| BETWEEN BOOKMARKS | 19th Aug, 2025 |
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The Arts & Booths Expo was an event designed for students who wished to express themselves through their unique talents and interests. Rafael lacked this peculiarity. He was unable to offer eccentricities about himself that others could, and therefore was forced to resort to walking around the exhibition scouting people of his father’s interest. Presumably.
Because that was what he came to do.
However, at the youthful age of twelve years old, Rafael was hardly able to resist the stray from his goal. There was an overwhelming number of booths and stalls to visit, and no chronological way to do it. The booths were scattered throughout the stadium in uneven curvature, resulting in Rafael begrudgingly strolling through the fair with no means of finding an appropriate stall. Many were shrouded with canopies, and those that weren’t failed to meet his satisfaction.
At two in the afternoon, Rafael’s polo was starting to soak in sweat, and an unexpected desire for the cold of the Alps greeted him. Deciding to seek a momentary break from his quest, Rafael slipped into the next booth he was about to pass by. The young Kraus welcomed the reprieve, the boy spending the next few seconds wiping away at the drops of perspiration threatening to slide down his forehead.
He glanced to the side, his eyes landing on stacks of bookmarks in varied assortments. The numerous colours danced in his vision. Before he could comprehend his actions, Rafael had walked forward to inspect each of them carefully. What was ‘Sherlock Holmes’, or ‘Percy Jackson’? His eyes flitted to a pale lilac bookmark decorated with two cats and their purposefully pea-sized irises. The corners of his lips twitched at the pun written on it. An idiocy Gabriel would enjoy. But Gabriel wasn’t here.
That was enough hindrance for now. Another stall was eliminated from his ‘Potential Partners’ list. Rafael straightened and began to take his leave when his eyes slid down from the frustratingly punny craft to another. This one was a deepset blue, gradiating to black. The background contrasted against the gold coloured lining that framed the bookmark, surrounding a single sword with a moon pommel. Rafael was unsure why he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
He cleared his throat and met the eyes of the presumed owner of the stall. “Number 19, please,” he said quietly.
@Pamela Graham
There's always someone out there who's better than you.
