Excerpt: P.E.R.F.E.C.T.

I looked at my alarm clock with its blinking red numbers that told me it was almost time. I had everything. Three cups placed in a triangle filled with a hundred and thirty seven rose petals. Seven lit candles forming a circle around the cups. Rice paper, feather, and ink.

Determination.

The numbers in the alarm clock changed to 3:45 AM and I began to write in rice paper. One after another, I enumerated the qualities of my other half, my perfect love.

Blonde. Green eyes. Tall.

I wrote every little detail, down to his college career, number of siblings, and vehicle preference. I couldn’t risk losing him, too. My rushed writing crawled on the rice paper and some spots of ink had randomly stained here and there –I was terrible at writing with a feather.

Must be from England. Always protects me. Never leaves my side. Always understands me.

A swift breeze came from my open window and made the quivering light of the candles shake and make my room pitch black for a second. Only the shining moon outside kept the darkness from engulfing me. My heart beat fast, painfully.

Charming. Loving. Perf–

The alarm clock rang loudly at 3:47 AM as the tip of the feather I was using broke before I could finish the last word on my list. I looked for a pen, but didn’t see one, and I was running out of time. Giving up on the pen, I folded the rice paper, tore it in three parts, and burned each one in the flame of the candles aligned with the three cups.

Closing my eyes I began to sing the words I had memorized six months ago:

“Be thou with me,
Oh, Mother Moon;
Join my song
And give me your blessing.
Shine like no other
On the month of love,
And grant the Wish
Of a hurt one.”

Then I blew each candle separately, took the three cups of rose petals, and spread them around my dark room.

It was done. Now, I just had to wait.