The End at the Fair; Part 1
She had bought it for me as a graduation present, and it surprisingly was something I could see myself wearing. It fell just above my knees, a pale pink color and soft to the touch. Tank top straps supported its scooping neckline, not too deep but just the right amount for my taste. I took it from her and slipped it over my head, while she did up the button at the back.
“Oh Elizabeth…you look beautiful!” She exclaimed. I looked up and into the mirror, and I was shocked. The dress fit like a glove. I felt a surge of confidence and I smiled.
“I’m so proud of you,” my mother said, turning to hug me tightly.
“Well I know that, but why?” I said with a laugh she returned.
“For graduating, for finding someone great…you’ve changed so much this year, changed for the better, and I just can’t help but be proud.”
There was a knock on the door.
“Is she ready?” Aitiņa called, muffled by the closed door.
Mother broke from our hug and gave me one more smile. “Yes she is, come on in.”
Aitina traded places with my mother, who closed the door behind her as she left. A soft smile lit up Aitina’s face.
“You look great,” she said, looking over the dress.
“Thanks. Where’s Kath?” I asked in a low voice, unsure if Mother would hear.
“He’s just around the corner, anxious as ever,” she replied with a smile. She pulled a brush from her shoulder bag and began to run it through my hair.
“I feel like this is so much trouble if we’re just going to the fair,” I mumbled, glancing at Aitina’s face in the mirror.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s common for humans to dress up every so often, isn’t it?” She began pinning some of my hair back with clips she pulled from her bag. “Just have fun. You’re done with high school. Why not start off the summer on a good note?”
“Yeah.” I smiled as I thought of Kath, excited as ever when he’d shown me the tickets at graduation. “How is he doing?” I asked, my smile fading.
“Running through these human experiences is helping, I think. It hurts him still, but he’s getting better.” Her brow furrowed a bit, but I didn’t ask. For tonight, I didn’t want to think of anything Zodiac related. Suddenly, she chuckled and shook her head. “He’s early.”
The door bell rang a couple seconds later.
“Good thing I’m done anyway,” she said with a mock annoyed sigh. I hugged her quickly before running out the door and down the stairs. As if I hadn’t seen him in years, I flung the door open, eager to see his face framed by his soft black hair, that smirky grin of his, and those shocking green eyes.
And there he stood, wearing a black dress shirt and pants, a metallic silver tie neatly wound around his neck in a perfect knot. He smelled as incredible as always, enticing and irresistible. I looked up at him almost in wonder. Kath grinned back, pulling something out from behind his back.
“Oh good, I was hoping it’d be pink.” His hand opened up to reveal a pink lotus. I gasped as I leaned in to smell it. “Now it’ll match,” he said, slipping it over some of the pins in my hair. It stayed perfectly in place. I caught his retreating hand and used it to pull him in for a kiss.
Your mom’s in the other room. We should probably save it for later. I could sense the grin in his voice. I pulled away grudgingly, keeping my face close to his.
“I’m sorry, I realized I forgot to say hello,” I replied quietly, my breathing slightly labored from the kiss. As I paused to take a breath, I realized suddenly I wasn’t the only one breathing. My eyes grew wide as I pulled away slightly.
“Are you…are you breathing?” I whispered hurriedly, incredulous.
“Recently I’ve had to. It starts to get uncomfortable if I don’t,” he replied in a low voice. He looked slightly proud and yet it was reserved.
“Does that mean-“
But I didn’t have a chance to voice my theory, as Mother walked in, Aitiņa at her side. When did she slip down the stairs?
“Alright you two, time to get going!” She had a slight look of disapproval, but she mostly looked excited.
“Me too,” Aitina chimed in, following us out the door as we called out our goodbyes.
“Where are you headed, Aitina?” Kath asked as we made our way down the driveway.
“The Sycamores probably. Khyi said he was dropping by, I should probably keep him company,” she answered as she turned the opposite way. “Have fun you two,” she called with a smile as we began to follow the sidewalk that led us to the fair grounds. Kath and I waved back, then faced frontward. He wove his fingers through mine effortlessly. They felt warmer than usual, and I looked up at him.
