Cost: Free.97

When River was crawling on the floor, asked, "Are we on free.99 or is it free.97?" his vision was blurry. As a matter of fact, River was entitled to be angry. It was Quinn who tricked him into awakening a ghost. She knew the ghost would be stupid enough to think they were a couple. As she stood there, she felt weird seeing her body because she couldn't control it. She had no choice but to crawl on the floor. It felt weird to hear his voice every time he spoke. As hard as she tried to keep her gaze fixed on the mirror, it was exhausting. While the cracks were getting worse, she knew he was going to regain some of his vision soon. She was starting to think her sister and Riley got the better end of a curse. At least they had their own eyes. Seeing him, she yelled, "Stop," attempting to keep her balance. "Quinn Simmon, I swear, why can't you ever listen?" he mumbled as he stood up.

 "River, just keep your eyes closed," she begged. "I love to see, but my vision is hazy," he grunted. An out-of-body experience would have been better. It was eerie seeing her lips move when speaking. Was this a sick, twisted joke? She was seeing herself for the first time in a light she wasn't pleased. She knew she wasn't beautiful; she knew she was a tease, she knew she could barely be sober. Why did he see the best in her? Was she worthy of it? Despite his best efforts, River was beginning to blink upon sitting on the edge of the bed. Apparently, she was a little nervous now about how he might perceive herself with the confusion of confusion, or if she could regain her normal vision?

The old wooden floorboards in the room caught her attention as she tried to take a seat next to him. She was clueless about where her sister or friend Riley were. It was as if the two vanished without a trace, which, considering the history of the town, wasn't so unusual. River found that his eyesight was getting better he could see the outlining of the blurry images. Her contacts weren't in, and she was on thin ice with the housing manager. She confessed, "My contacts aren't in.” 

River squinted at the sound of her voice. She responded: "No, I don't... she did, but this feels worse than what Aug and Ri are going through," she said, focusing on a nail that needed to be driven home. "Quinn, tell me what's going on!" he demanded. "I can see through your eyes, but I control my body," Quinn explained. "You wear glasses?" he asked. "Not really," she spat, "but like I should." He wondered, "Quinn, did she tell you anything important last night?"

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There were candles around Quinn as he sat in the middle of the floor. As River shook his head in disapproval of Quinn Simmon's plan, he was confused and annoyed. Despite the selfish actions she displayed frequently, he kept trying to see the best in the girl from his childhood. Pulling out tarot cards, she had a sly smile on her face. Immediately, his jaw dropped as he ran to the door. He tried to budge it open; she knew he didn't mess with the other worlds, but yet she tricked him. The blind optimism he displayed was what she was counting on. "Quinn, no!" he cried as he slammed the door behind him. "Please, River, I need your help," she reiterated, refusing to move from where she sat in a dress that could not be more revealing. In his widening eyes, he realized that Quinn Simmon was a genuine menace. The woman's hair was perfectly straight, her eyes gleamed, and her lips were painted with bright red lipstick. "This is a dangerous game, Quinn," he said as he fell to the floor, accepting defeat in the chaos about to envelop them. He became numb as he gazed at the ceiling and open windows.

"You really thought, I would not try to wake an imaginary ghost up?" Quinn questioned. "Quinn, unlock this door now!" he screamed. "No, it must be nice to see everything through rose-colored glasses." She said, the room growing cold. What is it like to see the best in someone such as her? Although she had done nothing right in her life, he was always optimistic that people would change for the better. Affirming that he saw it on more than one occasion, which is pretty funny considering how horrid she was on numerous occasions. Their history clouded River's judgment. Summers spent playing tag, catching lightning bugs, harvesting s’mores, and watching fireworks were long gone. The mirror crackled, and he dashed to find something to throw over it as he shouted "Quinn!" Taking a moment to observe the room, River noticed all the sheets, curtains, and blankets were gone. "Laundry day," she smiled. "Who hurt you?" he questioned. "You," she replied. "Me?" he mumbled, sliding to the floor once he picked up a candle. He felt tears escaping his eyes.

"River, stay away from my sister," August warned as she stood awkwardly at the bar as girls continued to pinch her ass. "August, don't you think you're being harsh?" he asked while handing her a beer. "I think you're a future victim of hers," August said, with her eyes locked with his. "You never won a staring contest with me," he scuffed. "River, I am serious. Knowing her, she will try contacting that ghost, who is the rudest being I have ever met," August said, pushing herself toward the counter. She was getting annoyed with the girls' touchy handsy behavior. "The ghost who cursed you and your friend is rude, wow that is a shocking development," he said. A girl embraced August as she sipped on her drink. As August became increasingly tense, she didn't know how to convince the girl to move as she clung to her body. "Gigi, leave Riley alone. He has work to do in the back," River said, opening the bar and leading him to the backyard the employees used after hours. 

