"Hello? Is someone there?"
"Gnnnghrr!!" Timaeus dropped from the tree and buried himself in the undergrowth.
"Ah, Snow...I guess I made a mistake...How silly of me."
Timaeus peeked out between the bushes, narrowing eyes on the blind girl in the clearing.
". . . Do I know you?"
"Gaagh!!" Timaeus ducked down again as the apparition of Adam Eastriver came into the clearing.
"Oh! There is someone! Well, I'm not sure if you know me...Do I possibly know you?"
"Ruined it!" Timaeus muttered. From his hiding place he stuck out his tongue at the apparition who had interrupted his stalking.
"You can come closer if you like, I don't bite."
Timaeus sniggered to himself as he crawled through the undergrowth. It was a high and burbling giggle mixed with wheezing as he got to a better spot.
"I don't think we've ever met before. Could I sit with you, perhaps?"
No! Timaeus banged his fist on the ground, furious at the woman for being so kind to this stranger.
No, no no!!
"Ah, in that case it is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Chrysanthemum. What is yours? And yes, you can sit with me. I'm just enjoying the nature."
"Chris Anf the Mum!" he repeated the name in an odd, childlike repetition and licked his lips as he watched the blind girl.
"It's. . .it's Adam."
Timaeus's eyes widened and he became very still, ducking as low as he could amidst the thorns and bushes.
EEEEASTRIVERRRr?! he hissed as his yellow skin turned paler.
". . . Aren't you frightened to be out alone this late?"
"Mhmm." Timaeus nodded, then realised that Adam wasn't talking to him.
"It's nice to meet you Adam, and no I'm not frightened at all. I came out here because it was night. I came out to enjoy nature before the snow shut me away...I really can't leave when it gets to the usual 3 feet of snow around here. What about you? Why are you out this evening?"
Yes, Timaeus thought,
Why are you out, Eastriver? Ruining everything, like you always did! Bastard!
"I'm. . . not sure actually. I just kind of wanted to walk around in the snow."
Timaeus snatched a squirrel as it skittered past and gobbled it up in a single, terrible mouthful, venting his anger as he crunched the animal's bones.
". . .I don't really even get out that much."
Timaeus giggled again, the laughter mixed with his munching.
"You shouidn't stay inside so much, it's not good for you. I mean, I'm blind and I try to get out every day even in winter. If you can't get out then you should bring nature to you. Maybe start gowing some indoor plants or getting some flowers. I do that when winter comes around."
"Yes, flowers. Pretty, pretty flowers!"
"No. I can't
really go outside. Anytime at all. You're too kind. You don't understand Chrysanthemum. No one should have to see what I look like."
Timaeus spat out the squirrel's tale and pulled a face at the distant apparition.
"I know this may not mean much coming from someone like me but I think you are a beautiful person...Even though you may not be beautiful by some people's standards you are by mine. I feel something kind about you, I think it is in your voice. You speak with such a lovely voice that I can't imagine calling you anything else. It think that your fear of judgement is holding you back. Don't let the world get to you, be strong and you can conquer anything."
Timaeus stopped eating and stared at Chrysanthemum's back, his sickly eyes going a little sad for a moment. His lip trembled. Then the girl laughed and Timaeus resumed his glare.
"Sorry about that, didn't mean to give you a speech. I just hate to hear sad people, I feel the need to make everyone happy."
"Bleeegh! Timaeus stuck out his tongue again, no longer entranced by the girl's words but merely sickened. He had changed his mind quickly.
"You can't be real. You shouldn't waste your time on me. Nothing can help what's happened to me. Nothing will fix it. No one would want anything to do with me unless there was money in it for them. That's the only reason anyone would put up with me."
Timaeus cackled and licked the blood from the squirrel's spine, happy that Eastriver was suffering so much. He deserved it, after all.
"If you could see me you would understand. There's no hope for me. None."
