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 Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:55 pm
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March
Waking in an unfamiliar place was not something that Koppen was entirely unfamiliar with, however, it had been quite some time since she'd last gone wandering. Truly, the last time she'd wandered in search of her wayward brother, it had been before joining her mate's herd some few seasons back- but certainly long enough to know that she had definitely not gone off seeking any leads to here ambitious sibling's location. So then, how had this come about? Her last clear memory was of beads, stringing a new strand for the latest addition to the herd. And now? Waking in such a dark place, and to such a threatening voice, too.
She did not let fear grip her heart too tightly, though it was definitely there. She'd be more worried if she wasn't afraid- but standing there and pondering was not going to let her find a way out. Especially with a time limit, of all things. The question now was, where to start? The trees were too dense to attempt stretching her wings and seeking an easy way out through the canopy. Her night vision wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't enough to let her see any clearer paths further ahead. A slight fog drifting in, as if to taunt her, only added to the restricted vision.
Taking care to check that her beads were all safely in place, she started forward. The further that she walked, the closer the trees seemed to loom, and chancing a look back, they seemed even closer together back in that direction too. It was in her mind, probably- trees couldn't move like that, but it did nothing to ease her worries. And hadn't she seen that tree, before? Frowning, she stepped closer to the tree, looking at the cluster of three mushrooms at its base. It could just be a trick of her mind, but just in case.. She raised a claw to scratch a circle into the bark, before turning to continue walking.
Some few minutes later, she ground to a halt and stared. The tree directly in front of her, with a circular scratch at claw height. And a trio of mushrooms. "Oh dear." She could have sworn that she'd been walking in a straight path. But this? This told her that somehow she'd managed to be walking in one large circle. Or even not-so-small, she couldn't really tell the distance. How would she fix this, and get out of this rut? The path she'd walked had relied on her eyes seeking out the path, so it was there that she'd failed, perhaps. The idea of walking blind was a worrying one, but she couldn't do much worse than she already was. After another minute to keep from talking herself out of it, she raised her foreleg to pull her hood down in her talons, and then draped a strand of beads to hold it in place. And then, she walked again.
Bumping her nose into more than one branch wasn't very pleasant, but after what felt like ages of walking, she finally heard something different. The trickle of running water. Heaving a sigh, her hood was quickly lifted and she looked out ahead of herself. A stream, or maybe a narrow river. Whichever it was, it was a relief to not see the same tree before her eyes yet again. And then she heard a deeper splash. Looking upstream, she could not see what had made the sound, but her eyes found the ripple of something in the water, disturbing the flow. And it wasn't stationary. Well then, swimming across was not an option. And a look towards the sky showed her that there wasn't enough open air to try and fly upwards. At least not at the section she was currently standing. She didn't know how much time she had left, however, and walking along the bank didn't look like an option, either, as the water seemed to flow deeper into the wood. And the source of the water was also hidden by denser trees.
There were some pieces of debris she could try to use to get across, a few fallen branches and some rocks that she could straddle and hold herself above the water. And she could manage sort little hops in the air, so long as she didn't try to aim too high. With more near-misses than she was happy with, Koppen did manage to make it across the water, using an old log on the far side as her landing point after she'd slipped on a rock and nearly gone knee-deep into the water halfway across. She couldn't help but feel as if she'd dodged some dangerous foe, lurking in the water, and hurried onward to put as much distance between herself and the stream as she could.
As she kept on walking, the branches felt as if they were reaching down, grabbing at her hood, her beads, as if the trees themselves did not want her to escape. Even when she finally caught sight of open sky ahead, the branches grew denser, determined to bar her progress. It felt as if many hours had passed since she first woke to that voice, but as she finally broke from the treeline into clear air, she let a gusty sigh escape, turning back to the woods in triumph. "I have done it, whoever you are."
Word count: 895
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2023 5:31 pm
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May
This beach was a new place. Hyacinth had hoped the little stream she'd found would lead to bigger water, and was very pleased that it had proven true. A new beach, and with such a lovely view, too! She could see the faint hint of color that was likely a little reef or two beneath the water, just beyond shore, which meant there'd be even more colorful fish swimming in it.
And, hopefully, she might find some new pearls to add to her little collection. And of course, just to enjoy the sights. She pranced a little bit as she neared the water's edge, and could not stop a childish giggle as she hopped right in. It only rose to below her knees, but it was cool, and more importantly, it was just plain fun. She was allowed to have fun and still be a foal sometimes. Especially if no one was watching her to judge. She was still young, herself- even younger at heart. And after her long walk, the cool water felt very nice flowing around her paws.