"That too much attention for you?" he laughed. She sighed, taking a seat on an old beat-up lawn chair. "Alright, the ghost spoke to me, but I didn't like what it said." She said. "That somehow doesn't surprise me," he said. "She claims I am in the perfect body for my soulmate," she said, fighting back tears. Despite his unwillingness to say it aloud, River knew uttering those words would not be easy. His memory of August is of a timid and playful girl who was keenly observant. Throughout his young life, he had experienced what it was like to be viewed with disdain for reasons beyond one's control. This was a cruelty no one should ever have to endure. "What did Riley say about this?" he asked. "River, I cannot tell him and before you go, yes you do. I can't I was already confused before this." she said. "Gay or Bi?" he asked. August laughed. "Is it obvious?" she asked. As he sat on an old keg, he replied, "Context clues are my friend...your sister thinks you're super straight and Riley is super gay.”

“I don’t know, I feel it might have been worse if I woke up in that other body.” she said. “I imagine that has to be intimidating,” River said. “And beyond depressing, you were a fat kid with a glow up,” she said. “That I was and your sister won’t get it. Because suddenly you lose the weight, you grow into the person you're meant to be, then everyone sees you differently, they treat you better, and it fucks with you,” he said. “Yes!” she shouted. “But it only fucks with you allowed it. Maybe that’s why I’m always trying to see the best in everyone,” he speculated aloud. They both became silent as August took a sip of her beer.

"Can you not tell her about the soulmate thing," she said, looking down at the cobble stone flooring. "I won't tell her, but maybe you should." River advised. "River, it must be nice to see the positive all the time, what's that like to see everyone in their best light?" she asked. "It's not hard for me, it's difficult for other people to accept." he explained with a smile as he fidgeted with his fingers. A smile spread across August's face as she glanced up at the night sky and saw stars she was not accustomed to seeing back home. "Don't ever change River, we need more people like you," she smiled. 

Why had he always been able to see the best in everyone? "You," Quinn shouted. "Why me?" he asked. Her eyes brimming with rage as the room turned cold. "How can you not see that people are horrible, yet you act as if everyone is capable of the best." she asked. "Quinn because they are, I hate to see the world through your eyes, what type of life is that to live." he said. "At least my world isn't filtered by rose-colored glasses," she said as she felt a hand touched her shoulder.  What was it about him that he could always see the best in everyone? "You," Quinn shouted. "Why me?" he asked. As the room became cold, her eyes brimmed with fury. "How can you not see that people are horrible, yet you act as if everyone is capable of the best," she asked. Clearly, this did not sit well with him, "Quinn, I hate to see the world through your eyes, what kind of life is that." he said. "At least my world isn't filtered by rose-colored glasses," she said as she felt a hand touched her shoulder. When she realized River was sitting right in front of her, her body tensed. 

An eccentric voice whispered, "I can fix that," as the candles went out and the windows closed. "I offered you sight in the vision you viciously seek," the ghost cackled. River was trembling, not a sound was heard from his lips. Quinn closed her eyes, telling herself that it was a dream, that her use of dry rye had been a mistake. She told herself she was dreaming, anything to escape the hell she unleashed on them. He felt tears sting his eyes as ants crawling all over his face. Providing a sympathetic smile, he felt his eyes burn. "Deary, you will not find anything good in me," she warned. "I see you loved your daughter, who didn't get to live the life she was worthy of." he said. With pitapatted footsteps, the ghost approached him knelt by his side, holding their gazes in an expression of hope and delusion. "I blind thee to the bitter truth of reality," she said, scratching at his eyes, he wanted to scream but his mouth went numb, and he thought blood was dripping from his eyes as his vision became blurred. He decided that the best course of action was to remain silent and allow the nightmare to play out. What else could he have done? 

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"Let's just close our eyes at the same time," she advised. River squinted as his eyes swelled shut after hearing what they said. As Quinn whispered, "3.2.1 Open, something about seeing things from the other's perspective," River appeared before her once again, but his gray eyes were not there. They were hers. His eyes saw the world brighter, the best in everyone, and she had given him the worst set. A pair of eyes that saw nothing but destruction and despair. He looked at her, conflicted. Her eyes had a darkness he had been naïve to. She never would have wished for anyone to see the world she saw. There was a great regret of not attempting to see it as River had, that everyone had the power to change for the better. If her past haunted her, would it haunt him?