Story One

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Stifling heat shimmered above the red-dust covered ground as a person of unknown gender slunk into a vibrant stall, in a sweet smelling market. Their pale, almost translucent skin, contrasted brightly to the dark skinned people surrounding them.

The person uncertainly walked up to a young saleswoman and tapped her shoulder.

"Excuse me?" Their voice was rusted like it hadn't been used in a long time, and they had an unfamiliar accent impossible to place.

The saleswoman started and turned to look at the person who had spoken, "How may I help you?"

"What do you sell here?" The person tried to smile but it looked more like a barring of their teeth.

She squinted at the person's face. For some reason even though she was looking at them, their face couldn't stick in her brain. She dismissed this fact but answered their question suspiciously.

"What do you think?" She gestured at the brightly colored fabrics, silks, and flowers that hung around the stall.

The person of undetermined gender stole their eyes away from the woman to peer around the shop.

They looked back her, "What's your name?"

The woman, starting to feel uncomfortable, took a small step backward—small enough she thought the person didn't notice. They did.

She answered all the same when she saw they were waiting and wouldn't budge, "Cassiopeia."

"Like the constellation?"

Their eyes were unsettling now, a darkness that seemed to swallow Cassiopeia whole the longer she looked.

"Yes... Where are you from?" She suddenly questioned the peculiar person, wanting to steer the conversation away from herself.

They flashed a sharp smile.

"I think we're done here."

Their accent, a mixture of storm-like roughness and cloud-like softness, felt like a cold hand gripping her throat.

The woman took another step back, and as the person turned to leave, she swore she saw their eyes swirl into an inky blackness darker than space.

Cassiopeia spun back towards the stall, fog clearing from her mind.

"You alright, Cassie?" Her girlfriend, Nala, yelled out from behind the cashier.

"...Yeah. Of course."

Nala smiled at Cassiopeia, who smiled back endearingly before turning to another customer.

Cassie didn't remember the unknown person.

X-X-X

And that's a wrap!

Edited: Nov 5th, 2019
Word Count: 379

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