A flash of color to the left, and she turned to watch a daring fish dart past. And another followed, seemingly playing their own game. She grinned again, content to simply watch them until they were gone from her sight. "Cute~" Striding a little deeper, until the water rose above her knees, she used her tail to propel herself towards the nearest clump of color. Coral, as she had suspected, and a lovely array as well. Peering over it, she could not spot any oysters, so she would not find any pearls here. A small pity, but not terrible. Instead, a clump of kelp caught her eye, and she reached out a paw to snag two strands, bringing them closer. They were wide, and dark green, and would make a perfect little woven band around an ankle.
It might not be pearls, but it worked just as well. She contented herself with the task, allowing her focus to drift at every school or individual fish that swam past her dark shape. She figured she was probably as much a curiosity to them as they were, to her. An amusing picture too, she imagined. What did the little fish think of her arrival? A big, dark shape with bright markings, suddenly in their home? She allowed another giggle as she finished her craft, and carefully twisted the kelp around her ankle, admiring it there for a few minutes.
Well, she had seen the sights of this patch of coral, but there was another to see! Maneuvering around, she steered with her tail as she swam over to investigate the other coral. It was much the same as the first, but larger. It bore even more colorful fish, darting to and fro, and a few more kelp clumps. But alas, still no pearl oysters. That was fine, this little adventure was hardly a waste. She'd already gotten one little souvenir for the trip, and perhaps more. There was more kelp, so why not?
She plucked a few more strands, and turned to head back to the beach. The water was a little too deep to waste her energy swimming when she wanted to focus. And there, on the beach, she could enjoy the view while she worked, which was even nicer. Grinning, she selected a spot where the waves gently lapped onto the sand, and settled down. This time, she wove two strands first, and then added a third, taking care to not let her claws tear the plant as she went. Slowly, her prize came into shape. It wasn't the prettiest, but that didn't matter. She was content to simply have fun, and soon enough she had another woven kelp band, that she happily wrapped around her tail, just above the fins. "Perfect!" The green stood out so nicely against her black scales there, and she grinned as she admired her work. There were two strands left to work with, and she contented herself with just twisting them together, and then apart again. It was idle work, letting her paws fiddle with the material as she took in the scenery again.
She was so very glad she'd found this beach. It was a spot she would definitely have to visit again, and soon. Especially as the sun was slowly dipping down- the color from the reefs was even more stunning as the light changed! Smiling, she looked down at the kelp in her paws, and giggled again. She'd somehow managed to twist them into a tangle of knots. She set it loose in the water, perhaps one of the curious fish would like to play with her creation.
Word Count: 790
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 7:57 pm
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July
Iberis wasn't generally the brightest flower in the garden, but when he learned something new he made it a point to remember the lesson. Especially if the event that did the teaching was painful -in either a physical, or emotional sense. And, alas, this most recent lesson was just that.
Being a bee keeper, he was well aware of the extra benefits that some f lowers had- and the fact that certain flowers also simply tasted superior to others. He was meticulous in keeping his gardens tended for the benefit of his bee friends, but also in small part his own preferences. He'd still been just a foal when he discovered that the lovely yellow-orange marigolds could ease a stomache ache away. They were a favorite treat with their citrus flavor besides, but he always made certain to keep a patch of marigold growing in every garden that he watched over. It was perhaps in his mind, but he felt that the honey made from marigold nectar also tasted better, but that was not really the point.
After he'd grown he had learned that the sunny flower could do more than soothe a cramping stomache. Rubbing the flower into a scrape had helped it heal just a little faster- and left his fur tinged orange for a full day, which had amused him greatly at the time. As such, the flower was his first go-to if he ever encountered anyone that might need a little tending, themselves. In all his life, this method had worked out just fine. Either his favorite flowers did little at all, or they helped just as he'd known they would. And he would send a new friend on their way with a little bundle of the blossoms "just in case." Along with lavender, purely because the colors looked so pleasing together and the lavender's scent was always calming. If another needed that little extra soothing, it was just the thing.
However, in the past week he had had a sobering lesson given to him by nature's not so gentle hoof. He had come across a rabbit, so terribly skinny and littered with scratches- as if it has burrowed its way through dense thorns. The poor thing was huddled in the corner of his garden, and he wasn't about to chase it away from what might have been the first meal it had had in quite some time. He'd gathered up a large bundle of marigold, and some other tasty flowers and leaves, and brought them to the pitiful animal. He'd kept his steps light, but rustled the flowers so it knew he was coming.
