Seven Stories

Chapter 11: War and Healing

A little boy ran past Larmilai, and she lost balance, only steadying herself by endangering Eric's.

"Watch yourself, brat," the teenage boy muttered.

Larmilai smiled and straightened her brown jacket. She put a hand on Eric's arm. "Come on," she said, "the line had advanced." And indeed they were now six feet behind the last person. They caught up, and Larmilai leaned to look past the people in front of them. The line twisted and turned, colorful with the clothes of people in early spring-wear, queuing to reach the high, square, even more colorful tents of the unfair. Larmilai could see the swirls of roller coasters and hear the maddening, endless music of a merry-go-round.

"I hate fairs," Eric said. "They're creepy."

"Still afraid of the haunted train,a re we?"

"Well unlike you, Jinxes, i happen not to feel at home among the weirdoes that a dwell here."

"Thanks for calling me a weirdo, I appreciate it."

"You know I mean it in a loving way."

"Sure you do."

They had reached the level of the red booth where a cheerful blonde with bright pink eyes greeted them with a smile so big Larmilai wondered how she even managed to talk at the same time.

"Welcome to the Bloom Fair! Tickets for two? You're in luck, we've got special Valentine's reductions for couples!!"

Larmilai saw Eric about to correct the young girl's mistake, but there was such a sweetness to her expression and general attitude that Larmy did not have the heart to cause her any embarrassment. She grabbed Eric's arm firmly, her fingernails digging into his sweater.

"That's right, she said," and promptly gave the girl the money she asked for. Eric and Larmilai put their wrists out and received a stamp in blue ink, imprinting a pattern of balloons on their skin.

"It does"t hurt anyone," Larmilai sighed as she dragged Eric forward.

"You just conned your way into paying five bucks less is all!"

"I'd have paid even less had you not been here. Make yourself useful, help me find Tarayis's stand."

"That's her name?"

"No, Eric, that's my cat's name. Of course it's her name. Or her pseudonym. Honestly, I couldn't care less. Do you wanna split up?"

"Your parents will flip if they know I let you anywhere out of my sight."

"You'll flip if you don't have me in sight," Larmilai replied, but she gave up on the idea to go separate ways and motioned for them to start looking on the eastern side of the park.

The day was clear and nowhere near as chilly as any February she had ever experienced. The weather had been increasingly bizarre the past few months, but nobody complained as long as it meant a gentle winter. Some of the girls she walked past sported shorts so small she wasn't sure even she could fit in them, and she really was not of a tall build. A group of eighteen-year-olds, notably, peered at her with indulgent smile, and she was briefly highly aware of the colorless jeans and out of fashion sweatshirt she had thrown on. The feeling did not last long, and she lost any attention she had for the pretty girls, instead looking at the stand behind them. A man was loudly inviting walkers

"How many plushies stand do you think there are here? We've been walking for ten minutes and we've passed f... Eric?"

She noticed she could no longer feel his warmth by her side and spun on her feet. He had held back behind, by a stand of popcorns, and was now jogging back to her with an overfilled cup. His brown eyes were lit with excitement and sheer carelessness. Larmilai bit her lip to stifle a laugh.