I never noticed it till now. How the water flowed so perfectly through my fingers or how they made gentle dams of water over my hands as I traced the beauty of it. The rivers were my safe place, right on the edge of my village where the broken bridge began. The other side of the river was called Valencia. It was beautiful, the birds singing and the water flowed just the same. It was peaceful, until the sickness spread 100 years ago. It stared from a purple plant, beautiful but deadly and once you ate it their was no going back.. It spread like wildfire throughout the capital. People would see red, there was endless bloodshed. It was like the plant had made them crazy. It made their blood turn black and their eyes burn purple. So the council had exiled everyone who had been infected with the poison of the plant to Valencia. It has been quiet ever since the mass outbreak occurred 10 years ago when they tried seizing back Baklin and they had to burn the bridge and all communication from the Valencians.

My mother knew I would come to the river to find my peace still and she scolded me for it, so I had to make up hidden excuses on where I was going. After a while she didn’t pay any mind to it.

Though one day I was laying out by the bank, my blonde curls layed out over the grass while I listened to the birds chirp, I heard a rustling in the trees. I stood up on my feet quickly and I looked around, I saw nothing. I started to pick up my book from the mossed base of a tree when I heard the rustling again. I looked up on the other side of the river to notice a boy siting in the tree. He looked at me with a feline gaze, almost like I was his next meal. It wasn’t just that, what caught my attention was his purple eyes. I started to back up and I tripped over my own feet. He jumped out of the tree with lethal grace just as I was getting back to my feet. It was like everything had gone silent, as if the waters stilled and the birds had stopped chirping their love songs.

“Don’t worry blondie, I’m harmless.” Said the boy.

“What are you doing here?!” I said panic stricken.

He didn’t awnser my question, instead he just stared. I started to step back some more to put some distance between myself and the danger that lurked on the other side of the river bank. As if he read my mind that was swarming with fear,

he said “I can’t swim.”

“How am I supposed to believe you? I know what your people are.” I snapped

“Trust me I would prove it to you, but I really don’t feel like drowning today.”

He sounded convincingly charming. Too smooth for someone who’s supposed to be a monster, I could tell the hint of rush and worry in his eyes.

He seemed a bit lost.

“Compelling excuse.” I say

He shrugged “I’m not lying. Besides your the one trespassing. This river belongs to the Valenians.”

“You lost that privilege when your people went mad.” I snarl

“They went mad. Not all of us ate the flower. Some of us were just.. born unlucky.” He said a little more serious now.

I look at him intently, as I felt the flicker of emotion ignite in my chest and I noticed

the way his silver hair called the the winds praises like maybe he was telling the truth.

“So what your saying is your not cursed like the rest of them?” I asked hesitantly.

He gave a half shrug

“The stories are what build discipline and keeps everyone in line, right? They make them afraid.” He paused. “ But you don’t seem like a girl who believes the words she’s heard.”

The words felt like flattery but I felt a twinge in my heart as the words left his lips.

“It just depends on whose telling the story.” I resorted

“Oh come on, blondie loosen up a bit.” He grinned

“My name is Lacy, not blondie.” I cut in.

“Lace-y, what a lovely name.” He says.

He lets the syllables melt of off tongue and takes his time saying my name.

“What’s your name..?” I ask

“Calix” he replies

“Well Calix, what were you doing watching me?” I wondered

“You looked like peace in a chaotic world, that’s rare to find nowadays.” He said while picking a yellow flower from the ground.

He lifted his hand and smiled as he guided the flower with the wind and it landed right by my feet.

I hoped I didn’t looked as shocked as a was but I bent down to pick it up anyways.

“How did you do that?” I questioned intently

I put the flower through my hair, rested on my ear.

“I can’t spill my secrets Lady Lacy.” He said with a sheepish grin.

I laughed at him, a genuine expression I haven’t felt in a long time. I started to walk away “It’s getting dark, I better hurry to the village before anyone worries.”

“You’ll be back.” He shouts

I felt his stare as I turned around.

“Don’t bet on it.” I grinned

“To late, blondie!” He said

As I turned around to walk to the village again I felt the smile still on my face and I felt fuzzy. This couldn’t be real. It had to be a dream. Had I been tricked into believing that Valenians were evil this whole time? I was questioning my motives on one simple encounter.

2 weeks have gone by and I haven’t been back to the river since, scared of what my heart would betray. But tonight was different, that same purple flower that dammed everyone a century ago appeared on my window seal. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was stricken, and scared of what might happen so I grabbed it cautiously and put it in my sachel. As I paced my room for 10 minutes i was scolding with anger and confusion. How did the flower get here?! I slid out of my window quietly and made my journey down to the river bank.

I stopped at the flowing waters and opened my sachel. I pulled out the flower to discard of it.

“So I’m guessing you didn’t like my gift?” He says from behind me

I jolt, my heart racing “you shouldn’t be here”

“Neither should you” he resorted “ I guess we’ve both just broken the rules.”

He steps closer.

I didn’t realize I was still backing up until I felt my back smash against a tree truck.

“You want to know the truth?” He says voice low “About me, about what I am?” He grabbed the flower from my hand “Then eat this”

“Are you crazy?!”

“It won’t kill you, I’m right here with you..you have my word.” He whispers

I don’t know why I trust him, I know I shouldn’t.

He brushed my hair back, tilting my face up towards the moonlight, my breath hitches for a split second and gaze follows his fingertips as they trail down my jaw. I am drowning, already lost. I’m river bound.

He picks a petal off of the flower, splits my mouth with his tumb.

“Stick your tounge out for me.” He says

I obey and he stares at me intently as he places the petal on my tounge and I swallow it.

The world shifts, the color starts to drain, I feel nothing but heat burning through me as my knees buckle.

He catches me.

“It’s in you now lacy,” he murmurs. “Now you’ll see what I see.”

And then he kisses me.

Not soft or gentle

Hungry. Devoted. Dangerous.

As I felt the fire ignite in my bones, I kissed him back.

Sorry about the grammatical errors, first story I’ve written in years maybe since like the 7th grade!! It’s a little rushed too because of the word limit but I had a fun time writing this! Hope you enjoyed and I’m open to feedback.