To Be or Not To Be

The room smelled of berries, dyes, acid, and moss. The wooden table that sat in the center of the room was covered from corner to corner. She spun around in a giddy circle. Flute of champagne in one hand, a glass flask filled with purple liquid in the other. Sitting on the table across from her was her small stuffed unicorn, Auni. Conveniently pronounced “a uni”.

She abruptly stopped and faced Auni. Her face scrunched up. The potion almost flying out of her hand. 

“Don’t look at me like that!” She yelled and pointed with the flute hand. 

She sat the flute on the table next to Auni. Then back to her workers area. Center of the table was her Mother’s cauldron. She poured the purple liquid into the already smoking pot.

“You know,” she spoke back to her unicorn. “This potion is going to be it. You sit there with that look on your face like everyone else around me.”

She chuckled under her breath.

“You all think I am crazy. No more. I am so tired of being alone. Mama is gone. Daddy is gone. Leaving me here when they knew no one would understand me.” 

Tears rolled down her face. She wiped her right cheek before grabbing a handful of glitter to add to the cauldron. Her left hand stayed in a clockwise motion stirring the pot. Her seventh ingredient caused the room to glow a bright purple color. The light of the day beaming through wide window that overlooked the small town she resided in. 

She paused her stirring to walk over to the window. She watched them going about their day. In a world of so many, she only saw a few smiles in all of those faces. From home to work they made their way in a constant routine. No real joy. 

Walking up the street, she saw him. He was walking from the refinery. Her days were filled with the fantasies of being next to him. He never saw her in school. No matter how many times she raised her hand in class and got recognition. Despite her song solo in the town’s festival. His eyes never floated her way. And now they were 22. Her the town’s witch and him doing what all the men do, work at the refinery. She watched him give his pleasant nod and sweet smile to the ladies he passed. But she saw underneath the pleasantries. She saw underneath all of the going from one point to the next. It was time it all changed.

She spun back and stomped to Auni. She bent over in front of her only companion. Once again fighting tears. 

“I am going to fix all of this, Auni. Ha! I see your smirk! This potion is the one that will make the change. It isn’t just about him.” Her hand found her hip. Upset at her unicorn’s chastising expression. 

Back to the table. The potion down to a simmer. The mist over it dissipated. Her eyes watched the now indigo liquid swirl. The gold glitter only adding a small iridescent glow. She picked up the cauldron by it handle and poured a small amount in a cup.

She watched the liquid in the glass.

“When I drink this, I won’t have to be up here with no love. The world will feel what I feel. No one will have to continue to believe the lie that we must suffer. I want them to know that our thoughts have the power to create the life we desire. I don’t want to be alone, Auni. I don’t want to do this life by myself.”

Before she could finish the last word, she brought the glass up to her lips and drank it swiftly. The potion made its way down her throat and to her stomach. From there it found its way to her bloodstream. To her knees she fell, glass breaking next to her. Auni watching from the table. She curled up in the ball as every cell in her body sparked. Lightning cracked in her veins. She clawed the floor trying to brace herself from the pain.

The sunny day was changing. The light from outside was blocked out by an overcast of cumulous clouds. The mummers of the town’s people could be heard in her space. She could not stand yet. The potion was still working its magic through her skin. She looked at her hand and it glowed indigo. The light from both hands reached towards the sky. She watched the colors go from her body up and out of her home. The more indigo in the sky, the bigger the clouds got. Beyond what the eyes could see.

Soon her hands were back to normal. She was able to get up off the grown. To be startled by the heavy pouring of rain. Out the window she saw the rain with a purple glow fall down across the world. The people outside ran as fast as they could inside. She watched the grown drown with purple. Maybe an inch of rain. She watched what she had done. Her heart began to beat faster.

“What have I done, Auni?!”

Five minutes later the last drop seeped into the ground. The water that stayed above land quicker sunk into the earth. Slowly people made their way back out of the homes. Looking to their neighbors and pointing to the sky. The clouds left as quickly as they came. The sun made its glorious return.

“I wonder if it worked,” she muttered.

“I guess we will have to wait and see.” She froze. The response in her body told her to run. But her heart told her to turn around. That she did. 

Auni still in the same spot, yet it blinked. IT BLINKED!

“Did you say something, Auni? I mean, it is totally ok if you did not.” 

“But I did. I said we will have to wait and see if it worked.” 

Her heart could have come out of her chest. Just as she was about to answer him, a knock came to her door. Something that had not happened since her parent past three years back. She looked to the door. Back to Auni. And back to the door. 

“Iridescent are you home?” Came a deep voice. She knew the voice. She had dreamed of it. Hoping to hear that sweet tone say her name.

“He won’t wait forever,” Auni said. 

She finally found the nerves and made her way to the door. As her hand turned the knob she took a deep breath. Opening it to the new reality.