"Yip!" Timaeus agreed, before giving another yelp as Adam stood up. Timaeus buried himself in the snow again and put his hands over his head, as if that might keep him invisible as the entity got angrier and angrier.
"Do you really feel the need to make everyone happy? Is it so generalized? I hope not if you truly want to make someone happy. Could you actually just want
one person to be happy? Someone beside yourself?"
"To be honest, It's more selfish than general. When people are happy, they tell me stories about their day or their family. They try to bring me into their world and share their joy with me. I mean, I'm blind! I can't see anything but a dark abyss in front of my eyes. When people are happy, I feel like I'm a part of that color-filled world that I wasn't lucky enough to see. I feel...like I belong, you know? That I'm not some weak blind girl that can't take care of herself and lives with her parents because no one would want to put in the work it takes to be with someone like me..."
Timaeus peeked out from behind his hands and listened to the girl again. She was nice. She spoke nice words. She reminded him of someone.
"However, I also want people to understand that it's not as bad as it could be. So what if you aren't beautiful? You are blessed with the ability to look upon the forests in spring and to see the beloved faces of the people you care for, when they die, you will be able to picture the times you shared together and remember that happiness all over again."
Timaeus found himself nodding along. The pretty girl had a point.
"All I'll have is their voices and even then I might not even remember what they said exactly...So yes, I could want just one person to be happy even if they aren't me. Because when they are happy then I am one person closer to showing them that they are blessed and bringing a smile to their faces makes me feel the joy of not being so weak and useless!"
Timaeus watched them in the ensuing silence, eyes wide and teary as Chrysanthemum's sadness turned into laughter.
"I'm sorry...I ranted, I usually don't do that..You must think I'm pathetic or something. It's just when someone acts so depressed, I just want to show them that it can't be all bad...That they aren't alone like they think and that there is someone who is wiling to listen, no matter how big or small the problems....Heh, wow not I just sound stupid..."
Bah! Timaeus wiped at his eyes and stuck his tongue out at the girl. She didn't know what she was talking about. Of course people were alone. Timaeus was alone. And no one was willing to listen to him.
". . .You've never. . . you've never seen anything?"
"I have never seen anything at all...Not my parents' faces, not the trees in the winter...not even my own reflection...I have no idea of colors or how a house is suppose to look. I can only feel and hear and smell, but those senses can not make up for my eyes completely, they only give me a vague idea of what something might appear to be, but even then I can not try to picture it myself for I have no reference to go by."
Timaeus ducked again as the girl got up and walked towards the apparition.
"Now the world isn't that bad now is it?"
"Yes!" Timaeus sneered from his hiding place in the bushes.
"I'm sure there are a lot of things that you like about it right?"
"No!"
"Don't you have memories that happened in this world that you find precious?"
"No!"
"Something that you could never bring yourself to forget because it makes you so happy?"
"NO!" Timaeus snapped, before clapping both hands over his mouth. He had almost broken his spell and revealed himself. Ducking back down, he stayed quiet and continued spying on the two.
"If the world is as bad as you think then it would have never allowed for such happy memories to happen so don't be upset with it please, nothing is perfect after all. Well, I should get home...It is getting late and my parents will worry if they find my bed empty...It was nice meeting you Adam and I hope that you can get out a litle more often soon, we only have one life after all. Oh, And I do hope you take my advice on the plants, they really can do wonders."
"Plants, yes. Lovely plants."
". . . Chrysanthemum, I would like to walk you home. If that's alright."
"Noooo!!" Timaeus rolled around in the snow, beating his hands and feet on the ground as he whined. Eastriver was determined to ruin his night.
"I would like that...Thank you, Adam."
As the two walked off together, Timaeus stood up and dusted himself off. The trees were looking at him, staying silent as he scowled.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP HER?!" he snarled at the nearest pine tree.
The tree rustled in the wind.
Timaeus kicked it, then yelped and hopped away, clutching his foot.