He didn't remember what he'd said, anymore- even if it was not that long ago now. His words didn't matter in the big picture. He just remembered coaxing the rabbit to eat, and giving it space to rest. He'd felt so pleased to see the salad he'd brought be thoroughly gobbled down. The flowers and other plant parts might not be the most filling of meals, true, but surely they would help. He'd watched over the rabbit for a bit longer before heading back to continue tending his flowers, and checking on the bees.
It couldn't have been even a few hours later before he returned to his little guest to check on them. And he still felt that utter devastation even now, with the event in the past. Where the rabbit had been resting, content as an exhausted, lightly wounded animal could be, now was an empty shell. He'd at first thought that, maybe, just maybe, his help had been offered too late. But reason had held- if he was too late, then the rabbit wouldn't have had the energy to eat, surely? it had seemed fine when he'd left. And now, it was not.
He had taken care to bury the poor thing near his gardens, and after giving his bees another check, made his way to an old soq that he'd traded for plant seeds from, many a time. And the knowledge they imparted hurt. The old mare knew that marigold was a useful thing- but only now did he think to ask, to learn about his beloved flower. It was useful on the outside, and could treat little ailments as he was used to- but too much of the flower was toxic. He had fed that rabbit a large amount, considering its small size. So while he had meant well, he'd only ended up poisoning that poor animal because he did not know the risks.
He knew, now. And he would not be forgetting. Nature was a cruel teacher sometimes, but he would not be so blind in the future. He would share the flower in moderation from here out, and give any that he shared the 'healing' flower with that warning, too. Too much of a good thing really could be bad.
Word count: 819
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2023 10:15 am
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August
It wasn't often that Vioneros had the chance to visit with his father, but he cherished each opportunity. Today was no different- the pair was comfortable in a safe stretch of shallow water, rimmed with corals that let their own vibrant coloring blend in for an added little touch of safety. The pleasantries had been shared already, and he was content to just bask in warm water and good company, when Viorel spoke, rousing him from his attempt at a light doze.
"Have I ever told you this one, the story of the first Kelpie?" Well, a question like that definitely held his attention.
"No, dad, I don't remember you telling me a story like that." His eagerness to hear it earned a laugh from the seathi, but he was hardly embarrassed. he'd loved stories, and still did.
Viorel grinned, and idly flicked his tail as he settled against a tall cluster of coral. "Well then, let me fix that now."
"Long ago, so far back that the counting of years had not begun, there were only those who walked on land, and those who swam the seas. There was no such thing as a bridge between the two, for the members of our kind, or the large ones. There was a great kingdom of mer and seathi, who lived in the deepest waters. It was a magnificent beauty, all records that remain say it glimmered with its own light, and that the ancient mers were capable of great, mysterious magic. Others say that they were simply the epitome of what it means to be sea life, and that our modern species have lost some of that grace as time p[assed. But that isn't the focus. The legends say that a princess, beauty as radiant as the most prized pearls, with a mane of shimmering seafoam, grew curious of the mysteries of the land. She swam from the kingdom in secret, to sneak up to the surface and watch the sky."
"Now, mingling near the surface was forbidden, then. The kingdom was safe and secret, and far from shore- the king did not want to risk his subjects to the dangers of land walkers. There were tales, even then, of land walkers with sharp teeth and wings, who hunted. They did not know the name, back then, but the ancient kalona were feared greatly. The chance that one might spot a mer, or worse, a small seathi, and draw more of their kind to come to the waters to hunt us? It was a terrible fear; and so the king forbade his subjects from getting too close to the surface. And the shore was even worse. The princess, however, would not be swayed. She avoided the guard, and one night each moon cycle, she swam for the surface, near the distant shores, just to catch a glimpse of the land walkers."
"And did she?"
"As a matter of fact, yes, she did. It was said to be a clear night, with the moon at its fullest, when she spotted a land walker, strolling along the edge of the water. He was an unicorn. The legend goes that his horn and hooves were like gold, his mane and tail spun silver, and his coat a shining pearl that rivaled her own. She was entranced. And one look was hardly enough. She began making the journey to spy on the unicorn many more times, after then. And more, she began to make the journey in daylight- which led her to witness not only the stallion she had fallen for, but others. More unicorns, and even, some say, a pair of winged ones."
"Of course, it was not to last. The king had noticed his daughter's infatuation, and worried. She seemed to be love-struck, but her eyes never strayed to any in his kingdom. He bade guards to watch her, to follow, when she left. It did not take long before her secret was revealed, and the king was distraught. His beloved daughter had been snared by some land walker spell- that was the only reason that he could fathom. She was summoned to the throne, and subjected to many scrying attempts to root out the spell that had snared her heart. Of course, they could find no such thing. The princess was upset, of course, and more so when he had her taken to her chambers and locked inside. Surely, he hoped, keeping her from journeying to the surface would be enough to wear down whatever spell had been cast."