“So, it’s actually working?” I asked in amazement.
“It seems to be. I tested something last night.” He paused, but didn’t meet my gaze.
“What?” I asked anxiously.
“Please don’t be mad,” he pleaded, “but I tried to shift to god form.”
“And?”
“It hurt like hell. Pure agony. I got about halfway before I had to stop.”
“Well…as much as I don’t like the sound of that…it’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
Kath met my gaze finally. “It’s progress,” he replied with a reassuring smile.
“Are you okay though? With all of this? I know it’s something we agreed on, but it has to be hard for you.” As much as I didn’t want to give him any doubts, I had to know if he was being pushed too hard.
He leaned over and kissed the top of my head.
“Don’t worry about me,” he chided, squeezing my hand. “I can handle it. I’m still a deity, after all.”
“Is there anything I can do at all?” I inquired hopefully.
“Being right where you are is all I need. It’s a gradual process, I’m finding out.”
We rounded a corner, the bright lights of the fairground now visible in the distance.
“Still, I don’t like the idea of you suffering all that by yourself. Next time you want to try something, make sure I’m with you, okay?” I realized I was frowning.
“Hey hey, no more heavy stuff tonight, alright? Let’s have some fun.” He tickled my side, sending me into a fit of giggles.
“No, no! Stop!” I gasped, trying to separate myself from him. As soon as I protested, he pulled back, holding his hands up in defeat.
“Alright, fine. But only because you can’t fight back,” he added with a smirk.
“It’s not fair you’re not ticklish,” I muttered, feigning annoyance.
As much as I didn’t want to think about anything that didn’t fit in a normal date night, I had so many questions and theories about what would happen to Kath if he managed to become human. Would he lose some of his personality traits that made him so catlike? Maybe his hydrophobia, or possibly even his playful, childlike nature? And what would he gain? Would he be as clumsy as the rest of us? Maybe he actually would be ticklish someday. With so many unanswered questions floating around in my brain, it was hard not to get lost in the ‘what if’s.
“Hey, check it out.” Kath’s fingers gently brushed my bare shoulder as he pointed ahead of us with his other hand. I glanced upward, fighting the shivers that instinctively wanted to tremble down my spine from his touch.
The whole fair ground was lit ahead of us with warm, yellow lights on strings. They lined every booth and created one network of lighting for the entirety of the grounds, making it seem like almost like daylight despite the pitch blackness that surrounded them. Various rides lit up the horizon; a Ferris wheel rotated in the distance looking like a giant red and yellow snowflake while a mini roller coaster boasted a tame, clichéd haunted theme. The air was filled with cheerful, vaguely familiar music from a carousel, an upbeat march that made me feel like a child again. And, of course, the strong, sweet aroma of fried confections wafted towards us. Elephant ears, ice cream, cotton candy! The colorfully decorated signs advertized them all.
I was hit with the strange impulse to run and close the distance between me and this dreamlike world. I wanted to taste everything, see everything, experience everything. Kath sensed my excitement and produced the two tickets from his jacket pocket.
“So what are we doing out here?” he asked, a mischievous, all knowing grin on his face.
We breezed through the ticket line quickly as it turned out that most people hadn’t purchased their tickets ahead of time. And before we knew it, we were surrounded by a vast expanse of sights and sounds. Kath wove his fingers between mine and we walked the makeshift fairground as if we were window shopping. I looked up at him as he recounted a memory of fairgrounds in the sixties, eyes shining as he gestured animatedly, his hair backlit softly by the overhead strings of lights.
“I’ve always wanted to taste an elephant ear,” he admitted, looking only the slightest bit downcast. The way he said it reminded me of a child who was missing their favorite stuffed animal. I felt a sudden rush of affection and I squeezed his hand.
“One day you will. One day, soon,” I added, hoping it was true. If Kath kept slowly becoming more human, his sense of taste and need to eat should be one of the earlier characteristics he gained. His face lit up as he stopped in his tracks.
