Gloria Weber lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. Gloria's work has appeared in GrendelSong, AlienSkin, Written Word Online & previous issues of Byzarium.

Celeste's gown drifted across the steel plate cobblestones as she ran deeper into the courtyard looking for her one and only love. Her heart pounded and the excitement was felt throughout her body. For this was no ordinary love, it was forbidden.

She saw him leaning in the shadowy corner, under the hovering basket of a cherry tree. On ancient earth, where her family line traced back, they signified death and suddenly she feared he called her here to end to their love.

His face was drawn; his green lips were set in a line, not their usual smile; his eyes didn't even rise to meet her when she stopped. His body shifted and a smile came across her lips. Perhaps it wasn't an end to their love all together, but an end to their chaste love.

"Perro, is that a banana in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" This was a line often used by new brides on their wedding night. It seemed appropriate for she would have been his wife long ago if the humans hadn't been so ignorant.

The drell race was exactly like humans in every way, except their pigmentation was different. The poor drells suffered on human colonized worlds. They had to sit on the back of the hover bus, use different bathrooms, couldn't marry humans, and follow many other segregation laws.

This however hadn't stopped their love and now Celeste was certain it was about to bloom into a love so beautiful all the other flowers in the garden would wilt. She stood on tiptoe waiting to hear any words of welcome so she could throw herself into his arms, feel the carnal bliss, and finally learn if the old saying "the drell do it real well" was true.

Instead he said, "I'm dying. I have Mars disease and a week to live." Then from his pocket he pulled out a banana ray gun. "I can't stand to wait that long. The last thing I ever want to see is you in this perfect garden." The gun slowly rose to his head.

"Wait!" She lunged forward wrapping her arms around his neck. "Please don't. I understand… Honestly I do." Then she gulped ready to reveal the secret she had kept from him. "I too have Mars disease and have three weeks to live. Let me die with you!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Perro's voice held pain and relief.

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, "Because I knew I'd die happy loving you!"

As if the environmental computer knew what was happening, it sent by a breeze that shook the tree and cherry blossom petals fell around them. Perro wrapped one arm around her and began aiming the pistol at the back of her head so the secondary, more brutal, shot would meet his own head.

Just then the three hundred story dome that encased their city began to block out the pitch black sky and dinging noises filled the air. They couldn't help but look up as the dome became a large video screen posting government sanctioned news.

Perro read the words and his gun hand trembled falling to his side. "A cure for Mars disease has been found."

Tears of joy flooded Celeste's already teary eyes. Then more print appeared. The joy was expelled from her tears and horror reflected in her voice. "Humans are to be vaccinated immediately. Drells have to sign up with a waiting period of at least one month."

She looked at her love that only had a week to live. "Do it now. Raise the gun and fire. They would never know we saw the message."

He pulled her close and kissed her with the passion of a dying man. When he was done he pushed her away. "Turn around. Walk away. For as long as you love me, I'll eternally live in your heart. Just remember me and I will be happy regardless where my soul may end up." Perro smiled and wave her on. It was the courage of a man in love. It was the courage of a dying man.

At first Celeste's legs wouldn't move, but the love in his eyes slowly allowed her body to obey. As she made a right at the statue of Lindsay Lohan, the patron Goddess of entertainment, she heard the buzz of the gun going off.

At that moment Celeste vowed to never love another. Perro would be her first and only truest love.