Falling,













Wisps of fur, snow white - innocence that was no longer innocence - were carried through the air by the wind, ever the gentle messenger.

She felt weightless; it was a strange feeling. It was the feeling that made your insides churn and wriggle from within - to a bird, it is a natural sensation, but for her, it was something new. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation either; she could get used to this.

If she had had enough time.



Time was a tricky thing; it willed itself to both torture and pleasure. One moment, it would slow, allowing you the suffering of a broken heart, a broken rib. Then, it would speed up, denying you the pleasure of a loved one's embrace. It hated the inhabitants of its world, and it was with malice that it manipulated its own very existence.

It wasn't sparing room for her.



10, 9, 8, 7...

She remembered the dream, the horror - nothing but black, she being the lantern. She could hear the buzzing, heard it getting louder and louder.

6, 5, 4, 3...

She heard it before she felt it; a distinct slurping sound, followed by a quiet drip drip drip.

Ohmygodpleasetellmethat'snotwhatithinkitis.

The smell came to her first, and she jerked her head back, bleating pitifully. The cry gurgled itself from her throat, and she felt and tasted it, hot and sweet, as it erupted from her mouth.

The tears came next, stingi - no - burning her face. She writhed in agony, trying free them from her face - but to no avail. She felt them caress her cheekbones, she felt them as they held onto her face before tumbling downwards.

And then, that is when she felt it.

Something wasn't right; there was something touching - no, no that wasn't it.

It was inside her chest, separating her shoulders slightly -

Ohgodpleasenoitrammeditselfthroughme.



She felt it move, and then she felt weightless. Her eyes didn't see what it was - all she knew was that it was gone from her.

Weightlessnessthisfeelssogooddon'tletitstop.

3, 2, 1, 0.

There was a resounding thud that echoed through the hollow space.

Did anyone hear it? Maybe. Possibly. Perhaps.

Or maybe not at all. There was no telling where she was, hell if anyone ever even bothered to find out.



A deer stopped short of the blue bowl. There was something wrong here.

There, in the middle of the patch, laid a small pile of fur, white as snow - only...

It looked like someone had been rolling in strawberries, but everyone knew that strawberries didn't grow in the Forest.

The scent hit the deer's nose, and it recoiled back, suddenly realizing what it was.