"Something tells me that didn't exactly go over very well."
"No, son, it certainly did not. The princess was betrayed. In her heart, her father had just barred her from seeing her true love ever again. But, she did not give up, either. While there were guards blocking her door and window, she had an escape route already. She had hardly been sneaking through the main entrances every time she took her leave. There was a crack, connecting her rooms to a servant's chamber. It was only just wide enough for her to slip through, and hidden behind drapery. She waited until nightfall, when the guards were merely stationed to watch, and used the secret passage to flee. She wrapped herself in simple cloth, to hide, and made her way down into the depths."
"Beyond the kingdom was a trench, and it was said that the most powerful sorcerers of their people lived deep below. Deep sea mers, with dark gleaming scales, and tails that bore no fins at all. They were said to know the most potent magics, and were forbidden to leave their domain on pain of death, so feared they were. But the princess was desperate. Her father would keep her from her heart's only desire- and these witches may have the key to her desire. She traveled to a whale fall, where she met one such witch."
"Now, the stories vary on her description, but all agree that the witch was a beauty in her own right. Scales as dark as a moonless night, with a mane that even in the flowing waters hung straight down her back. She heard the princess' plea, and felt pity. Or, she felt greed. In the end, it doesn't matter what her reasoning was. She agreed to help the princess gain her wish, but with a price of course. She could brew a potion to transform the princess into a land walker, but it would only last three sunsets. And the cost of the potion was steep, the princess had to trade her voice. And, if the potion wore off before she managed to have her true love's heart, she would be transformed back, as a lowly commoner, her great beauty lost to the tides."
"The princess agreed readily, certain of her true love falling for her just as she did. A contract was signed, the princess lost her voice, and became a plain, ordinary mare, washed up on the shore. The unicorn she had fallen for witnessed her arrival, and sent aid. She was brought into his own kingdom, where she learned that he was a prince, himself. However... his heart was already spoken for, in a beautiful crimson unicorn mare. The pair treated her with kindness, upon realizing she could not speak, but she was heartbroken. She tried many tricks to get the prince to change his mind, to break the love he held for his intended, but it was not to be."
"But," "There's always going to be a but."
"But, all was not calm beneath the sea. The king's guards discovered her escape mere hours after she had fled, and a search of the entire ocean was underway. They could not find any trace of her, for two days, before a brave guard ventured into the depths and found the witch who had helped her."
"How'd he do that?
"He found the cloth that the princess had used to hide, caught on the whale fall. While it had been plain, it was still the highest quality. And some strands of her mane were snared in the woven fabric as well. The witch was brought to the palace, and the king demanded that she undo what she had done to his daughter. She told him plainly, the spell had already been cast. There was nothing to do but wait for the three days to come to an end. Obviously, the king was not happy with this, and had her locked away. He sent more of his guards towards the shore, searching for his missing daughter."
"They finally found her, on the third day. The sun was lowering to the sea as she walked, heartbroken, back towards the water. Even as a plain mare, her coat was the same, beautiful pearl. They could not go to her until the sunset had completed, and she fell to the water with a cry. Her voice returned, their beloved princess was left without her beauty, and a broken heart. She was escorted back to the palace where her father welcomed her back warmly. Her beauty did not matter to him, and their subjects still cared for her."
"That sounds like too happy of an ending. What gives?
"Well, I'll tell you. After her return, the princess demanded to see the witch. She felt the pain of her heartbreak turn into rage, and blamed the witch for her true love's deceit. Where once she had been kind, and gentle to all, her rage led her to the unthinkable. Though not gifted with great magic herself, the pain in her heart allowed her to lay a powerful curse upon the witch. For tricking her, for stealing away her one chance at happiness, the witch would be cursed to be trapped between the land and sea. The witch changed, before their eyes, into a form that terrified the court. Her tail became land walker legs, with a new tail painfully growing from her spine, where a land walker would have hair. Her fins became sharp and spiny, and she lost much of her grace. The guards dragged her to the surface and left her, floundering, until she was able to swim to the shore and step out on new, unsteady legs."
"The witch's name, after that day, became Kelpie, and while she managed to survive the curse, and eventually found her own comfort on land. All children she bore, and the rest of her line, bore the curse. Not a single one of her offspring were born as mer, or a land walker. They became the Kelpies. Of course, now, the curse is much thinner, and her line are able to breed and not have every child bear the burden of that curse."
"That's.. sad, actually. Even if the witch kind of got a happy ending, in the end, she had everything taken from her because that princess decided to blame her, instead of considering the prince she fell for might have already loved someone? And there wasn't even a promise that she could make him fall in love with a mare he never even met?"
