked woman cleared her throat and pardoned herself, leaving the man behind. As she walked away, he saw her aggressively wipe her hands on her dress.