Short Stories Collection

Cupid's Pain

The girl watched the young boy bounce through the crowd, his bow in hand as his eyes searched the many passing faces. No one else seemed to see him, or else they were so caught up in their own lives that their minds just couldn't register the blonde haired boy. He perched himself atop the back of a park bench, his bow taking aim. The string hummed gently as the arrow sored through the air before silently making impact with its target of a young woman jogging down the sidewalk.

The boy repeated his actions but on a man in a business suit with his phone to his ear. As the young girl watched and the blonde boy wearing a bored expression, the man bumped into the woman. It was obvious the two were attracted to each other, the flirty smiles and their shining eyes. The young girl couldn't help but roll her eyes at the ridiculous behavior and turned her attention back to the boy.

She saw that he was once again moving through the crowd, the bored expression nearly a scowl.

He must be cupid, the girl concluded and scoffed to herself. He should find a new hobby.

The girl looked down at her clothes, or rather the dirty rags that hung loose on her too thin body. Dirt clung to her nails and tangles created lumps in her dark hair, the locks unwashed and limp in her face. What cupid brought to the world wasn't a gift, but a curse that left only damage and tears in its wake. He was slowly destroying lives, one arrow at a time, even lives that had yet to exist. She was living proof of that.

The girl rose from her position in the grass and followed the boy until he stopped again, a look of thought upon his face. Just as he was about to release his arrow for a third time, she tapped on his shoulder. He whipped around, his eyes landing on her wide with shock. She returned his look with one of her own, glaring at him despite the fact she probably looked crazy talking to herself. After everything she had been through that was the least of her concerns.

"You can see me?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes and you should be ashamed." The girl scolded, sticking her finger in his face.

"Ashamed?" He asked confused. "Do you know who I am?"

"Cupid."

His eyebrows rose in surprise.

"So, what do I have to be ashamed of? I'm merely doing my job."

He sounded less than enthusiastic about the concept.

"You ruin lives!"

"I give happiness to people, for however long they make it last, which is better than an eternity of loneliness." Cupid looked away, his eyes dark. "Trust me it's better than that. But in the end they're all like like me."

"You enjoy hurting people so you don't have to be alone in your misery?!" She paused. "You don't have to be alone now."

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A/N: Word Count 500

This was written for the Aim to Engage 2019: Cupid Prompt - The Visible Deity

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