There comes a meeting of the Fundamentals every month. They gather in a grey room in an place unknown to the ignorant like you and I.  The first to arrive is Faith, for she is what keeps the world sane. Dressed in billowing white robes, she takes her seat at a table in solitude. She sits at one head of the table and waits in silence, sipping from a glass goblet; patient. Then comes Fear, for he and Faith must coexist. He trots in hesitantly, his long lanky limbs swaying in his silver robe. He grips the chair beside Faith and slowly lowers himself into a sitting position. Not long after, Strife strides in, tall and proud in his blood red robes. He takes a seat beside Fear who flinches as he grows nearer. Amity enters in her sky blue robes gracefully, nods at Strife and flashes Faith a smile. You see, Amity and Faith are very old friends but Strife and Fear are very old foes. Death arrives in pitch black robes looking rather apathetic. She sits at the opposite end of the table, far from the others. Change enters gracefully in his purple attire and takes his seat near Death.  Next, Desire glides into the room with much confidence. Her magenta robes flow behind her as she takes her seat beside Change. For, we all know that Death and Desire change everything.
The room is quiet. Three chairs are empty. The Fundamentals wait, most of them unable to sit still. Some of them twiddle their thumbs, tap their feet or examine their hands. After quite some time, Strife erupts with agitation.
“Where are they?” he bellows.
Amity stiffens and speaks gently. “Please Strife, patience is a virtue.”
“Do not patronize me, Amity! I simply don’t understand their absence!”
Fear stutters. “There- there is no- no need to shout. We’re all-all vexed.”
Strife turns sharply to Fear. “Did anyone ask you for your opinion? I think not-”
“Strife! Calm yourself.”” Faith’s voice booms through the air. No one has the audacity to look her in the eyes. The room grows quiet once more as Strife sinks in his seat.
“Now then. Has anyone seen Love, Envy or Pain?”
Desire breaks the silence first. “I was with all three of them not long ago.” As she speaks, small smiles grow across the faces of many in the vicinity. She often has that effect. Her voice is unworldly pleasing to the ear as every syllable that emerges from her lips is articulated like a song without a melody.
“Pain is almost always by my side. However, he left in quite a hurry rather recently.” Death says dispassionately.
Faith elegantly places her pale hands upon the table. “Well this is quite disconcerting. However, Love, Pain and Envy all know that this meeting is taking place. We must wait for their arrival.”
“Must we?” Change whines.
“Yes.” Fatih says decisively.
“Must we sit in silence?” Change probed. For change is quite an impatient and eager soul.
“Yes, Change! No one enjoys your whimpering.” Strife groans as he throws his head back in over dramaticism. Change crosses his arms and leans back in his chair.
“Must you complain about everything and criticize everyone?” Amity snaps at him. Strife gapes at her in utter denial.
“I do no such thing.”
“Yes you do!”
“Cease your arguing!” Faith says. The rooms grows quiet for a moment or so before Desire decides to rekindle the fire.
“Amity, leave him alone. If anyone criticizes everyone, it’s you.” Desire states.
“I do not!”
“You’re a walking contradiction. You believe you are so much more significant than the rest of us.”
“Take back your foul words!”
“I will not. They are the truth.”
“Please-please stop arg-arguing.” Fear stutters.
“No one cares for your pathetic stammering.” Strife shouts.
“P-please don’t ye-yell at m-me.” Fear covered his face with his hands.
“Squaballing fools.” Death mutters under her breath.
“My name is Amity and everyone is below me.” Desire sung mockingly.
“Stop it you vixen!”
“Be quiet! You are acting infantile!” Faith bellows.
“Sorry,” the others murmur.
No one speaks up after that. The Fundamentals merely sit and gaze at the blank surfaces around them. Time moves slowly. I cannot exactly tell you how long they sit because time moves differently for them. The simplest way to explain it is hours; infinitely dull hours, hours as long anticipation but simultaneously as quick as a blink. That is how long they sit in silence, unmoving. Then out of nowhere, Love bursts through the door with Envy and Pain in pursuit.  By this point, Faith has lost her stoicism and stands abruptly.
“Where on Earth have you been?” She roars.
“We’re sorry Faith. We had a situation.” Pain speaks up, his navy robes looking rather disheveled.
“Explain.” Faith says as she sits.
“Alright.” Envy breathes as she sits besides Strife and Pain takes a seat on the other side of her. Envy’s emerald green robes have remnants of snowflakes upon them as she gestures to Love.
“Tell them, Love.”
“Very well.” Love says as he lifts his rosy robes off the ground to take his seat between Desire and Amity. He was always the best at storytelling.
