Carol of the bells

There were so many people.

When Prospero had first heard all the commotion, he did not know what to expect. He’d heard it before, but those had been angry protesters. Now there was loud music that almost got muffled by the many voices of the people walking around. It was fair to say Prospero had no idea what was going on.

He had pulled his hoodie over his head again, not wanting to draw too much attention amidst such a large crowd. It was a lot. A few minutes ago he had tried to move in between all those people, but he had quickly given up and retreated back to the sideline.

With his eyes filled with the longing of joining them, he stood there watching. Maybe he should come back some other time, when it was less busy. He turned around, nearly colliding with someone else. “Oh— I’m so sorry— I didn’t see you,” Prospero apologized immediately, holding up his hands.

There was so much going on and Prospero would lie if he said he was not overwhelmed. This was like nothing he had experienced before and while he wanted to enjoy this, he preferred to do so from the sideline. From there he could watch with a smile, but that did not take long. There was nowhere he could stand where it was completely empty which caused him to bump into someone again.

He started apologizing, but the other did exactly the same. The only difference was the words that followed. This person had it even worse than him and Prospero did not know what to do about it.

Prospero was lost for words when he saw the tears burning in this person's eyes. His jaw dropped a bit as he tried to find the right words, but they were not coming. “S—sure, I—,” he forced the word over his lips as he took a step to the side, wanting to give him the space he needed. Apparently this was not to the liking of someone else, as he was forcefully pushed back with the mention that he was not alone here. Prospero moved his weight to his toes and spread his arms to make sure he would not collide with this person, who was nearly shedding tears, again.

Prospero did not want to bother this person any longer. Even to him it was clear that he wanted to get away from here for whatever reason. Nothing went as planned and he almost fell onto him once more. “Sorry—” he said at the same time as the other. Their eyes locked for only a second and for a moment the market seemed to disappear, making room for memories that were buried deep within.

Where the market had been bright and lively, he was now engulfed in darkness with only a small light that was not nearly enough. No matter how hard he tried, moving was impossible. There was someone else too, someone who brought instant distrust and discomfort. Prospero knew her, but at the same time he did not. Then came the needle and a wave of fear went through his whole body. Again he wanted to move, but it was made impossible. The sharp pain was unavoidable and soon after everything dulled.

And just as quick the memory had started, it ended and he was thrown back into the present.

Those same eyes now looked straight back at him. His own amber colored eyes widened in shock as he took a step back. Instantly he lost his balance as his body had not expected to be able to move and he tumbled to the ground. Prospero however did not even feel the pain as he fell backwards. “What did you do?” he asked the boy breathlessly. By placing his elbows on the ground he pushed himself slightly up. The fall had caused his hoodie to fall from his head, revealing his blue hair and the large ears poking through. It all went completely unnoticed by him. “What the fuck did you— no you’re not—” only then the realization hit him. This was someone else. A mixture of fear and now confusion was visible in his eyes as tears burned in the corners.

The world around him was a disorientating mess when Prospero came back to reality. Only a second or two had gone by between almost walking into this stranger, remembering and then panicking. Their eyes had been so much alike. It was what seemed to bring the memory forward. So when he came back, he’d seen her for a moment.

As he lay there on the ground, his hand shot to the place where a needle had punctured him. Of course there was nothing left anymore. It had been a memory after all. Nothing truly had happened. Not at this moment anyway.

With a bewildered look Prospero stared at the stranger, his breathing heavy and uneven. He was saying something, but the words did not properly register because of all the stammering. There was a change in the other’s expression, but he did not even care what that meant.

Stand up— the other was right. He should get up. Then why did his limbs not listen. More people had turned their heads towards the two of them, curious as to what was happening. Like vultures circling a dying animal. “You—” Prospero started, his voice weak. His amber colored eyes were back on the stranger with the magenta eyes. The other was right. He moved his still shaking legs under him until he sat in a kneeling position. Then he tried to push himself up, but his knees were buckling under his weight and it made the whole affair a difficult process. Especially with no one helping him.

“Everything alright,” he mumbled to himself. He was fine. Whatever that was, he was no longer there. Nearly his legs turned on him again, but he did not fall down all the way to the ground again. His eyes were unblinking as he was drilling holes in the ground in front of him.