firelight
the air was a little harder to breathe in here. the cave was dark, damp, filled with meandering puddles of muddy water. there was the taste of mold in the air, and every step felt heavy. he continued on, pushing his way through the tunnels, knowing it was now or never.
something fluttered in the breeze. a lace handkerchief, pale pink and delicate. intricate floral patterns around the edges. of course. it could only belong to one woman. she was going to need this bit of lace for her next disguise.
she loved to wander in these woods. the trees towering above her, the moss soft beneath her feet. stepping over roots and rocks and all the little creatures. Never let your foot touch a creature. Everyone knew that. And everyone stayed out of the woods.
there was no writing on the wall. a thin layer of dust, perhaps, coating whitewashed bricks. a few scratches, even a couple small strokes of paint, as if someone had tried to write on the wall and never got to finish. their words forever a mystery as person after person searched for the writing on the wall.
he popped the lid of the trunk and it came up with a groan of protest, cracked red paint threatening to fall from its dull surface. it's fine, he said. it functions perfectly, he said. don't mind the smell, he said. don't mind the rust. don't mind the blood.
the wind blew gently, scattering the seeds across the waiting fields. the dirt will swallow them, the clouds water them, and they will grow. they will grow like her demons, day by day, sunrise to sundown getting stronger. would they survive as long as she has?
hmmm...hmmm... the sound came from deep within the trees. it was a quiet, gentle hum, the voice neither masculine nor feminine, simply floating along the faint breeze as it drifted across the forest. soft and insistent, promising everything and nothing at once.
she was picking strawberries in her mother's garden. the sun shone warm and bright in the azure sky, and the flowers bloomed all around her. everything was perfect, just as her mother would have wanted. was she here now, among the berries? could she see that her daughter was finally going to make her proud?
the lantern swung lazily from his outstretched hand. it gave off only the faintest glow, a soft yellow light banishing just the edges of the darkness. the street was deserted, as was expected. no one came out at night. no one would dare to.
carrots littered the ground by his feet. he was used to the constant teasing and cruel jokes, but the carrots that came pouring out of his locker was definitely a new one. carrots for carrot-top. next time it will be ginger.
load more entries