“It is well known that your books are written with female leads based off past relationships. Is your latest work, Love, any different in this aspect?” A teasing tone taken by his energetic voice.
The interviewee paused before answering with a thick gruff, “I’m sure my hesitation speaks volumes to the situation. The story is helmed by a past relationship, but is one I cannot speak much on regretfully.” His previously slouched posture stiffened with crossed arms laid across his lap.
“A disgruntled ex you never got permission to use as a character?” The interviewer’s charming white teeth smile didn’t lessened despite the change.
A weak airy chuckle emanated from his pale pink lips as he loosened up leaning to the left same as his black hair that framed his espresso brown eye. “Nothing of the sort, if circumstances were different we may still be friends. I had to sign an NDA at the end of the relationship.”
“So the aspect of her being a public figure was actually a true piece of the puzzle. This is quite the revelation to finding out who this may in fact be!”
“I doubt you could find out who she is, was long ago now. Even before I met you, Travis.” The interviewee cleared his throat a few times as he met Travis’s clear pale blue eyes.
“A person predating me, Aster? You have to tell me more. I’ve known you since your senior year of college, so 15 years now. Didn’t think there were any girls you hadn’t told me about!” Travis spoke with exaggerated flailing that spoke largely to his Sicilian heritage.
“I still have my secrets.” Aster’s tension was gone with the gruff as he returned to his natural smooth fruity voice.
“Well what can you tell us? Come on, can’t leave the listeners hanging like this.”
“Do you remember when I wrote my first book?”
“There is no way I can ever forget. It was 19 years ago now but I remember it all the same. It was in the school newspaper and it was why I chose Frankfort University. It was written about your dorm-mate’s girlfriend, and her journey through finding herself at parties; was the only story of yours written in the female perspective.”
“The correct answer is 23 years, the ISBN still exist and there were 200 copies of it. The cover girl for that novel is the inspiration for this story. That is the only public connection the two of us had, as neither of us were the famous people we are now.”
Travis couldn’t help this outburst, “You’re lying! It was written everywhere at the time, Normality is the first work of Aster Curtail.”
“By the time Normality was finished the NDA was already signed and all public pieces of the other were removed from the internet.”
“You still have a copy of this story?”
“The manuscript in a special place.”
“You have to let me read it.”
“If you can find it, you are more than welcome to.”
“I’m going to hold you to that Aster. It seems we are running out of time, is there anything else you can tell everyone watching about this mystery public figure?”
“Hey, Natalie, you still got the key? Lux, murder is beautiful. However beauty is dreadful.”
“Would the code be the same one discussed in the book?”
“Maybe. That is all for today, until next time!”
The video ended there.
I don’t know how many times I’ve watched this interview looking for any piece of information I missed before. Aster’s books hold a special place in my heart, as every time I pick one up I feel the characters are talking to me. His scene work could use improvements, and he could write better descriptors for his characters but once the dialogue enters, I never put them down.
“Lux, has to be referring to a name. But what if it is instead that the name of importance is Natalie.” I’m frustrated that I never found who she is. This was the first book of Aster’s I hated. All because of the lead, I hated her with a burning passion. She was physical abusive, self-righteous to the point of arrogant, mentally manipulative, and so much more that it only hates on her. I can’t think of one bright thing that was said in the entire story. This is his best written story however, by massive margins. Critics absolutely rave about it and people compliment it for bringing the massive issue of abusive girlfriends to light.
“What do I think about the reviews? It’s an author’s job to tell the story, and it is a reader’s obligation to find meaning. Natalie is lovely.” Through auto-play the next video started.
“Why?” He always made his characters bright, I always fell in love from the first moment. Aster was in love every word. But why is it here that I only find scathing remarks?
“How can you see her as lovely! She is everything wrong with relationships!” I don’t understand, and that aggravates me to no end.
“Everyone has guesses as to who Natalie may in fact be. Entire forum posts dedicated to the situation, piles of evidence published believing they found it. Do you have anything to say to people who are trying to connect all the dots?”
“I sadly cannot say too much given my NDA on the situation. I can say, what if the opposite were true?”
My door opened with a creak as my sister entered, “Raam, move the boxes up to the attic.” Mom had asked months ago before leaving, but it was at the same time that Aster’s new book was released.
“Raam, today.” She commanded as I hadn’t even stood up or visibly acknowledged her. Her long tanned legs carried her over to my desk on the other side of the room. Swiftly she yanked my headphones off, unplugging them in the process.
“Don’t overthink something staring you right in the face.” Aster’s voice entered the room before I hit the spacebar pausing the video.
“Fine, fine! I’ll do it!” I blurted out rubbing my stinging ears.
“Thank you, mom will be home for dinner tonight, so I will be doing her favorite chicken parm.” Even in the dark room her enchanting forest green eyes pierced through.
“Her recent tour just finished?” I thought it was next week that she was coming back.
“Yes, so move the boxes and I won’t tell her about the fact of you not leaving the room for anything beside food.”
“Angelica, would you be able to love someone that the world despises?” My voice was soft, just barely above the volume of the air conditioner.
“If you let the world decide who is right for you, is it truly you who loves them?”
“But is the rest of the world wrong then?”
“Maybe, maybe not.” She was on her way out of the room but she turned back and leaned down to be at eye level with me. “If the entire world hates you, I won’t.” Her flawless pearly smile glowed under the blue computer lights.
