She rather likes to paint. Its her activity she uses to wind down. Her name? She’s Lucia Gray, born February 12, 2005. Just about to finish high school. Retook her driving test yesterday.

Lucia Gray moves slowly this morning. I know, because she’s usually a buoyant person behind the curtains. She’d be looking at her rows of 17 s schedules right about now.

It’s her interview today. I should know. I’ve been with Lucia Gray all her life. What unusual things she needs today. A knife. That does not make any sense for a McDonalds interview.

Something is off about my dear Lucia.

              [8:15]

Does Lucia know I exist? This is the question I ponder.

I get my answer a few seconds later.

Red! I always thought wine red was a lovely color. It’s everywhere on me. Ha! The texture. How warm. How sticky. I’m soaked in it. Ha!

Oh, of all the things.

Turns out I was not playing Lucia Gray.

She was playing me.

A thundering whisper won’t be ignored. In the dead of night it leaves you forever transformed.

It whispers in your ear, intense and malicious. It coils around your ear and nestles on your heart so vicious. It will do anything to get what it desires, A ruthless force, it’ll do anything their will requires.

The sound so subdued, But it calls out to you and barely intrudes.

Hope may be bleak, because there’s no way to defeat this beast. But listen up, because there is a way we can stop it from its feast.

Smile, be positive, and say in a commanding voice, “You don’t control me and I have a choice.”

It will whimper in fear and hide away It will never bother you any day.

Alone in his hermitage deep in the woods, the hermit walks with his staff and hood. The light of his lantern shines away the night, guiding him to inner sight.

Away from the crowds, the noise and the rush, he finds peace in silence, in emptiness, in hush. He meditates, contemplates, and reflects, The joys of life and it’s vex.

He knows the journey will be hard But that is the purpose of his tarot card.

She walks in the room, holding her clipboard. Her face is mournful but also suspicious of those around her.

“Okay, I won’t ask again. Who.killed. Her?”

Everyone exchanges nervous glances. One of them killed Her.

“You’ll all be considered guilty of not.”

CHARACTER A: amused “I know who did it.”

SHE: “Spill it then.”

CHARACTER A: smirk “Not saying.”

SHE: sigh “Okay. Next, fess up. Or else.”

CHARACTER B: trembling “I didn’t kill Her.”

SHE: unamused “Next.”

CHARACTER A: snidely remarking “Ha. You’ll never know.”

SHE: angrily “Shut up. I’m calling you Snide.”

SNIDE: politely “Excuse you?”

SHE: ignoring “Next.”

CHARACTER C: emotionless “I didn’t kill her. She was a really good friend of mine. Last night, we were at McDonalds ordering a Big Mac.”

SNIDE: sudden “She doesn’t like Big Macs.” scrambles away.

CHARACTER C: stoic “She does.” I

SHE: watching it all unfold with delight “This is delightful.”

SNIDE: “what?”

CHARACTER B: smirking “Ha.”

CHARACTER C: “I smell something..” passes out

SHE: you all fell into my trap. You acted EXACTLY how I wanted.”

CHARACTER B: I killed Her.

Popping drinks, party time, pop tunes and packed pews.

Pirates, parrots, patches. Dress up time!

Purple plumes, pyromaniacs, popsicles and playgrounds.

Pop! POW! Pit-a-patter. Party time.

We were a poor family. One that couldn’t afford even a single jacket. And that was not good. In our world, it was frigid 12 hours a day. Without even a simple jacket, one could die.

Recently it’s been rough. 853, my brother, had died to the diseases that came with a cold. Instead of feeling depressed, I was angry. No one should go through loss. It was like cold water to someone’s sleeping face. It was a very unpleasant shock.

No one should go through that. That’s just the way the world works. But why??? Why was the sun so cold? I’m determined to find out.

•

“851?Why is the sun so cold??” “I don’t know. It is.” “So 853 died because HE DID?” I asked angrily. “It’s not fair, 852. But it’s how the world works.” 851 sighed and looked at his desk papers. “Look, 852, it’s late and I have a lot of work to do. The lamp is burning out. The AC is costing so much money to keep me cold. Go to sleep.” “No. Not until 853 comes back.” “HE WON’T COME BACK!! UNDERSTAND THAT.” “I can’t. I don’t know why the sun is so cold and the moon so hot.” 851 started to ignore me. I shut off the lamp, took one paper, and tore it in half.

•THE REASON WHY• “Mama?” Asked 862. “Huh?” I replied. “Mom, why is the world so wrong?” 852 began to sob. I didn’t make any move to assist or comfort 862. It felt like cold water. “Don’t ask that.” “Why not??” “Because I know the answer.” And the answer was a terrible, terrible thing.

