Friends, I was thinking and laughing today about the fact that all my friends who get in relationships seem to fall off the face of the planet.. and so then this story happened. Please note that I do not dislike my couple friends, but I merely had the inspiration for this story and couldn't help myself but write it down. To all my couple friends, I do really love you ;].
It was not the worst of times, but not the best of times. But sometimes good times. Life seemed somewhat ordinary, and nothing too spectacular was happening. To most, the world seemed a regular shade of blue, but soon it would turn an unusual shade of pink and lilac to others.
As Uno arose from her slumber to what she thought would be a regular day, her eyes were glazed over, oblivious to what was to come. Over to the sink she went, washing away the sleep and awakening her soul to life. All preparation for the day began normally, until suddenly she heard a knock on her door. It was her friend, Solo.
"Something's terribly wrong," were the only words to proceed out of Solo's mouth, then silence. The type of silence that prompts awkward shifting of eyes and shuffling of feet. Finally Uno spoke. "What's wrong."
"Everything," Solo replied. "They're nowhere to be found."
"Who, Solo?"
"The most recent Couple. I think they've crossed over."
Uno's heart dropped into her chest as the words sunk in. "Crossed over." Every single's terror. She had heard of this before, but never had she witnessed first-hand. The nightmare had in an instant transformed into a dark reality.
It all started on February 14th-- a day that is not spoken of often among the singles, but every individual knows about. It's the day they say many singles are consumed by the One With the Arrow and devoured by his blood-stained teeth. Uno knew she was not to roam the streets or go into public places-- the elder singles had warned her of its results. Nonetheless, Uno did not listen, and to make matters worse, she dragged along friends as well. She wanted adventure, and what was she to do but bring company with her? Off she went through the square on the dark day, the sky a shade of blood red. The day interested her and she sought to know what it held. Little did she know how her life would change. Uno's friends, more apprehensive about the decision, followed behind her suspiciously, their eyes following every noise and shadow. As they walked through the hollow streets, the sound of their hearts beating violently, they realized the sound was actually not their own hearts. It was hearts of "the Others."
The Others were also singles, but Our Kind normally avoided them at all costs. Until, of course, they heard the sound of the heartbeats. The sound was known to beckon Our Kind when we least expected it, beginning the process which would result in the "crossing over" of which we speak. Uno had heard a heartbeat a few times, but she seemed to have some sort of immunity to its powers, constantly overcoming its mystical echoes. However, some were more inclined to the sound of the beats- especially when the beat seemed to parallel their own heartbeats. When the beats met in harmony, the plague would set in and the members would transform into what we call "New Couples." From this point on, the plague would spread into their veins, breathing in their beings and creating partially mindless creatures. The Couples would be so devoured by the plague that their focus could only be on each other, their mind clouding the rest of the world in a deep fog. Such was the process of the heartbeats.
As the sound of the beats grew louder, Uno feared to look behind her into the eyes of her friends. She dreaded what she would see. Rigidly her head turned, her neck aching in the struggle against herself. Hearts. No eyes left in her friends heads, but simply hearts where the eyes used to be. Now they were just some eyeballs that she used to know. Uno shrieked in terror at the sight of her heart-eyed friends, and suddenly she realized what had happened. Both of her friends heartbeats had harmonized with the beat of the Others, and from that moment on, they would be lost forever.
After that day, her friends' minds grew more and more numb to the rest of the world. Their brains were overtaken by another world-- one of oblivion. Eventually the numbness got worse, and eventually, her friends had disappeared all together. They had crossed over, never to be seen again. To where they go is a mystery that Uno has yet to discover.
And so Uno's adventure began in her journey among the blinded...
To be continued....
