charm(less)

vīgintī

—— v ī g i n t ī ——

IT WAS SO, so dark and Korey didn't know where he was.

He lifted a hand, alarmed when he couldn't even make out his own fingers less than a foot from his face. How had he gotten here? Why was it so dark? He had to get to school, Angelica would be waiting for him. As if his surroundings hear his thoughts, his house materialised around him, the familiar pale blue of his bedroom walls. He could hear Angelica's voice drifting up from the fire escape; the smell of Maria's pancakes wafted through the air. He felt like he was forgetting something even as he fitted his tie, shoved his books into his schoolbag, went through the motions. There was a tap at the window. Korey turned, expecting to see Snowy (Snowy? Who was Snowy) and stared at the large red eyes staring back at him.

"Hello," the creature rasped. Korey couldn't make sense of what he seeing, of the shape or size or species of this thing, beyond its bright eyes. "May I enter?"

"Who are you?" Korey took a step back. "What are you?"

"Don't listen," another voice said.

Korey turned and frowned at the dark-haired boy sitting cross-legged on his bed. His skin was a warm olive tone and his upturned dark eyes focused on Korey. A golden medallion hung around his neck. He seemed vaguely familiar, although Korey couldn't pinpoint where he might know him from.

"Don't listen to it," the boy said. "It wants to hurt you."

Korey's frown deepened. "And you don't?"

The boy held out a hand and uncurled long, slim fingers to reveal a single bloodred poppy sitting on his palm, petals soft with golden pollen. Korey knew, somewhere at the back of his mind, that this is what he was looking for. This is what he was forgetting as he got ready for school. He went to take the poppy but the boy stood up, heading for the door. "Follow me," he called over his shoulder.

Korey had no reason to follow him, but he did.

It was stormy outside, the clouds tossed to a tumultuous grey and trees bending almost parallel to the floor as the wind whipped through them. Lighting flashed in bright arcs in the sky and thunder was a terrifying rumble that never seemed to cease. Instinctively, Korey reached out to grip the dark-haired boy's hand only to realise he'd disappeared along with the poppy. Angelica stood in his place and smiled sweetly at him. Her long, black hair was curly, her lashes long around wide blue eyes. She held out a hand to him. Korey thought for a moment (wait, Angelica had brown eyes, her hair is straight, isn't it?) before taking the hand with a smile of his own. This was familiar, right. The storm raged on around them.

"Kiss me?" Angelica asked in a voice that did not belong to Angelica.

"Don't," that familiar voice said. "Turn away. Look at me."

Angelica pouted. "Listen to me. Kiss me."

Korey hesitated, then turned. There he was again, that boy, dark hair soaked through from the rain that had suddenly begun to pour from the skies. His lips were two red petals, his cheeks rosy. Poppies bloomed around his feet and wound up his legs, reaching to snare around his waist. The boy reached a hand out to Korey much like Angelica had. Only it wasn't Angelica anymore, it was a shrivelled hag-shaped shadow with talons for fingers. Korey yanked free with a gasp and took the boy's hand without hesitation. His skin was cool, familiar, wreathes of tiny red poppies weaving between their wrists to tie them together. Rain and wind lashed at their faces, the black clouds roiling above them. The boy tugged him closer by thejr joined hands until their noses touched, their lips a breath apart.