Embodiment || Nine Percent Lin Yanjun

Prologue

A smile dances across my lips as I bring the white roses up to my nose to sniff their elegant fragrance. The moist air from the after rain fills the air, which was Persephone's unavoidable contingency. The sky coated in clouds, blocks the sun and prepares itself for more rain.

I pace back and forth on a concrete staircase. Water stains the stone darker than its original form. My eyes scanning the scene around me a thousand times over. My mind expecting something to change. Someone to come around a corner, down the block, or even leave a close by building.

I stand. Waiting.

As time steadily ticks by I grow more worried. It was darker now, in a way that the sun was setting. The tinted clouds had colored themselves grayer. I could hear the rumbling of the thunder. The storm was reloading. It was forming again for the night time.

I stand. Waiting. Refusing to leave just yet.

I grow tired of standing, so I place myself on the edge of the steps. My gaze still searching.

My breath had now turned hotter than the temperature around me. My breath now was dancing in front of me as it left my mouth. Evaporating and disappearing within seconds.

I turn and rotate the bouquet in my hands. Spinning the flowers. They too were growing tired.

I hear the splatter of rain long before I feel it. The cold liquid falling on my warm gray beanie. I start to feel the water leak and soak into my clothes as I sit still, doing nothing.

I hear footsteps mixing in the drizzling rain. My head pops up. Hopefulness spreading across my face only to be wiped cleanly off.

A girl walking by catches my attention momentary as I mistake her for someone else.

I sigh, my mouth opening just enough that the cold water on my nose falls across my lips. Leaving a trail to my chin and a water drop on my upper lip.

When the pounding on my head comes to a stop, I look up to see the girl holding her umbrella out for me. The umbrella is clear giving view to the darkening sky above.

The girl's long caramel hair pulled back into a bun revealing her long pale skinny face. With a small smile on her face, she tosses the umbrella up, gesturing for me to take it.

Cautiously, I reach up and grab ahold of the handle. My hand lightly brushing hers before she lets go. Without another word, she backs away and leaves. This time leaving herself to be soaked in the pouring rain.

I stand up as I watch her disappear in the slowly forming fog. With the flowers still in my other hand, I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone.

The phone itself was nearly drenched, yet was decently safe from having been kept fairly dry in my pocket. I turn it to where I could click the on button. Just as the phone lights up a message runs across the lock screen. I place my finger along the recognition button. My fingertips are too wet and I have to put in the passcode to unlock the device. I aim straight for the message app to pull up the text.

"I'm sorry. I won't be able to make it to our date," my mouth reads the message out loud long before my mind process it in my head.

An aura of sadness surrounds me as I read the text over and over. My eyes wonder off the screen and onto the white roses in my hand.

I gradually walk down the staircase. My feet dragging with each step I take. When I make it to the bottom I walk with no destination. My feet carrying me in whatever direction they wanted to go.

At some point, I come to a stop. I find myself now not only protected by the clear umbrella but also a restaurant's awning. I lazily look around. My emotions carrying a depressing tone to them. My gaze turns from the street to the inside of the restaurant.

My eyes widen as a familiar woman sets inside talking to a man across from her.

The umbrella falls from my hand, hitting the ground. I feel water splash onto my legs from where the umbrella had landed, but my mind was not bothered by it.

My mind wonders lost about the woman inside. Her hand is drawn up to her lips as she laughs. Enjoyment lighting up her face. Despair and anger falling across mine.

Like the water hitting the ground, my beliefs become shattered.