Solitary Reflection

I can feel something?

My eyes struggled to open, revealing my body resting on the surface of the pond. Instinctively, my body shot upwards, but my feet failed to find any ground beneath me. Instead, my arms reached out and grabbed onto the ground near the edge of the pond.

Lifting my head up, my gaze crossed over the surrounding area. My eyes squinting from the glare of the sun, letting the breeze that passed put me at ease from any worries.

I couldn’t help but notice the air was warm and wet.

“It’s…familiar.”

The air was thick with humidity, just like in the summer.

Wait…

My eyes shot toward the sky, and I realized it was already daybreak. But that didn’t make sense, it couldn’t have been any later than 7:00. Yet, there it was, the sun, shining clearly in the sky. I wasn’t dreaming.

I’m home.

It took a moment for my vision to adjust before I fully grasped the state I was in, soaked through, my clothes clinging uncomfortably to my skin.

“Right…I forgot about that.”

With a deep breath, I pushed myself up from the damp ground, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over me. My body ached as I trudged forward, each sluggish step carrying me along the familiar path, one I had walked with Cloey countless times. It was strange how, despite everything, the route between worlds had remained unchanged.

Have I always been this observant?

Before I knew it, I was already standing at my front door, the walk feeling almost instantaneous.

“I’m home,” I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips.

The moment I stepped inside, I wasted no time stripping off my drenched clothes, peeling each layer away with a tired sense of urgency. By the time I reached my room, I let them fall carelessly to the side, replacing them with a fresh, dry set. The warmth of familiarity wrapped around me as I finally let my body collapse face-first onto my bed.

A deep, overwhelming exhaustion surged through me, weighing me down like an anchor. The time lag had taken its toll, pulling me under, my mind slipping into the same rest my body so desperately craved.

As my consciousness faded, a single thought lingered.

Cloey…I’m home…

⏣⏣⏣

It couldn’t have been more than five minutes before my door creaked open after a few quick knocks.

“Morning, sweetie.”

I’d been fast asleep with the first few knocks, but now I found myself cuddling up with a pillow, too comfortable to get up.

“You’re actually here?”

The voice was unmistakable, my mother. The woman who many say I’m the spitting image of.

“And I could have sworn you were at your friend’s house,” she continued, stepping inside. She paused when her eyes landed on the small trail of water leading from my clothes.

“Why are your clothes wet?”

She stopped at the edge of my bed, her gaze falling on me. Her hand moved instinctively, as if to shake me awake, but she hesitated.

A smile tugged at her lips, a soft, knowing smile as she looked down at her son, still half asleep.

“You’re lucky I love spoiling you.”

Her voice was gentle as she quietly retreated to the door, leaving me alone in the stillness of my room.

“How could I possibly wake you up with such a loving expression on your face?” she murmured, almost to herself.

⏣⏣⏣

I couldn’t tell how long I’d slept, but it didn’t feel like I’d been awake for long. I wasn’t sure if I had even really woken up at all. The lingering taste of chicken on my tongue confirmed I had, but everything felt distant, fuzzy, and out of reach.

It’s cold…

Suddenly, my eyes shot open. My body lurched upward, but I froze, realizing I was still lying in my bed. The room was dark, save for the dim light of the moon sneaking through the curtains. I was wrapped tightly in a blanket, the weight of it comforting in the cool night air.

“I’m…really back home.”

I wasn’t sure why I’d expected something to be different, but a chill ran down my spine, almost as if I were waiting to be held by something familiar.

I reached for my phone, my fingers trembling slightly as I checked the time.

04:07.

“February 8th? I really did sleep through the rest of the day.”

Any remaining fatigue that had weighed on me lifted, and I was wide awake.

Instinct…

It was like something deep inside me was urging me to get up, to move, to push myself back to the place where all of this had started.

I found myself out of breath, standing before the pond.

Staring into the reflection, I saw nothing but myself looking back.

“The pond might revert to being just that, a simple pond,” I muttered to myself, recalling Amy’s words.

There wasn’t anything else around, nothing heavy enough to cause a change, besides me.

But I don’t want to experience the disappointment firsthand if it really went back to just being a pond.

“It’s only been a couple of hours, so why am I so stressed about this?”

Is it because I want a life like that…and now it’s gone?

I let out a frustrated sigh.

It’s all so annoying!

I scratched my head in frustration, trying to calm myself down. As I stared at my reflection again, my hands rested on top of my head, and everything went quiet.

“Is that…really me?”

My face looked…annoyed. I never really took the chance to look at myself in a mirror, but even I could see how expressive my face was right now.

Is this how others see me?

I crouched down, feeling defeated, and rested my head on my arms as I looked at the ground. My eyes met my own in the reflection before I buried my face in my arms.

“What am I doing…?”

“You’re looking like a bum, that’s what.”

A small, high-pitched voice interrupted my thoughts, one that could only belong to a certain someone.

“Wasn’t expecting to see you again, Amy.”

