Iridescent Tears
Heavily inspired by Doki Doki Literature Club! Specifically, the ending of Act 1.
Mara and Eris were the bestest of friends. They had been, for as long as they could remember. They were what people would call âattached at the hipâ or âtwo peas in a podâ.
Whatever the title, the two went along with it. Mara Eudoria and Eris Rosalind. Nothing could sever the threads of their bond.
Perhaps that's why December 14th, 202X held such a bitter taste in Mara's mouth. That day proved that no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, no one is immune to the blades of fate.
It was supposed to be a regular school day. Mara and Eris had a school festival to go to, and it was supposed to go perfectly. It was their first official date, after all. Mara had hoped that it would snap Eris out of his depressed stupor that he had been experiencing.
Looking back, that thought was naive. But how could she have known?
That hope was quickly put to sleep when she opened the door to Erisâ room, and was greeted by a corpse hanging from the ceiling. No, that couldn't be him. He wouldn't do this.
Mara had cut down Erisâ body. She tried CPR. She wailed until her throat hurt. Nothing would change that her Eris was reduced to a pale, lifeless, and bloody cadaver.
The days after that were a blur. Talking to the police. Giving a tear-ridden speech at a funeral. Gazing at the body in the casket, knowing that she'd never be given the privilege of running a gentle hand through Erisâ sun-kissed hair once it was lowered.
It was a miracle that Mara didn't crawl into the casket with Eris.
Back to the present day, Mara spent most of her days isolated. She couldn't stomach food. She didn't have the energy to do what she used to live. On top of all of that, her mind felt like it was clouded in a vantablack fog.
It was cruelly ironic. Depression had drowned Eris with its icy, wretched, and twisted claws, and Mara was its next target. It was an illness that had no cure, dooming anyone who contracted it.
She understood how Eris felt. Far, far too late.
The only memento she had of Eris was a music box. It sang a familiar melody, one that Eris hummed often. Mara had never asked where it came from, assuming he had made it up, but it had become a comforting sound for her to hear.
Mara, knelt down by her bed, reached over and winded the key to the music box. Once its soothing melody started dancing in her ears, she let out a soft exhale. She turned to look out her bedroom window, admiring the late night stars.
Eris would have loved it. Before she could process it, her eyes had welled up. The stars were breathtakingly beautiful, and Mara was the only one who could see it. The realization felt like a heavy weight slowly crushing her heart.
She was pulled out of her sorrows when she heard a sound that she was not making: humming. It was a male humming, specifically. Eris?
Mara turned around just in time to see a shadowy figure leaving her doorway. Without a second thought (and having nothing to lose), she quickly stood up and followed it. The next sight she caught was the figure leaving through the backdoor of her house. She didn't hesitate to follow it out there.
The figure led Mara to the forest that she and Eris had loved to explore. This time, Mara found herself taking a new path through the thickets. She didn't care that she was merely in her pajamas. In fact, she wasn't affected by that fact at all.
Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, the two had reached their destination. A clearing in the forest, with a vast meadow of the most stunning and vibrant flowers. Fireflies danced across the sky, and the starry sky was in full view, giving the scene a serene lighting in the night.
Standing in the middle was the figure that led Mara to this sensational view. It turned around after a few moments, showing the face of Eris. It smiled at Mara, before its figure faded away to join the fireflies.
Mara could do nothing but stand there, staring at the sight before her. The colors and lights harmoniously blended together to create the perfect view. Whether this was a hallucination, or Eris truly giving her one final gift before he departed, she didn't know (but she liked to think it was the latter).
She walked to where the figure once stood, her gait relaxed and calculated. As she walked, she ran a reverent hand across the flowers, watching as the fireflies on them flew away almost rhythmically. And after a few moments, she reached the middle.
There was nothing but the sound of the wind and the rustling plants. Mara let out a soft breath she didn't know she was holding. She felt⌠free. The guilt that had weighed her down was temporarily lifted. Mara could almost feel a warm presence near her.
For the first time since Erisâ death, Mara smiled, feeling truly at peace.