“Hey, we just passed a food stand. How about we try it now?” I shot him a wary look. “I’ve been good,” he pleaded, as if I could grant him what he wanted.
“It’s worth a shot. I’ll eat it if you can’t,” I said, trying to be encouraging. As soon as the words left my lips we were doubling back towards the food stand. He paused at a bench a couple of stalls down, vacant save for one man.
“Save me a spot. I’ll be right back,” he said, winking at me as he walked off. I felt my cheeks warm slightly as I waved awkwardly. As soon as he was out of sight, I proceeded to sit down. I glanced at the man at the opposite end, realizing too late that he might have been saving the bench for his family.
“I’m sorry, sir,” I stammered uncomfortably, my typical approach to talking to people I didn’t know. “Do you mind if we sit here?” I instantly felt stupid, I should’ve mentioned Kath and I, instead of sounding like I had multiple personality disorder. He turned slightly, not really facing me.
“Not at all.”
“Thank you.” I played with a stray string coming off my dress, averting my eyes. About half a minute later, he got up and left. I probably chased him off with my fantastic social etiquette, I thought to myself, wincing internally. As I glanced over to where he had been sitting, I noticed he’d left a worn leather wallet behind. I looked up quickly and located his retreating figure.
“Sir?” I said timidly as I took the wallet and walked towards him. He didn’t respond as he rounded a corner towards the edge of the fair grounds. Think, Elizabeth, you need to speak up if he’s going to hear you. “Sir?” I tried to project my voice and walk a little faster. He continued to walk past dissembled rides, broken stall parts, and a gate which marked the end of the grounds. Behind it was a small field, then a scraggly yet large forest that separated a subdivision from the fairgrounds. The gate creaked shut behind me; I was getting a little unsettled. He probably lives just past the forest and is walking home. At least, that’s what I wanted to believe. Finally, I jogged and placed my free hand on his arm clumsily. “Um, sir? You-”
I screamed as he grabbed my wrist with bone-crushing force.
“Why thank you,” he said in a falsely pleasant voice, and horror rushed through me like a dam had just burst somewhere in my body. The hairs on the back of my neck pricked as he faced me, yellow eyes gleaming in the dark.
Tora had me, and Kath was nowhere to be seen.
“Oh Elizabeth…you look beautiful!” She exclaimed. I looked up and into the mirror, and I was shocked. The dress fit like a glove. I felt a surge of confidence and I smiled.
“I’m so proud of you,” my mother said, turning to hug me tightly.
“Well I know that, but why?” I said with a laugh she returned.
“For graduating, for finding someone great…you’ve changed so much this year, changed for the better, and I just can’t help but be proud.”
There was a knock on the door.
“Is she ready?” Aitiņa called, muffled by the closed door.
Mother broke from our hug and gave me one more smile. “Yes she is, come on in.”
Aitina traded places with my mother, who closed the door behind her as she left. A soft smile lit up Aitina’s face.
“You look great,” she said, looking over the dress.
“Thanks. Where’s Kath?” I asked in a low voice, unsure if Mother would hear.
“He’s just around the corner, anxious as ever,” she replied with a smile. She pulled a brush from her shoulder bag and began to run it through my hair.
“I feel like this is so much trouble if we’re just going to the fair,” I mumbled, glancing at Aitina’s face in the mirror.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s common for humans to dress up every so often, isn’t it?” She began pinning some of my hair back with clips she pulled from her bag. “Just have fun. You’re done with high school. Why not start off the summer on a good note?”
“Yeah.” I smiled as I thought of Kath, excited as ever when he’d shown me the tickets at graduation. “How is he doing?” I asked, my smile fading.
“Running through these human experiences is helping, I think. It hurts him still, but he’s getting better.” Her brow furrowed a bit, but I didn’t ask. For tonight, I didn’t want to think of anything Zodiac related. Suddenly, she chuckled and shook her head. “He’s early.”
The door bell rang a couple seconds later.
“Good thing I’m done anyway,” she said with a mock annoyed sigh. I hugged her quickly before running out the door and down the stairs. As if I hadn’t seen him in years, I flung the door open, eager to see his face framed by his soft black hair, that smirky grin of his, and those shocking green eyes.
