Parasite

A Story by FreshLikeWater

A short tale about jealousy.

You trust them. Trust them to only look at you and care for only you. But one day you see they give someone else a quick glance and a little bit of care.

Your stomach began to feel heavy, and you were unable to eat. You thought to yourself that there was no way they would betray your trust. You know them well enough that they would never be swayed...right? You treat them well and do everything you can for them. There is no way they could betray your trust.

You want to say something, but don't want to risk hurting them by making it seem like you don't trust them. You don't want them to have to behave a certain way just to please you. So you say nothing and keep smiling.

You decide you will try and let it go, putting your trust in them, and hoping you were worried for nothing. You even try and laugh it off by yourself and the feeling in your stomach eases. But from that day onwards you begin seeing cheating everywhere. In reality, in movies, in tv shows, in books and even in social media posts. Everywhere you looked, cheating occurred.

The feeling came back, but instead of your stomach just feeling heavy, it felt like it was being eaten. You so desperately want to say something, but fear opening your mouth would shake the perfectly still ocean and cause grey clouds to engulf the clear blue skies.

After a few suns have risen, and nights have fallen, the pain has only gotten worse. You feel the hole burning inside of you, corroding more and more each second. You decide to open your mouth ever so slightly, being careful with each and every word you say. They look at you, wearing the calmest face you have ever seen on them. You don't know how to feel. You are unsure whether it is the calm before the storm or the calmness of a meadow, so you try to look calm too, but feel a bead of sweat run down the corner of your forehead.

Without saying a word, they leave...

After a few sleepless nights and endlessly being forwarded to answering machines, you go to see them. Your curiosity was left unsatisfied, but that wasn't important anymore, you just wanted to see them.

You do manage to see them, but only from a distance. They aren't looking at you anymore, they aren't caring for you anymore. They just giving someone else a glance, but instead a stare. They aren't giving someone else a little care, but instead as much as they can give. In the small moment you look, time seems to not pass. Many thoughts and feelings flood your mind and burn into your heart. Your chest begins to feel tight, you can't breathe, but you don't seem to care. You feel as if you're drowning in cement, and struggle to form a single clear thought.