I really wonder how you feel on these nights so alone

“if only you could see”

I will find the secret to your social chemistry.

Jan 12, 2009 || 7:00 PM || comment?

"Of all the people to find in that basement, it had to be him...I can't believe I embarrassed myself like that...it's a good thing he didn't seem to recognize me. I hope everything works out for him. If only I could get my problems solved..."

She walked through the town quarter where several people gathered for professional meetings, or casual ones to simply hang out with friends. The Underground City was one of several similar solutions to address the world's overpopulation problem. It wasn't exactly a "privilege" to live in the underground. When living costs became too high was when one made the move from the Metropolis to the underground. It was like being disconnected from the real world, even though their supplies came from above ground. Life wasn't exactly hard...but everything you once loved about the world above ground was something to be missed. No sunrise or sunset, no snow or rain. Things one might have taken for granted in an earlier life. There was one other reason why one might have moved to the underground. With the vast amount of people around, it seemed that those with magical powers were fairly abundant. However it only seemed this way because they stuck together in tightly knit groups, not able to fend for themselves, so they seeked power using numbers. Those with large pockets in the Metropolis owed their riches to these people with magical influences, but they were kept as deep, dark secrets. Those that fled to the Underground City were more or less welcomed as a normal member of society, adding their abilities with those of the others to keep the city functional. They were usually used to influence the emotions of others, to keep from falling into depression. With the passage of time, the magic slowly fades, which is why it can't be used for any kind of construction. Lost in her thoughts, the young girl ran into an elderly woman carrying a basket of fruit. She fell to the ground, and the fruit tumbled with her.

"Oh dear.." the woman spoke, then bent over to collect her fruit. "I'm sorry," the girl said, and helped the woman gather everything. "It's alright dear, just watch where you're heading next time...Oh my! You can't be more than five years old! What are you doing out and about by yourself? You could get hurt, or worse.." Taking a good look at the girl, the woman nodded. "I see you've scraped up your hand, and what happened to your knee? Surely you're staying out of trouble, dear? Where are your parents? I cannot believe they would let their child run about all alone." The elderly woman began looking around, hoping for a sign of a distressed parent possible searching for their child. "Hm, what to do with you? Come with me, child. I don't want anything to happen to you." The girl opened her mouth to protest, but the woman quickly out spoke her. "Not another word! You are too young to be out by yourself. Besides, I've got some fresh fruit. I bet you haven't had fresh fruit in a long while." It was true, she couldn't remember the last time she had a nice peach...The woman grabbed her hand tightly, and took her to a humble looking home. It was a bit bigger than the engineer's, but there was not an empty looking corner. The entire place was filled with random trinkets, and several crystals were laying around the place.

"What is this?" The little girl asked, reaching her hand out to a table with a crystal on it. The woman slapped the girl's hand away, then recomposed herself. "Now dear, you shouldn't touch anything without asking first."

"Oh...yes ma'am.."

"Now watch carefully..." She placed a palm over the crystal, and it slowly began to levitate. Colors then bled out of thin air, and swirled around the crystal. When it was high enough, she placed her other palm underneath it. The young girl watched in awe, then looked at the woman. "Can I touch it?" She nodded with a smile, then the girl took her index finger, and stuck it into the swirling colors. They stained her finger, but when she brought it close to examine it, the colors faded away. After the initial shock went away, she realized something incredible. This woman could help her! She could turn her back to normal, and everything would be better!

"Yes, isn't it something?" The woman set the crystal back on a the table with a soft thump, then turned away to walk into the kitchen. "Follow me, dear." She stared at the crystal for a moment longer before following her into the kitchen. The little girl climbed into a chair, and stared at the basket of fruit. Fresh fruit was a luxury in the underground. And it was also very hard to come by. Canned fruit was bountiful, however, but it could not compare. "Where did you get all this fruit?" she asked. The woman turned away from the counter, glanced at the basket, then at the little girl. "Yes..where did I get all of this wonderful fruit? Well I must admit I am a bit ashamed of myself...but do you promise to keep this a secret between you and me?" The little girl nodded, and the woman sighed. "I can conjure up your greatest desires. Whatever your heart is longing, I can make it a reality...even if for a few minutes. There's a man that makes a monthly trip to the Metropolis to keep food supplies stocked here. He misses his wife very much...the bitch must have left him when he decided to come to the Underground City. She was "too good" for that. He was a man with a pure heart.. I decided one day to read his heart, and that is what I learned. So I tried something, a little experiment. I transformed myself to look like his wife, and walked past him. He stopped me, asked kindly if I would listen to his story. He longed for her so much he would take anything that resembled her...so I spend a few minutes with him, we make friendly conversation, and he gives me the gift of this fruit. We both benefit from this." The girl was horrified with the story. "You..you don't feel guilty for doing this?"

The woman turned away from the girl. "I do...but I will not stop doing this. Unless he wants to stop seeing me...but until then.." The little girl decided that the woman had in fact fallen in love with that man, even though he loved her for something she clearly wasn't. She reached out to the fruit basket, then carefully put something in her pocket. "And.." she woman spoke up again, "I know who you are. You are no child. I was given specific instructions not to help you. I am sorry." The young girl frowned at this, then got up from the chair. "I'm going to leave now," she said, and the woman nodded. "I will show you the door." After saying their farewells, the woman shut the door, and the girl slowly walked away. She made it back to the town quarter before sitting on a bench. Sticking her hand in her pocket, she pulled out a peach. Lightly fuzzy, and smelling delicious, she glanced in the direction of the old woman's house before taking a bite out of the fruit.

Labels: fiction junction