“I will start from the very beginning, then. It was snowing and the moon was peeking from behind clouds. Below the somber sky sat a girl, a girl named Margot. Margot was old enough to know the difference between wrong and right. She was a young girl at that point in her life who made decisions that determine the woman she will grow to be. Also, she was no ordinary girl with ordinary challenges to face. Her father, a proud man, was off fighting a pointless war lead by a pointless leader who fought for a pointless cause-” Love is interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Strife glares at Love for a moment before allowing him to continue.
“She had not seen her father for quite some time. Her mother, on the other hand, was unable to provide for the young girl for she was very ill. Pain watched over Margot’s mother. No one quite understood the nature of the ailment and Margot was worried.  Everyday, to provide for herself and her sick mother, she would go out and beg. Some days proved more successful than others. However, on this particular cold, weary and dreary night no one paid Margot any mind. People scurried passed the girl holding out the empty tin with tear stained cheeks and tattered gloves. Margot only saw the cruelty of the world that night.
“The snow was falling hard and had grown too thick for her to trudge home in so she wandered towards a distant light. As she grew closer, she felt a warmth and noticed flickering. About the fire were four dark huddled figures. I was watching over these figures, for their love for one another was as apparent the stars on a cloudless night. Margot grew closer and Envy began observing her. A man looked up and noticed the girl, beckoning her to join them. They let her sit beside the fire and gave her warm food. Envy left to turn faces green. They listened to Margot’s woes and nodded at the appropriate times in pity. For in reality, a person only exposes their soul if they expect sympathy in return. The family consisted of a mother, a father, a daughter and a son. They were the Halls. They talked of many things: their little old barn, the fresh dew, morning songs of the birds, and gunfire. Gunfire, and death is what sent the family to the woods that night. Somehow, the death of that distant relative benefitted them, for they grew wealthy from it. That wealth gave them the opportunity to start anew.
“Margot grew covetous of the family’s good fortune and Envy returned to observe. Soon the Halls bid her goodnight as they gathered together below thin blankets to conserve warmth. However, Margot did not go to sleep. She sat on a stump by the fire as she thought of her mother back in their decrepit cottage where the wind burned when it blew. She thought of that the worn out cottage where Pain stood over her mother as she moaned alone. So, Envy towered over the miserable child as her mind grew overwhelmed with wicked possibilities. Margot stood and made a decision that she did not realize would change lives beyond her own. Upon the discovery of a velvet pouch full of gold buried among the Halls’ belongings, she mustered up her strength, and followed the evening star home. Envy followed Margot home, who would find a doctor for her mother. I however, watched over the Halls and Margot as they continued on their separate ways.”
Fatih spoke up, “I’m sorry, Love, but I still don’t understand why you are late.”
Envy replied eagerly, “There’s more.” Faith nodded and Love continued.
“The Halls awoke the next day, oblivious to the absence of their wealth. They traveled all day as the snow continued to fall and at night the temperature dropped drastically. They reached their destination and began to look for shelter. They’d used up their supplies because they were planning on staying in an inn. However, after the Halls discovered that their money was missing the innkeeper threw them out onto the cold stones of the street. They knocked on every door, but after learning of their poverty every person turned away. The family gathered their worn blankets and huddled on the street for warmth. They lit a fire but it dwindled and died. Eventually, the son began to whisper.
“Petrichor. His mother asked him what he was saying. He was a brilliant, intelligent boy and he knew the cold would do much more harm than good. However, he recalled his parents telling him to remember the petrichor on miserable days that seemed to drag on. They thought of petrichor because it was hope. They imagined the warm, moist, earthy smell filling their noses and lungs as the Halls slipped into an eternal slumber. They did not feel the cold that chiseled their bones and ate at their insides. In the morning, the villagers did not see hopeful, compassionate folk in a huddle but, cold, blue corpses covered in snow. They did not know of the Halls’ troubles or their everlasting hope that would forever be encased in the icy air. No. The Halls were simply frozen and Margot was just a jealous, selfish  girl. That is all humanity saw.”
“And you, what did you see?” Change inquired.
Love smiled sadly. “What do I always see? Love.”
“And envy.” Envy said.
“And pain.” Pain nodded.
The rook grew quiet again. Yet, it was not due to respect or patience. The silence engulfed the room because of grief. Even Death remained hushed.
“Your tardiness is excused.” Faith whispers. She does not know how to respond to this tale of woes.
“Now that that is settled, we have come for Death. Death, my dear friend, the Halls are lost souls now.” Pain claims.
Death stands. “And the mother of the girl?”
Envy looks down at her flawless hands and speaks. “She was more fortunate.”
Death turns to Faith, “May I be excused?”
“Yes.” Faith says quietly, as her mind wanders in thought. “Yes I suppose. I suppose the meeting is adjourned until next time.”
All the Fundamentals stand. “Until next time.” They say in unison. Then one by one, in a perfect orderly fashion, they exit that vast grey room and leaving behind nothing but darkness and void.