I turned toward her, still crouched on the ground, and gave her a tired smile.

“This is the busiest month for a god like me,” she said, casually walking over to my side. She rested her arm on my head, slightly taller than me in this position.

“I didn’t know you had a hand in Black History Month,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s love! I’m the love god!” Amy declared proudly. “There’s another god who’s involved with Black History Month, and she’s pretty good at it if I do say so myself.”

“I sure do love me a black queen,” I joked.

“I can tell.”

I had no idea what was going on anymore.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, still confused.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Amy shot back, her tone playful. “You said it yourself. ‘I want to go back too.’”

“I know what I said, and I stand by it. It’s just…”

“It’s them, right?” she interrupted, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Yeah.”

Cloey, Kira, and Oberon.

“Here’s the thing,” Amy said, pushing herself off me and turning to face me directly. “I’ll tell you a big secret if you can tell me why you’re here, even after what you said.”

“Huh?”

“Why are you here, and why is it because of them?”

“Why’s that matter?”

“Because I want to help you,” she replied seriously, her tone softening. “I want to help you figure out who you are.”

“...”

“Plus the little secret I’ll give you as a reward might be one that helps you in life.”

“...Okay, I’ll play your game.”

“Great, now little mortal,” she said with a teasing grin, “tell me what you’re feeling after all this has happened.”

I almost gave a snarky response, but her serious tone stopped me. This goddess was unpredictable.

“They’re my friends…my first proper friends that I’ve had.”

“Warmer,” she said with a nod, sensing as I was getting closer to the truth.

“People who brought me joy and fun, even in such a short period of time.”

“Warmer,” she repeated.

“...”

I don’t know how else to express what I was feeling. It was hard to label something I wasn’t sure I understood.

“ANSWER!” she demanded, a bit too eagerly.

“Uh! Oh, uhm…friendship?”

Amy let out a small, annoyed sigh and shook her head.

“Love.”

“Love?”

“You love them.”

“...”

I blinked, taken aback by her words.

But they’re just friends, right? Isn’t that different from love?

I tilted my head in confusion, but Amy simply sighed again.

“You really never experienced something like this, huh? Okay,” she said, pointing directly at me. “Do you care about them?”

“Yes.”

“Do you enjoy their company?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you wish the best for them?”

“Of course.”

“Then why isn’t it love?”

“...”

Her logic is a bit hard to argue with, but still…

“Isn’t it a bit too early to say it’s love? I just met them yesterday, after all.”

“Ever heard of ‘love at first sight’?” she asked, grinning.

“Yeah, but that’s usually for soulmates or something,” I replied, half-joking.

“Then couldn’t it mean that they’re your soulmates?”

She tilted her head with genuine curiosity. I felt my face heat up.

“Three-timing?!” I exclaimed.

She smacked me on the head lightly.

“Why are you so narrow-minded about love?!”

“Because it’s my first time!”

“Platonic! Platonic soulmates, stupid!” she emphasized, making sure to add the “stupid” part for extra effect.

“Platonic?”

“You love your family, right?”

“Yeah…oh.”

“Exactly. There’s all types of love in this world. You just didn’t realize it. You can love your parents in a different way from your friends or your partner. You love your pets differently than you love a show or music. Love is everywhere, and you’re experiencing it.”

“I really am stupid when it comes to love.”

“I wanted you to figure it out yourself like someone else, but without a basis to understand, it would’ve been impossible in this lifetime.”

“Love…is definitely difficult.”

“You men really are all the same.”

“...”

“...Don’t take that too seriously,” she added almost apologetically.

“Not that. I’m just…thinking.”

“About Cloey?”

I nodded silently.

“How do I tell the difference between friends and lovers?”

“Male and female relationships are tricky like that, honestly,” Amy said with a sigh. “You can always compare it to others, like how you feel between Cloey and Kira, but it’s not really a fair comparison. You’re definitely closer to Cloey, especially with this pond secret.”

“Then what do I do?”

“...You wait.”

“Wait?”

“Time will tell,” she said softly. “I know it’s a bit of a cop-out, but it’s the truth. Only you can tell the difference in how you feel.”

“Some god you are, telling a mortal to wait it out,” I joked.

“Just telling it as it is.”

“Why help me, though? Surely you weren’t that bored after fixing the problem.”

“It’s my job…in a way. But honestly, it’s because you two are fun mortals. Wouldn’t you say we’re friends in a way?”

“I guess you could say that,” I chuckled, feeling a little lighter.

“A god and humans, quite the pairing if I do say so myself,” Amy grinned.

She extended her fist toward me, and I bumped it with mine.

“That’s all the time I’ve got for today, so I’ll be leaving you.”

“What about the secret?”

“Huh?! You failed the test, easily!”

“...”

Can’t deny that.

“But I’ll give you a hint about your future,” she added, her tone mysteriously playful.

This definitely caught my ear.

“A night of festivity will surely smack some sense into you.”

With that, Amy made her way toward the forest path, disappearing from my sight, leaving me with more questions than answers.