day twenty. haunting.
stellamaris duprée, district four. eighteen. xxviii.
x
Stellamaris sees them when she least expects it.
Reading a book on the beach. Shopping at the market. Training the twelve year olds. Taking the sailboat out for a ride.
They loom around corners. Stand amongst the crowd, their faces worn by passing strangers. Three shadowy figures remain in the periphery of her mind: waiting.
It scared her at first. There was no warning, no tell-tale sign for when Stellamaris would catch a glimpse of fiery hair or a jester's grin.
Please, leave! she would cry out. Now, she almost finds comfort in their presence. Understands that the haunt is caused by her loneliness.
She misses them. Stellamaris knew them for less than four weeks, so how did they carve out such a large space in her heart?
Maybe it's because of the way Leo made her feel good, deep down, despite the fact they all volunteered. Bellamy grated on her nerves, but his ability to make them laugh even during the darkest hours kept Stellamaris sane.
They all confided in each other, free of judgment. Oh, I don't think this game is for me, guys. I — um. Well, I really don't think anyone is particularly hot. Not really my thing. She'll never forget Perrin's accepting grin, easy and unquestioning.
They became friends. A chosen family. She never had a family before; only knew the moldy shiplap walls of the Blackwater Children's Home.
Others would find the apparitions horrifying. Stellamaris knows the truth.
They aren't phantoms. No, they're guardian angels.
Pride month is a great reminder that family isn't always blood. Cherish your friends, now more than ever.