“Thank you, sis.”
“Good, now get to work with the boxes, Mom will be home in a few hours.” Family? Maybe that is what it means to be in love. Did you want a family with Natalie, Aster?
---
I walked down the wood slotted basement stairs. It slightly shook under my heavy steps but it always had since we first moved in. I ask Mom why they never got fixed but she never answered. They were decrepit but she never paid them any mind. It is obvious they were repaired amateurly as nails were put in haphazardly and quite a few planks were stained to lesser degrees.
At the bottom of the steps was a pile of four boxes, thinking on it I had never looked inside these boxes. I wanted to know. I opened the top one, but it was just clothes, maybe they would fit Angelica. The box was light so it was easy to carry upsides to the kitchen where she was preparing food.
“Hey you want any of these?” I offered a beautiful white floral summer dress and matching white woven hat with a red ribbon bow.
“This is so cute! I can’t believe mom never showed these to me before.” The boxes contained four outfits, including the dress. The others were a bikini, crop top and shorts, and glamorous black evening dress.
“I’ll leave these for you then,” I traversed back to the basement for the next boxes. The second was old photos, the third was books, and the last one was taped shut unlike the others which were just folded. I put off that one.
---
“Gosh, it is really obvious I’m Mom’s daughter, I look exactly like her!” Sis exclaimed as we went through the old photos. The two were scarily similar to each other in looks. Same shades of brown hair that turned amber in the sunlight. Forrest green eyes that shined with joy, golden ratio for their figures, and long legs that were desired by anyone on the catwalk.
“I wonder why she never showed us any of these before.” All the photos looked to be from when she was in her mid-twenties.
“Oh here is that black dress!” She screeched.
There she was and the world seemed to stand still.
‘There she sat across from me, a black dress with glistening gems that took an orange hue from the candle light.’
‘Hey Aster, if it all ends now would you be content?’
‘No, because then I wouldn’t be able to grow old with you.’ Aster, is this how you imagined the girl across from you?
“Raam?”
“Sorry, got distracted.”
“I should wear the dress. I want to recreate this photo!”
“Sounds like a wonderful idea, I’m going to grab the last box.”
‘As I placed the final box on the blue cement floor of the basement, something more than the memories were left behind. As I walked through the light at the top of the stairs I made it out of the tunnel.’ The final words to Love.
“Aster…” I mumbled as I tore off the tape to Pandora’s Box.
The top thing was a letter that read, “Hey Lucia, is your story finished?”
‘Hey Katherine, is your story finished?’
‘Hey Justine, is your story finished?’
‘Hey Destiny, is your story finished?’
‘Hey Natalie, is your story finished?’
No. I refuse.
I refuse.
I refuse!
It’s a coincidence. It has to be.
I didn’t want to believe it, but what laid behind the letter was a book titled, “The Other” and right across the cover was her. Right there in the floral dress as the sun set at the beach. “You can’t be her, no. Mom…”
“Aster Curtail…” Embossed in bold white font down the spine. I couldn’t contain my curiosity as I searched for the dedication page.
“Dedicated to the woman I love, Lucia.” This can’t be real. I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming. This is not the real world. My mom cannot be Natalie. Natalie! The one character I despise, the character who abused Aster, the character who pushed him off the metaphorical cliff. My mom cannot be her.
“Raam!” A hand slammed onto my shoulder.
“No!” I screamed as I franticly scurried away from the voice.
“Raam, what’s wrong?”
‘She was there before me, a black dress I loved her in. A smile filled with concern across her face. Her alluring green eyes drew me close.’
“Nothing is wrong, Destiny.” My lips moved as the line entered my mind. Destiny was the main character of Impulsivity, the line from when she walked in as Aster thought about how to break up with her.
“Raam, something is most definitely wrong here. Talk to me, what was in the box?”
‘She sat down in front of me, as the worry was unable to hidden by the corner of her perfect red lips quivering.’
“Angelica, I’m scared.” Angelica was the main character of Vengeance, the line’s context being when Aster found himself unable to leave his desk without screaming in pain.
‘She didn’t verbally answer me as her wheat tone arms encircled my waist, and tightly pulled me in. Her wavy amber hair tickled my nose.’
“Natalie, I’m sorry.” Natalie, her one redeeming scene. As she said nothing, and just comforted Aster during a time he needed her when his dad passed from cancer.
“Raam, what are you talking about?”
I can’t answer her, I don’t know how. Mom is Natalie, if I say that, if I admit to my hypothesis, I fear it will become true. That this dream will never end, that I will never wake up from the nightmare that is the truth.
Unable to verbally respond I handed her the book.
‘Handing over the book was the most nerve-wracking moment of my entire life.’
I understand what Aster meant then. As Angelica held the book in her hand, close enough that I could hear her breathing; I felt the world compress, it was suffocating. The silence, was worse than any knife to the chest.
‘Can you say something? Anything. Even if you despise the book’s existence, just say something. I can’t take any more of the silence.’
“Aster Curtail? Isn’t this that Author you have a complete fascination with?”
I nodded.
“Why is Mom on the cover?”
“She’s Natalie.” ‘I could have sworn at that moment the world shattered, the wine glass that veiled the world in pink thrown to the ground leaving me without protection.’
“The character you have been losing sleep over?”
“Hello!” Echoed through the house, Mom was home.
