„Words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little different immediately after they are expressed, a little distorted, a little foolish."- Hermann Hesse
The two walked for a while. They searched for a convenience store nearby, the time turning to 5 p.m. o'clock.
They talked continuously for the whole time they'd been sauntering around on the streets. Vivien had never thought it was possible to hold such a long conversation with somebody before.
What the girl had forgotten was that they were still in the future, and the realm in the year 2028 was a place in which monsters such as glurbs still roam around.
Their guard was down, but they did not have fear. The green monsters with pink dots did not pose as big of a threat as the infamous Huldra.
The two stopped in front of a convenience store and entered through the front door. A few notes could be heard as they entered, creating a short melody which guided their entrance.
Once getting to the appropriate rack where sweets would usually be, they couldn't find any caramel tarts displayed.
They searched and searched, finally seeing a small box on which was written with a marker with bold letters: „caramel tarts."
It was just their luck. The desserts had arrived very soon, as if they were waiting for them to come take them. Sylas had searched his pockets, discovering that they were completely empty just then.
„Oops, I totally forgot I used up all my money before."
„I was under the impression you said you have money on you for certain! Oh, why did this outcome elude my mind, I wonder?"
Sylas turned to face her, smiling in a way she hadn't seen before. The girl looked at him confused.
„What?", she asked. „No way! We are not stealing-"
„But I think I have scissors that can help you open that booox. We need the desserts to calm down the glurbs so they do not attack us because they like caramel soooo much, didn't you say so a while ago? How about you opeeen it, Vivieeen?"
Sylas handed her scissors he found in his backpack. The girl took the item from his hand.
„It's a good thing you carry scissors with you... but not mental clarity. Do not think that I am not aware you lied you have money on you on purpose and waited for the last moment to tell me you do not have money just to get us to come to this shop and to, specifically, make me steal."
„Sweetheart, this is the future. If we go back in time, literally nobody from here could come after us. We have one life, and judging by your personality, I can tell you've never done something as thrilling as this before. You should listen to my commands more often, it will do you well!"
Vivien thought over his words better.
„Let's play rock paper scissors. If I happen to win, you steal for me in my place."
„Deal, but you already hold actual scissors. If you put up scissors as a move for the game, you'll hold double power, which is unfair to your wonderful opponent."
„Haha, so funny. Let's do this already."
The two played rock paper scissors, and of course, Vivien did not win.
She could never win at that game, no matter what she did. Sylas chuckled at her upset expression.
„I won, so when you open up that box, I want you to say the words open sesame."
„Why?"
„Don't ask, just do as I say!"
The girl walked forward, grabbed the box and looked around to make sure nobody else was watching. Cameras were not directed exactly on the spot they were standing in, which was perfect. Everything was going to go according to the plan.
She jabbed the scissors into the black duct tape and opened the box. The both of them looked inside of it, noticing approximately ten caramel tarts all cramped up together, but miraculously, not mashed up because of the tight space. She did not forget to say the magic words Sylas had told her about when opening the box.
„Sweet, these will work perfectly!", she said.
„I didn't know my dear Vivien has a sweet tooth."
„Just shut you mouth...", she responded as she handed him a few caramel tarts. After giving him the desserts, she placed the almost empty box back on the rack.
Her hands got sticky really fast, but she kept pushing through the unpleasant feeling, found a bag from the nearest place she could see in the store, and took the caramel tarts from his hands, placing the desserts inside the bag.
„You have a tremendeous influence on me.", the girl uttered, finally done with having placed the desserts in the bag.
The boy, obviously, chuckled once again at her words and reactions, but she somehow had grown used to it and did not find it as tiresome as before.
It was rather fun to go through all of these mini adventures with him.
The two paid attention to the cashier that was talking to the customer in the line. As they followed her movements, they stepped forward, sneaking behind other people or racks.
Once getting closer to the sensor, they ran forward without thinking. The sensor went off, but they kept running without looking back. Sylas told her to keep going until they reached a safe spot.
Once coming across a corner, the both of them could finally stop running. The two were panting, crouching down to hold onto their knees, but at least they had delicious caramel tarts to hold onto.
That alone would ease their tension.
Vivien noticed Sylas was holding onto his chest, but she didn't mention anything about it. She hoped he was fine.
After the both of them caught their breaths, they laughed together at the whole situation. She never thought she would steal from a store together with a boy, but here she was.
„I can't believe we did that."
„Best believe it, I've got more thrilling ideas I want to show you."
Afterwards, Sylas grabbed the bag, took a caramel tart from it and gave it to Vivien first. Then, he took one himself and started eating it.
