Howl Your Appellations

An Arcane Specter

BOEN OPEOR

    Today I have a meeting with Isandri Aryo, or Isa, one of the Sea Twin cafe proprietors. I'm supposed to hand in the first few coaster commissions today and discuss the designs for the last five. Isa also said I could sell some of my works at the cafe, which makes me really excited and extremely grateful. I dabbled in making little keychains but never really had a chance to show them off aha. Even though this island wasn't my first choice, I'm really enjoying the amount of escapisms that this place offers me. I'm absolutely thrilled of the idea of my art being viewed and loved that's not associated with Alpas. I even made my own little brand name "floss" just so it'd shoot down the assumption that the work is from my family’s company. It feels peachy to be somewhat unknown.

    It's hot today so I'm wearing my grey hollow shoulder long sleeve shirt with my short skirt and tied my super thick curly hair with my ribbon hair tie. My beetle black backpack has my orange beanie, the little keychains, and all the coasters ready to meet Isa and Dann. I check to see if Lissana read my letter. The tree is as indifferent as ever while the mushrooms grow and expand their dominion. The letter, however, was not on the tree anymore. Could she have taken it? But then, why didn't she reply? In any case, if she read the letter, then she knows I won't be able to meet her ‘til tomorrow. I'll try and look for her then. 

    After I discovered the graffiti scribbles on my garage yesterday, the litter has increased and I'm inclined to clean it up. I don't remember how high school works anymore but I do know that teens will pretty much do anything in their free time. I just wish they cleaned after themselves. All these Borger Burger wrappers and Corky Cola soda cans on the forest floor do not make you cool. Maybe I need to install a trash can around here. I pick up the trash from in between the roots of the trees and leaf-covered ground.  

    As I was entering the main road, I saw a group of teens casually walking on the side of the road. They're wearing their uniforms: blue polos and blouses, black skirts and pants, and yellow ribbon and neckties. All four of them. They're probably skipping and living wonderful juvenile lives. I don't think I ever got over mine. When I was in high school, I tried almost anything I could grab my hands on, I tried every club there was, from athletics to cultural clubs. I was never the best in any of them except for crocheting, sculpting and the guitar at my indie rock club (I’d like to say I’m good at discus too). To be honest those long blissful days with Moze were really fun. We’d skip and play our guitars everywhere despite everything.

    The teens seem to be heading to the Gondola terminal, the one Beanie uses, I wonder where they're going. Well wherever it is, I hope they clean up after themselves there. 

    I parked my car at the café’s lot and proceeded to climb up the magic steps of the café. The sea breeze plays at my hair the higher I ascend. The white stone railings have me thrilled at its smoothness. I reach the front door with excitement, the sign says “closed” which means it’s open only for me. I turn the silver lever door handle and pass the second door made of crystal beads. The ceiling corals once again capture my attention as their dangling beauty shimmers under the fluorescent lights, 

    “Hello? Isa?” I utter. I should have texted her that I’ve arrived. Just as I was about to take out my phone, Isa descended from the second floor stairs. “Boen!! Did you wait long? Sorry I was helping Dann with his suit.”

    “Oooh, sounds fancy. Where’s he going?” I impishly ask. Isa laughs and replies, “He’s going on a date!”

    “Hmm~that so, Dann?” Dann emerges sheepishly with a dapper grey suit and an ombre necktie with white polka dots. “T-that’s not what this is for…” Danniel replies. He always has his bangs obscuring the view of his eyes but this time, they’re slicked back. His long lashes look like incoming ocean waves and his eyes, the color of a worn violin. He looks exactly like Isa but with a little melancholic pinch. He always seemed a little introverted, but content.

    “Anyway! Sorry I can’t stay and look at your works Boen. I’m sure they’ll all look great!” he grabs his backpack and leaves cleanly and in a cute hurry. Isa and I listen to his frantic footsteps as he descends. The both of us look at each other and laugh. “As he said, so sorry he can’t see your works right now. He has a pretty good eye too. But Isa’s still here so don’t worry.”

    “Haha! You already told me that in advance! I hope he has fun wherever he’s going.”

    “Yah me too.”

    Isa leads me to the second floor, her long dishwater blonde hair sways happily as we climb up. “We’re not going to be too formal since I don’t enjoy those kinds of things. You fine with that?”

    “Dude when have you ever been formal with me!” I exclaim. When Beanie introduced me to Isa, she acted as if she knew me for forever. There wasn’t any awkwardness, she just instantly fell in love with me platonically. 

    “Hah! That’s because you’re just so cute!” she jokes.

    “Excuse me, you’re only 70 centimeters taller than me!” I happily reply. 

    Comfortably sat on my favorite seat in the café, I show Isa the seven coasters I managed to make. First, I showed her my ocean coin design with the ocean waves swirled into a circle. She likes it and gives me an okay. Second is the crescent moon holding a starfish like a crab. She says it’s okay too. Next is a regular conch shell. Okay. The jellyfish with a few tassels for tentacle effect made Isa chuckle. She said she liked the tie dye colors. I made a burnt-orange sea urchin design and a little scallop with pearl linings and lastly, a twirled fin with a green abalone hue, just like the Sea Twin’s logo. Easily impressed, Isa told me that everything’s great and meshes well with the café. I was really nervous to be honest, she’s nothing like my sister when it comes to my designs. Isa then added a couple of pointers for the last few coasters like, they be in a lighter color and that I should definitely make a seahorse one. I take note of this and she paid me. We decided to have a celebratory strawberry hot cake.