And there he stood, wearing a black dress shirt and pants, a metallic silver tie neatly wound around his neck in a perfect knot. He smelled as incredible as always, enticing and irresistible. I looked up at him almost in wonder. Kath grinned back, pulling something out from behind his back.
“Oh good, I was hoping it’d be pink.” His hand opened up to reveal a pink lotus. I gasped as I leaned in to smell it. “Now it’ll match,” he said, slipping it over some of the pins in my hair. It stayed perfectly in place. I caught his retreating hand and used it to pull him in for a kiss.
Your mom’s in the other room. We should probably save it for later. I could sense the grin in his voice. I pulled away grudgingly, keeping my face close to his.
“I’m sorry, I realized I forgot to say hello,” I replied quietly, my breathing slightly labored from the kiss. As I paused to take a breath, I realized suddenly I wasn’t the only one breathing. My eyes grew wide as I pulled away slightly.
“Are you…are you breathing?” I whispered hurriedly, incredulous.
“Recently I’ve had to. It starts to get uncomfortable if I don’t,” he replied in a low voice. He looked slightly proud and yet it was reserved.
“Does that mean-“
But I didn’t have a chance to voice my theory, as Mother walked in, Aitiņa at her side. When did she slip down the stairs?
“Alright you two, time to get going!” She had a slight look of disapproval, but she mostly looked excited.
“Me too,” Aitina chimed in, following us out the door as we called out our goodbyes.
“Where are you headed, Aitina?” Kath asked as we made our way down the driveway.
“The Sycamores probably. Khyi said he was dropping by, I should probably keep him company,” she answered as she turned the opposite way. “Have fun you two,” she called with a smile as we began to follow the sidewalk that led us to the fair grounds. Kath and I waved back, then faced frontward. He wove his fingers through mine effortlessly. They felt warmer than usual, and I looked up at him.
“So, it’s actually working?” I asked in amazement.
“It seems to be. I tested something last night.” He paused, but didn’t meet my gaze.
“What?” I asked anxiously.
“Please don’t be mad,” he pleaded, “but I tried to shift to god form.”
“And?”
“It hurt like hell. Pure agony. I got about halfway before I had to stop.”
“Well…as much as I don’t like the sound of that…it’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
Kath met my gaze finally. “It’s progress,” he replied with a reassuring smile.
“Are you okay though? With all of this? I know it’s something we agreed on, but it has to be hard for you.” As much as I didn’t want to give him any doubts, I had to know if he was being pushed too hard.
He leaned over and kissed the top of my head.
“Don’t worry about me,” he chided, squeezing my hand. “I can handle it. I’m still a deity, after all.”
“Is there anything I can do at all?” I inquired hopefully.
“Being right where you are is all I need. It’s a gradual process, I’m finding out.”
We rounded a corner, the bright lights of the fairground now visible in the distance.
“Still, I don’t like the idea of you suffering all that by yourself. Next time you want to try something, make sure I’m with you, okay?” I realized I was frowning.
“Hey hey, no more heavy stuff tonight, alright? Let’s have some fun.” He tickled my side, sending me into a fit of giggles.
“No, no! Stop!” I gasped, trying to separate myself from him. As soon as I protested, he pulled back, holding his hands up in defeat.
“Alright, fine. But only because you can’t fight back,” he added with a smirk.
“It’s not fair you’re not ticklish,” I muttered, feigning annoyance.
As much as I didn’t want to think about anything that didn’t fit in a normal date night, I had so many questions and theories about what would happen to Kath if he managed to become human. Would he lose some of his personality traits that made him so catlike? Maybe his hydrophobia, or possibly even his playful, childlike nature? And what would he gain? Would he be as clumsy as the rest of us? Maybe he actually would be ticklish someday. With so many unanswered questions floating around in my brain, it was hard not to get lost in the ‘what if’s.
“Hey, check it out.” Kath’s fingers gently brushed my bare shoulder as he pointed ahead of us with his other hand. I glanced upward, fighting the shivers that instinctively wanted to tremble down my spine from his touch.