They walked forward without having an exact location in their mind. Sylas just kept munching happily on his dessert, looking more joyful than ever before. He spoke with his mouth full.
„Mmm, this is delicious. I should have tried it sooner!"
As they walked, Vivien was reminiscing of something. She thought about one day, when she was strolling around the halls of Elton High, worried about what people thought and said about her.
She couldn't get the idea of her classmates despising her out of her mind, negative and terrible thoughts swirling. She had looked up just then, and saw a rainbow sticker which had the words written on it: „Everything will be alright!"
The small sticker was stuck on the wall to the right, and as she passed by, she raised her head up, her gaze going from the tiles on the ground to it. Those were the exact words she needed to hear in that moment, as if the universe was aware of her perturbation and anxieties.
It was a mysterious moment, and the girl can't help but look at the same wall where the rainbow sticker is placed with those same comforting words each time she passes by the halls of Elton.
She smiles each time she sees it. Vivien wondered if the sticker was still there, even in the current year they were in, 2028.
Her mind swirled back to the present moment, looking over at Sylas. She was also eating the caramel tart, mouth full and struggling to speak.
„I told you so. Who could ever harbor animosity towards caramel? It is beyond my understanding."
As the two ate and walked in peaceful silence, they came across a high mountain farther away, appearing in their view.
Sylas had suggested they walk up the mountain to look for the Huldra, in case they find it, they can make friends with it, then lure it and kill it another time.
The girl agreed to the idea and the two walked farther from the city, going on a short hike up the mountain.
She noticed it was very difficult for Sylas to climb, stopping in between steps to catch his breath. She knew the heart condition he was doomed to have because of their curse was advancing. Vivien didn't want to pressure him to tell her about it.
„Feeling okay?", she asked.
„Yes... but are we... there yet?"
„Only a few steps left."
The pair managed to walk uphill until reaching a beautiful meadow.
Coming across the view, Vivien stared in awe at the sight. The sun was just starting to set, forming a view that was nothing like she had ever seen before. She couldn't help but keep looking.
Just then, Sylas lay down in the grass, still trying to catch his breath. He looked up at the sky, watching the clouds moving, some faster, some slower, depending on the force of the wind guiding them.
„I used to be in great physical condition when the school year started. I have no clue what happened."
„You watched the blood moon and were granted a power that comes with a curse which destroys your future. Your destiny is to have a cardiovascular problem."
„Yeah, you did tell me about it, and I didn't listen."
„You never listen, I've come to make amends with it."
The girl lay down next to him in the grass. The soft moss was doing its best to hold the both of them up, as if resonating with their ambitious desire to see more of the world and its unfathomable beauty.
They were striped away of all wrongdoings, all stress, and all sorrow on this meadow. It was still autumn, the breeze of the air signaling the coming of winter very soon.
They did not see any lady with a cow tail for now, but perhaps, relaxing in the soft grass, looking at the sunset and smelling the fresh air was all they needed for now.
She sat up from the grass and dusted off her clothes, trying to catch a better look at the sunset. The orange color was pleasing to see, clouds also starting to turn pinkish.
As she was looking over at the sight, happy and content, she heard Sylas' voice, though she couldn't quite understand his words. She had walked too far away from him.
„Heeey, don't panic! There's something behind you. I think you should move from there!", he yelled so she could hear him.
„Whaaat? Chocolate?"
„No, you idiot. Move from there!"
Vivien turned around and noticed a glurb innocently standing there, sneaking up on her.
She immediately ran back to Sylas, her legs barely keeping up because of the extertion from walking and hiking for hours. Their bag full of caramel tarts was still left on the soft ground, next to the boy. Sylas reached towards the bag
„Vivien, catch!", Sylas threw her the caramel tart as she was sprinting towards him, and she caught it in the air.
Just as the glurb started sprinting towards the two, she threw it the dessert. The monster stopped for a second to sniff it, considering tasting it. The glurb started licking it, then ate it all up in one bite, as if there was no tomorrow. It rolled on its back and held its belly, looking very content with its meal.
„It actually worked!"
„You ought to have placed trust in my counsel. I told you I read about it in a book."
Another glurb jumped up from a bush, wanting to attack them. The girl threw it a caramel tart, too. The greenish and pink dotted creature did the same, ate it and rolled on its back.
„Are these the scary creatures that can turn us into themselves just by touching us? How embarrassing for them."
Cosaidering how it was getting dark and they were up on a mountain, they would surely get lost if they were to still keep standing in one place.
The girl suggested they get going, and Sylas followed her, the boy bidding farewell to the two glurbs happy with the meal they had before strolling away.