Empathy Cures All

Chapter 8

On a cool Autumn afternoon in 1692, as Finn was finishing his work, Caelum was in his cabin pacing back and forth at the range of possibilities, He didn't know if he should tell him, he didn't know if he would feel the same but one thing he did know was that if he didn't it would slowly start to eat at him from the inside. His thoughts were interrupted by a vexed Finn bursting through the door of the cabin. Caelum immediately forgot about his thoughts and began to feel a bout of commiseration seeing his friend upset, he felt the need to console him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, sitting at the table they had haphazardly constructed together years prior. “My Father says I am to be married to the Blacksmith's daughter within the next month.” Caelum had remembered his friend's disdain for this predicament. He had told him about it on many occasions. He had begun searching his mind for the girl's name. “Lilith, the one with the unruly black hair?” Caelum said with venom in his voice. “Yeah, her.” Finn responded sadly, placing his head in his arms as they rested on the table. He told Caelum that he had always thought her raven-colored hair was gorgeous with its naturally tight ringlets. He was even more mesmerized by her dark skin and full lips, but he wasn't attracted. He felt as though it was the lack of emotional connection between the two, but another reason had been pushed down to the depths of Finn’s thoughts just as fast it emerged. He loved Caelum. His only friend. Just then Caelum had got up from his seat at the table and walked over to Finn’s side. “Why don’t we go skip some rocks huh? That always makes you feel better.” Finn reluctantly agreed and was swiftly dragged from his chair by the wrist. Halfway out the door Finn looked at where he and his friend were making contact and he felt his face flush with heat, he hoped the newfound color in his face would go unnoticed. It didn't.   

They had spent a few minutes skipping rocks on the lake, Caelum failing to successfully complete the task all the while being taunted and teased by his so-called friend. Eventually, they had taken a break to sit in the grass, feeling the warm sunshine in the chilly Autumn breeze. Caelum felt pleasant, enough so that he was finally able to muster enough mettle to tell his friend his true feelings. “Finn, I have something to tell you,” he said while reaching for a nearby golden leaf. He had always thought the way this world had changed colors was so fascinating. “What do you want to tell me?” Finn inquired, noticing Caelum’s lack of eye contact, It made him feel strange realizing he had always taken solace in his chestnut-colored eyes. “I'm not sure, I've just been having some very . . . confusing feelings.” whispered Caelum while twisting the golden leaf in his hand by the stem. “Really . . . like what?” said Finn feeling a little ecstatic. Could his friend really feel the same way he had all this time? “Every time I think about losing you my heart begins to hurt, and when you come to me with problems I feel the need to make them better.”. There was a moment of silence between both boys. “I’ve been feeling the same, we don't have to give it a name but, my settlement does have a word for it” Caelum’s chestnut eyes began to sparkle as he jolted forward, throwing the golden leaf back into the air only for it to land back to the ground with grace. He was eager to find out. “What is it?” he bellowed much to Finn’s surprise. “It’s called love . . . at least I think so.”. He was unsure because all the people in his village who claimed to be in love acted nothing like the two of them. Finn’s own parents had fought all the time, he had had many sleepless nights due to their loud arguments. He had even heard rumors that one of his neighbors had often beat his wife. The village's suspicions were proven to be true when the wife was seen bruised in the face. That didn't seem like something you do to someone you love. Another woman in the village had lain with another man all because she saw her husband as less of one. Love, Caelum had thought to himself, it was fitting. “Well I guess we're in love!” he practically shouted, causing Finn to grin sheepishly. Caelum tackled his newfound love to the ground and began to smother him all while laughing joyously. Eventually, they settled down with Finn resting his head on Caelum’s chest, watching the clouds as they rolled by on that scenic Autumn evening. Caelum then had a realization. He had chiseled his way into Finn's life, into his heart, and into Earth’s history. but this thought was abruptly interrupted.