SaintVals' Anthology 2021

e.g. [wlw]

by breakingstorms

The capacity to love is at the core of what defines us as humans; we will look for it even when it is absent. Almost a hundred years after most of humanity is wiped out, this is difficult to explain to the rest of the galaxy.

[Winner of the St. Valentine's Contest 2021]

[a womanxwoman short story] [completed]

*

14th February 2214AD

For the first time since classes began, I do not have piles of human literature essays waiting for me on my desk. I sigh, collapsing down into my sleek, velvet chair with a soft smile. The University for All Extra-Terrestrial Education had been set-up almost 50 years ago, by a lone scientist wishing for harmony amidst a century of war. It is now a raging success, with all creatures welcome to study their chosen subjects at free will.

A knock sounds, and a small, blue head peeks around my door.

"Mx Henry, can I speak with you about last week's literature essay?" Their words are timid, and their gaze flashes around the room nervously.

"Of course," I nod, rearranging myself on my chair as they step into my office. "Is there anything specific you would like to ask?"

They pause for a moment, glancing at the large bookshelf spanning the wall behind me. I follow their line-of-sight, my eyes catching on the Volumes of Love.

"Ah," I grin. "I wondered if you might have struggled with those."

A shaky chuckle escapes them. "I'm just not really sure what love...is?"

"Since humanity first came to be seven million years ago, we have wondered about what love really is." My eyes skim their face, watching for a reaction. "The short answer is we still don't know. The long answer...well."

"It's okay if you can't explain what it is, but could you maybe give an example?" Their blue skin glimmers as they rush to tag on, "A real-life example, please. Not one in literature."

"How much time do you have?" I laugh.

They shrug, "However long you need." Their eyes are curious, undaunted by time, brightened with a spark of humanity.

I hum softly, unpicking the threads of my memory. A photo of two people, clutching at one another with smiles weaving across their lips, flashes through my mind.

"Please, get comfortable," I indicate the chair beside my desk. They settle down hesitantly, dropping a bag beside their feet.

"The two people I am going to speak about were born over two centuries ago, and are now lost to the madness of time. You will probably have never heard their names, but once, they were names known to almost every human; adults and children alike." Warmth spreads across my cheeks at the thought of my own obsession with them. The fluorescent lights carve shapes into my student's patterned blue skin, unable to show their vulnerability despite the skin's ever-changing colour.

"Please, carry on," they murmur, voice piqued with curiosity.

I drag my mind back, ignoring my awareness of the red flush colouring my skin.

"To my knowledge, Avery had always been known for her bright personality. She thrived under the spotlights of stadiums as they lit her mahogany skin on fire with their intensity. Her hair was beautiful; curls dancing along her cheeks as a sweet smile graced her lips. She had eyes of bronze, and when she looked at you, there was nobody else in the room. Unlike much of humanity at the time, she wasn't scared of straying from the norm. Her concerts were filled with colour – pride flags often covered much of the audience – and her fans were from every corner of the Earth."