The whole fair ground was lit ahead of us with warm, yellow lights on strings. They lined every booth and created one network of lighting for the entirety of the grounds, making it seem like almost like daylight despite the pitch blackness that surrounded them. Various rides lit up the horizon; a Ferris wheel rotated in the distance looking like a giant red and yellow snowflake while a mini roller coaster boasted a tame, clichéd haunted theme. The air was filled with cheerful, vaguely familiar music from a carousel, an upbeat march that made me feel like a child again. And, of course, the strong, sweet aroma of fried confections wafted towards us. Elephant ears, ice cream, cotton candy! The colorfully decorated signs advertized them all.
I was hit with the strange impulse to run and close the distance between me and this dreamlike world. I wanted to taste everything, see everything, experience everything. Kath sensed my excitement and produced the two tickets from his jacket pocket.
“So what are we doing out here?” he asked, a mischievous, all knowing grin on his face.
We breezed through the ticket line quickly as it turned out that most people hadn’t purchased their tickets ahead of time. And before we knew it, we were surrounded by a vast expanse of sights and sounds. Kath wove his fingers between mine and we walked the makeshift fairground as if we were window shopping. I looked up at him as he recounted a memory of fairgrounds in the sixties, eyes shining as he gestured animatedly, his hair backlit softly by the overhead strings of lights.
“I’ve always wanted to taste an elephant ear,” he admitted, looking only the slightest bit downcast. The way he said it reminded me of a child who was missing their favorite stuffed animal. I felt a sudden rush of affection and I squeezed his hand.
“One day you will. One day, soon,” I added, hoping it was true. If Kath kept slowly becoming more human, his sense of taste and need to eat should be one of the earlier characteristics he gained. His face lit up as he stopped in his tracks.
“Hey, we just passed a food stand. How about we try it now?” I shot him a wary look. “I’ve been good,” he pleaded, as if I could grant him what he wanted.
“It’s worth a shot. I’ll eat it if you can’t,” I said, trying to be encouraging. As soon as the words left my lips we were doubling back towards the food stand. He paused at a bench a couple of stalls down, vacant save for one man.
“Save me a spot. I’ll be right back,” he said, winking at me as he walked off. I felt my cheeks warm slightly as I waved awkwardly. As soon as he was out of sight, I proceeded to sit down. I glanced at the man at the opposite end, realizing too late that he might have been saving the bench for his family.
“I’m sorry, sir,” I stammered uncomfortably, my typical approach to talking to people I didn’t know. “Do you mind if we sit here?” I instantly felt stupid, I should’ve mentioned Kath and I, instead of sounding like I had multiple personality disorder. He turned slightly, not really facing me.
“Not at all.”
“Thank you.” I played with a stray string coming off my dress, averting my eyes. About half a minute later, he got up and left. I probably chased him off with my fantastic social etiquette, I thought to myself, wincing internally. As I glanced over to where he had been sitting, I noticed he’d left a worn leather wallet behind. I looked up quickly and located his retreating figure.
“Sir?” I said timidly as I took the wallet and walked towards him. He didn’t respond as he rounded a corner towards the edge of the fair grounds. Think, Elizabeth, you need to speak up if he’s going to hear you. “Sir?” I tried to project my voice and walk a little faster. He continued to walk past dissembled rides, broken stall parts, and a gate which marked the end of the grounds. Behind it was a small field, then a scraggly yet large forest that separated a subdivision from the fairgrounds. The gate creaked shut behind me; I was getting a little unsettled. He probably lives just past the forest and is walking home. At least, that’s what I wanted to believe. Finally, I jogged and placed my free hand on his arm clumsily. “Um, sir? You-”
I screamed as he grabbed my wrist with bone-crushing force.
“Why thank you,” he said in a falsely pleasant voice, and horror rushed through me like a dam had just burst somewhere in my body. The hairs on the back of my neck pricked as he faced me, yellow eyes gleaming in the dark.
Tora had me, and Kath was nowhere to be seen.