    “You should have seen your face while you were doing your little presentation.” Isa says as she stuffs her face with the hot cake. She then laughs and mildly chokes on it.

    “Well of course I’d be nervous! You want the best for your shop right? Hahaha but yeah no, I just didn’t want to come up with more designs hahaha” I replied, taking tiny bites off my dessert.

“Yah, well I think they all look good. Good job. Ya know why I only want you to make 12 of them?”

“12 is actually a lot but continue.”

    “Well we have the special menus right? Only those who buy them will get to try your coasters. Pirate booties, I’d like to call them.”

“Oh what for real? Neat. Do I get to try my coasters?” I kid.

    “Not if you don’t buy the booty meals!” ballistic laughter. She’s literally so full of happiness. It’s like she had so much pent up inside her.

    I laughed along with her and we made a beautiful laugh symphony. I spotted a few children, maybe elementary school, running along the bay. And a few older ones biking around. 

    “Is school out? Why are all these kids and teens running around?” I ask, viewing their frolicking in confusion.

    “Bawahahha that’s rich coming from a 19 year old college dropout!” Isa replies, “But yeah the kids get pretty rowdy this time of the year. Do you know about the Abalone Proem Puberty? ”

“The excuse me?”

    “Well the kids here are different in Abalone, the 12-18 year olds go through a really wild phase, yanno? I think it’s in our blood, we get a little too feisty and do stupid s**t, so we just let our kids do whatever and let them figure it out. We get like …umm…what’s it called…r-r-Ah! Yarn reports! Bwahahaha man that was such a long time ago. In High school, they used to have these cards where you stamp if you want to skip. We can get like up to 50 free days I don’t remember.”

“What!?! That sounds so interesting! And useful!”

    “Well yeah, it’s best not to be too tough on the kids. It wouldn’t do them any good. So far it hasn’t really backfired on us I think.”

“Hmm…”

    “Last night I saw this lady dance alongside the bay. I think she was dancing with the moon. Her swaying and hand movements were beautiful, if a little sad. I think I have a crush on her pfft.”

“Hooo~~what’s a Dann going to say if he heard that~”

“Nothing probably. We…he’s been a bit distant recently…”

    Isa stares at the window intently and downcast. I place my hand on top of hers and gives her a kiss on the cheek. And without any warning she kisses me hard on the lips and cries,

    “Waaahhh!!! Why won’t he tell me what’s going on!!! I found little slices on the side of his neck and he won’t tell me where it came from!!!”

She continues to cry as I pat her back, “There, there buddy. He’ll tell you in his own time.”

“Sniff, sniff okay. Thank you.”

    “Are you gonna be okay? I have to drop by the grocery store since I ran out of lasagna pfft but if you want me to stay, I can.”

    “Oh hell nah you’re not staying! You’ll eat all my cakes! Don’t think I didn’t notice hahaha…nah it’s okay. Dann will be back in a bit so I want to have a perfectly clear head.” She mushes up her face to wipe off her tears and she’s back. Hopefully, she and Dann will manage to patch things up the next time I’m back here.

    I wave her a goodbye and she waves back to me from the upper balcony with too much energy. I chuckle and drive away to the nearest grocery store. I bought a box of microwave lasagna and less important food like egg and fish. I also bought Soft snacks. I drive back to my cabin with a random playlist called “rotoscope pie spinning” with a handful of micropops. Today has been somewhat a bit stressful, yesterday too but! I’m almost home so I’m positive today will end on a positive note.

    I park my car and take out my bag and groceries. It’s really heavy but for twelve packs of microwave lasagna, it’s going to be completely worth it. 

    I’m skipping and hopping towards the cabin when I feel a chill down my spine. Someone’s following me. I can feel their sharp gaze as the leaves crunch under my feet. Their footsteps sound slow and calculated, as if they want me to notice them.

    “Hey! Knock it off!!” I scream. It may just be a deer and I’m overthinking things but that’s when I heard a loud growl.

    “You better not run now child. I’m not here to harm you. Not yet at least.” A voice of a disembodied man tells me. His voice seems like he’s right next to me. I’m frozen in place, too scared to look behind me. He chuckles and continues,

    “I’m just here for a few words of caution and information that might be important to you, would you like to hear them?”

    I’m sweating bullets but I’m sure that if I didn’t answer he’d come closer, “Please just say what you need to say and go.”

    He shrieks. His laugh sounds as if he just won a prize. “Good! Good…we’ll let me tell you this: It’s not safe to wander around the woods, at night or in broad daylight. But you’re a lucky one I’ll give you that. You have an advantage.”

    I start to shake and shiver at the weight of the boxes and as his voice lingers closer. Teardrops start to orb on my eyes.

    “But here’s what I’m really here to tell you: Lissana Mons killed her brother.”

    I dropped everything I was carrying and felt both pain and fear. I felt really cold and my legs couldn't get back up. Was it wrong for me to trust Lissana after all? 

    “Hehahehaheheheahahha but if you still intend to see her. She’s always loitering at that big tree by the stream. Take this information as a bonus. Well, see you again.”

    I waited until his footsteps were gone. I couldn’t stop breathing heavily. I tried to salvage some of my groceries and safely walk back home. I entered the door, dropped the groceries on the counter and cried. I forgot to give Isa my keychains.