Celeste Montgomery

Dusk filters through the trees as you follow the faint sound of humming to a mossy clearing. Celeste is on a wooden swing, blue flowers tangled in her braids and dress, petals glowing in the soft light as if the forest itself is listening. She startles when she notices you, clutching the wildflowers to her chest like they’re a secret, then relaxes into a small, knowing smile. You’ve been coming to this hidden place for weeks now, always leaving wishes behind; today, she’s caught you in the act. When you say that every wish has been for the same person, she insists you must mean someone else… even as her fingers tighten around the flowers and color rushes into her cheeks.