[THE TRUTH] All the bad souls heated up the moon. All the good souls heated up the sun.

“See that?” The shadow man pointed out the light at the end of the tunnel.

“It’s beautiful!” Breathed the little shadow girl.

“Beautiful things are deadly, little shadow girl. The light kills all darkness.”

The little shadow girl whimpered, inching away from the light.

“Never go to the light.” “Never go to the light.” “Never go to the light.”

One day, when the little shadow girl was no longer little, she saw a little shadow boy! In the light!

Fearful for his life, the little shadow girl yelled, “Little shadow boy! Don’t go to the light!”

With genuine inquiry he asked, “Why not? I could not exist without light. Look at you, you are going to die soon!”

Sure enough, when the little shadow girl look at herself, she was fading. “What do I do?”

“Step into the light!” the little shadow boy looked amused. “Do it for me.”

So she stepped into the light.

The sound of my footsteps echoes rhythmically on the pavement.

My nerves almost make me trip over my feet. I bite my lip. I’m going to a job interview, and I don’t even know what the job is!

My phone DINGS. Notification. Grateful for the distraction, I whip it out of my pocket and see that my sister, Andi, is texting me. She’s the one that set me up for this hectic job interview.

ANDI: Gl on your job interview :)

Smiling, I respond,

ME: Ty! what job is this even for??!

ANDI: Secret 🤫

ME: I’m nervous Andi!!!!

ANDI: trust me, ur a perfect fit. Ttyl and gl

ME: ok tysm!

I shut off my phone and return it to my pocket, continuing my way to the office.

“Hey! Hey!”

At first, I don’t notice the voice beckoning me. Then, it gets louder, more demanding. Finally, with a sense of unease, I say, “Who is there?”

“Me.”

In a flash, I turn my head around. I look backwards, left, right, and forwards. Yet there is still no one there.

“Look up.”

“Why?” I try to appear complacent, but my fear slips through my voice.

“Trust me.”

Obliging, I look up, and stagger back.

“ARE YOU OKAY?!” I scream. There is a MAN perched on the roof! His expression is amused.

“I assure you, I’m fine.” He grins. “I’m Mark.”

“Well, Mark, how are you up there?! I can call the fire department-!”

“That won’t be necessary.” He pauses to think. “Though, I do think I need help getting down. Do you mind helping me?”

For a minute, I hesitate. What does he mean? Is he talking about ME fetching him??!

“I’ll call the fire department,” I repeat, pulling my phone out of my pocket. I begin dialing 911 when he shouts, “STOP! Just come up here and get me yourself.”

“Me?”

“Can you do it?” His question is like a test, but it is genuine.

“No,” I answer honestly. “Frankly, I don’t know how you got up there.”

He smiles. “CONGRATULATIONS, Elia Peren! You got the job of urban astronomer! Come, round the corner!”

I do and I see a huge ladder. I grin. “What does an urban astronomer even do?”

“Do what I’m doing.”

“Scaring the crap out of people? Sure!” I smile, and begin to beckon Mark down.

Minor inconveniences are really such pests! They make us feel unhappy and steal us from rest.

A coffee stain on your shirt when you were about to meet, Foul weather on the day You had planned a picnic treat.

All of these are bad, And these are experiences we had. But the worst one of all Are line cutters in a grocery stall!!

They cut in line, They think it is fine They have no care About the others that glare.

You will always find these sorts of people. It’s unavoidable.

So good luck, I say to you, Don’t be blue, because these line cutters Cannot make you stutter You are stronger than them So smile and don’t condemn.

If you’re reading this, I know I’m dead.

I’m not the “dear diary,” type, but this is important. You know that, Maris. This diary is going to be the last thing you will find of me.

First off, Maris, I’m sorry you had to find me like this. I couldn’t bear to see you in pain.

I want to say to avoid karma, Maris. It’s a mirror of the life you lived. So as queen, beloved sister, please make the most of the life you will live. I love you very very much.

I’m not scared, trust me. I deserve it.

Second thing, Maris, I have a secret and a lie to tell you. The secret is that I’ve hidden a book in the castle library for you to find. It’s called “The Life of The Queen.” It’s about mother. I hope you like it. The lie is that I’m not scared. I’m afraid. What will it look like? Will it be painful? The physician I have consulted said it will not be. I’m scared. I’m so scared I’m insane.

I’ve lied this whole letter! Oh, dear Maris, you can’t be reading this because you’re dead too. Since I’m going to die anyway, I put a poison in your cup.

I love you, dear sister! I won’t be seeing you.