Blue Beauty Infected - Chapter 1


The moon is red. It’s spilling over, like a cascading giant. The red is falling down, onto the sea, and infecting it.

A midsummer  night’s dream. A peculiarity of love. And that is where we begin.

We start on the sand. The large body of rocks and salt that seemed like they could pierce your skin any second. So small but so deadly. The water, coming and taking it back. With its deep blue, it swallows the sand, never to be seen again. And over the water is the horizon. The line that touches the sky is red. Well, almost red. The spill is not so close yet. It’s merely an illusion the moon is creating.

On the sand, barefoot, a boy is standing watching the moon. He feels it- I can tell. He feels the freedom of the wind. It’s alluring seeing him enjoy it. The more he comes into view, the more alluring it gets. One word can make him move and I just have to say. Say it-

“Are you infected?” He turns around and asks me. It was a motion I didn’t see coming. His eyes are red. No- not yet. They are white, but the caruncle is starting to spill the red in.

“No, I’m not.” I say, and step back. He wasn’t infected either, so that was good. “You don’t have shoes on.” I look over to the horizon again, and at the red shadow it has. “And it’s almost time to leave.”

He looks down to his bare feet and hums. It was weird seeing a person with red caruncles. It was wonderful, but weird. Like bleeding tears. It seemed like he didn’t mind, so I asked.

“Are you from the ocean? Your eyes are red.” His hair is black. Jet black to be exact. Just like his iris.

The boy nods, though his facial expression doesn't change at all. So stoic, just like them. He points to the spilling moon over the ocean. “I came to see that.”

I look over to the moon too. The moon in the big grey sky. “And I wondered when it was going to rain.” I walk towards the pier, with him in tow. There is a rope I need to get.

“It doesn't rain.” I explain as I walk up the stairs, feeling the wind hit me too. “At least, this doesn't mean it rains.”

“This?”

“The sky.” I elaborate. “It’s always grey.” He nods again. I don’t see it, but I can assume he does. “The only time it’s not grey is when it’s black. That means night.”

“And how does it look when it does rain?”

“It looks just like this grey sky.” I reach the rope. It’s coiled. Easier for me to pick up. It’s also heavy. He watches me pick it up and throw it over my shoulder as I walk back down the pier. And he follows suit.

“When do you think it will rain?” We land on the sand once again, making it harder for me to carry the rope. “If the sky is always grey, how will we know when it rains?”

“We won’t.” I respond. “It just happens.”

After the sand comes the weeds. A small, uneven, green wall of weeds that connects  to grey paths. The one to the right goes to an abandoned amusement park, the other to the long road. The one I take and that he follows goes to the theater. It’s so quiet I can hear his breathing.

One end of the rope falls to the ground. It drags along making snake-like marks on the path. “What’s your name?” I ask.

He hesitates behind me, and then answers “Keita.”

With that, I smile. “Keita.” I repeat and continue dragging the rope.

“What’s your name?” He speaks with a slight accent. Something in his stomach is making him pronounce every word.

“Strange.”

“Have you met any infected?”

I shake my head. Strange for him to be asking. “No, I haven’t. Have you, Keita?” He shakes his head too.

“I can still think on my own.” He almost trips over a rock.

“Me too. I wonder what it would be like to not get mad or happy.” I turn around to look at Keita. “But I don’t think I would like to experience it.”

There were pastures everywhere. Lands and lands filled with them. Keita took a look around before looking back at me. “I don’t think I would like that too.” We hum in agreement and continue walking.

There is an old theater here. It has weeds and plants growing up the sides and dust all around. There are some beautiful mountains behind it, and in front, the ocean view. I like the ocean view. I can see the moon spilling and the horizon. When we get there, slightly up a cliff, I start wondering if Keita misses the ocean. He follows me diligently, so I guess not that much.

Out comes the dog. She is wearing her sock that I personally decorated for her. Her little paws go through the holes I made. I let the rope fall in the front of the theater while Suzy comes to me. She notices Keita and avoids him.

“This is Suzy.” I say and Keita walks back a bit. His cheeks turn to a light pink, signaling an emotion. I smile again and call him to come back. “She’s only a dog.”

“I’ve never seen a dog before.” He says before stopping in his tracks.  It was fun seeing him stop just before the cliff end that the big weeds covered. Keita looks around before he lowers his head and walks towards us again.

I tell him he can pet Suzy, so he tries before she starts shivering. Either way, they are both saved from something they don’t want to do. “How many dogs do you have?”

“Just this one.” I answer and Suzy barks. There are no dogs nearby so I only have my Suzy. The bark scares Keita who slightly jumps at the sound. He hurries to hide behind a big boulder near the weeds and peeks his head out. I slightly laugh, and that seems to make Keita come out a bit. “It’s just a dog sound Keita.”

I look over the calendar nailed on one of the wooden double doors. April 1, 2027. There is a slight moment where I know there is something I must do, then I remember. I give one last look at Keita still peeking behind the rock and turn.

With the rope outside, I walk towards the theater. “Come, let’s watch a movie.”


end of chapter one