Chapter 1 The city criminals were acting up again

"Shit!"

"Elaria, stop swearing. Get over here!" Elaria ruffled her hair.

"What exactly do they want? Those bastards keep acting crazy. Last week they smashed a bus stop. Tonight they smashed the glass of our flower shop. I feel like killing them." Elaria couldn't contain her anger.

"Stop nagging. Help Chinar carry the flowers to the back room. We don't have much time. The flowers might get rotten from the rain.

Elaria looked up at the sky. There was only darkness. The rain was falling relentlessly. Lightning could be heard everywhere. It was frightening.

"Why don't we have a chance for us to live a relaxed life?" Elaria sat among the flowers that had just been moved into the cramped room at the back of the flower shop. A room with two small stuffy rooms and a multipurpose room that could fit one long sofa that the three of them often sat on.

"Ela, there's no point in complaining. Being able to survive is enough." Sky handed Elaria and Chinar a cup of coffee.

"The city is getting more and more crowded. I'm having trouble breathing." Chinar inhaled the aroma of the packaged coffee they used to get at a small shop in a narrow alley. It was very cheap.

"I thought we would see a lot of color but why do we only see darkness? Shop rents go up every year but there's no building maintenance. We have to fix leaking roof tiles. The toilet is clogged. Water bills have to be paid every month as well as electricity bills. Not to mention the cost of daily necessities. Flower shops don't have a stable income. I'm going crazy."

"Don't forget, we have to fix the glass. We'll run out of money."

Elaria, Chinar and Sky. Just like the other dreamers. They came to this city to realize their dreams. The city that has always been called paradise. The beautiful city lights. But in reality it was nothing more than hell.

They went to great lengths. They try all means. They never see the beauty. Only failure. There is only darkness.

"What should we do?" Elaria moved to the sofa. Sitting in the middle between Sky and Chinar. This sofa could only accommodate the three of them and even then it was a bit cramped. It was better than having to sit on the floor.

"Do as usual. Open a flower shop. Ela composes songs and sings. Chinar promotes the songs. I'll take care of the rest." Sky was the most mature and calm among them.

"Why are you still with me?" Elaria looked at Sky and Chinar in turn. "You guys could be doing something much bigger. Even go back home. You won't lack anything."

"Home is too crowded. It's more crowded than this city" Sky looked at Elaria. "I enjoy living like this more than being at home anyway."

"We promised that we would succeed together. Ela, when we find the right producer. Your song will explode. We'll make easy money. We won't be living in a place like this." Chinar looked at Elaria with confidence.

Elaria smiled. Looking at Chinar and Sky in turn. "I will try harder. I won't let you live in misery."

Their hands clasped each other. That's how they survived in the darkness for so many years.

Living with many dreams while never knowing when they will come true.

***

Early in the morning Chinar was already repairing glass with a friend he had known for a while. Both fighters of dreams in the darkness.

Sky was upset. Most flowers are rotten because of the rainwater.

Elaria cleaned up the room that was messy due to the nighttime riot.

Living in the city is like going to war every day. Movement is very fast. If you let your guard down, you must be willing to be trampled.

"We lost again?" Elaria approached Sky.

"Unable to help." Sky ruffled her hair.

"What should we do?" Elaria panicked. If the flower shop closed, they wouldn't be able to survive.

"We have to get a cheap flower distributor."

"With our conditions. Getting a cheap flower distributor is not a solution."

"Chinar tell me what we should do?"

"I'll take some videos of you guys. You guys are good at flower arranging. We should promote Roseanne Florist on social media."

"So?"

"If many people see our video. We will soon survive the crisis."

Elaria and Sky nodded in agreement.

"Let's do it."

"I hope that many high-class people will see our video. They are always willing to pay a high price for beauty."

"Chinar. Don't get your hopes up. We can't even see them." Elaria arranged some fresh flowers on the table. Sky set up the ring light while Chinar set up the camera.

"Let's work hard. We have to survive because going back home is not a viable option right now."

Again. A sentence full of enthusiasm.

Elaria and Sky started arranging the flowers as best they could. Chinar took a video.

It doesn't go smoothly. They do it over and over again until they get the results they want.

"This is exhausting!" Elaria stretched her muscles. Her eyes stung from staring at the ring light and camera flash for too long.

"How is the result?" Sky took the camera. Sky's situation is not much different from Elaria's. Sky was even worse. Sky wasn't used to standing in front of the camera like Elaria.

"Good. What do you think?"

"Okay, but I look really stiff. Ela, how about we take the video one more time?"

"Again?"

"I'm not fit to be in front of the camera. Please do it one more time." Elaria nodded her head.

Sky smiled broadly at the results, "Just as we expected. Ela is always beautiful in front of the camera."

"You're right. She should already be a world-class singer!" Chinar looked very excited.

"Our beautiful Ela will shine brightly." Sky smiled proudly. "Chinar quickly edited the video. Send it to me. I'll post this video to social media and send it to people I know!"

"I'll do it!"

Elaria smiled. Chinar and Sky. Two people who believed in her when Elaria was unsure of herself. Chinar and Sky always held her hand and even hugged her tightly when Elaria had to walk in the dark. Their dreams had never changed since they first met and heard Elaria sing.

Sky wants to be Elaria's assistant while Chinar wants to be Elaria's manager.

"Ela, it's time to go. You have a photo shoot." Elaria had started her career as a model since last year. Chinar and Sky organized everything.

Elaria's career as a model was not going well. The modeling world was too harsh. Elaria often received bad treatment, one of which was sexual harassment. Elaria experienced it once. At that time Elaria wanted to give up but seeing Chinar and Sky's struggle to get a job for her made Elaria undo her intentions.

Elaria chose to survive. Survive in darkness once again.

"I'm leaving." Elaria picked up her cell phone on the table.

"Ela, I will accompany you."

"You finish your work at the flower shop. I'll leave on my own. This isn't the first time I've worked with this brand. So far they've treated me well. Sky, don't worry." Elaria pecked Sky's cheek then darted away.

"Are you sure she'll be okay?"

"Sky, she's slowly growing up. You're taking good care of her. She'll be fine."

"Aren't we being too hard on him?"

"Not at all Sky. Calm down, don't overthink it."

"Does he like what he's doing?"

"Sure, she likes it."