"Not all legends are happy, you know. And this is just a story. No one truly knows if any of it was true or not."
Word count: 1896
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Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2023 10:19 am
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October
When had he wound up in such a situation, how? At the moment it hardly mattered because it was his reality. Fero had not felt such raw, overpowering fear since- well. Since he was very young, though he would deny ever feeling the fear cut this strongly, this deep. He was running- it was all he knew to do, the primal fear of prey ringing through his head.
He had wings, he knew that he did, but that knowledge was barely a flicker in the back of his mind- it was as if his wings were tied tightly to his back with rope so strong not even the sharpest beak could cut through. He bore claws- but the only good they were for now was just scrabbling against the ground, seeking purchase on earth that felt as if it were always just a moment away from giving out beneath him, or becoming slick as ice. Perhaps it was becoming ice- a chill breath of air raced down his back, the sensation of claws just about to grasp- to sink in. He put on another spur of speed, panic fueling him for the moment until that imminent danger passed.
How long had he been running? It could not have been that long, but it felt as if he had been fleeing pursuit for days, now. And never did the danger fully recede. He imagined he could hear them behind him, sometimes. The thunder of many hooves or paws against the ground, the very air vibrating along with the dirt beneath his feet. How many was it, dozens, hundreds? It didn't matter. His pursuers never seemed to tire, the only reprieve he gained was when they were toying with him. Letting him have just a few, precious moments to think that maybe, just maybe, he was finally leaving them behind. And then they were upon him again, claws or talons combing through the fur on his tail- or closer even, through his feathers.
He could not chance turning to look over his shoulder. Somehow, he knew that if he did, then the hunt would be over and he would surely be lost. Each time it felt as if he had gained some distance between them, that feeling of eyes boring into his head felt so taunting. As if his hunters were trying to goad him into doing just that- looking back to see his approaching fate. When it did, the icy cold grip of fear on his heart doubled, and it was all he could do to keep himself from faltering even a step, eyes glued to the unfamiliar forest ahead of him.
Again, through the fear, his mind tried to grasp onto any clue as to where he was, but nothing was familiar. The trees were mostly barren, leaves falling to the ground as if to further taunt him. Even if he could pull away from the hunters at his back, he would not be able to hide for the fallen leaves would alert any being of his location as they were trampled underfoot. It made guessing the distance between them all the more difficult, as well. When had they crossed from empty earth to the tree line? He couldn't recall- and the thundering of pursuit mixed with the leaves crunching were a solid distraction from such wandering thoughts. If he survived this night -day, week? How long would he have to keep funning for his life?- he could wonder about it THEN.
He would berate himself for giving into such primal fear, later, too. he had sworn to himself, as a foal, to never feel fear again- and now look at himself! He was strong! He was sturdy, a stalwart protector for a fair price. And he was running like a foal, terrified out of his wits. A rattling sound behind him spiked the fear further, and he shoved off that beginning of self-hate. Now was not the time for those thoughts! He had to focus on surviving, first, and ignoring the slowly growing feeling of his strength starting to flag. He could not let himself falter now. Just keep running, don't look back.
Keep breathing, though the air is cold and harsh, the scent of his own fear almost overpowering with each inhale. Laughter, then, on the wind behind him- the sensation of claws reaching forward and nearly brushing his hindquarters, snagging a feather. No! He would not let them catch him, not now. Adrenaline spiked again, the fear's icy tendrils seeping into tired muscle, and he edged ahead just enough to lose that feeling. The hunters were toying with him. He just had to keep going. They would tire of the game at some point- perhaps, if he was lucky, they would spot easier prey and leave him be. He just had to keep moving, and hold that tiny sliver of hope next to the fear. There was nothing else that he could do.
Word count 833
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Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2023 12:25 pm
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It was never just one, big catastrophe, or failure. It wasn't some world-ending event or a disaster on any scale. Patina supposed she should be thankful for that much, but right now, it hardly felt like she could muster up anything besides a sudden, deep feeling of loss. Of having failed, that nothing was ever going to go her way again- that it never had. No, it wasn't any one thing that brought her up to this ledge. It was the little things. A woven basket she'd so carefully made seasons ago finally wearing down to no longer be useful. It was a bee sting when she hadn't noticed the creature buzzing around a flower she'd just stepped past. It was getting caught in a late evening rain just before she could shelter under a tree- not a storm, a light drizzle, a small annoyance in the cooling weather.
It was just now, wandering her way to a little patch of flowers that she had so painstakingly been tending to, to find that something or someone had come through and trampled them all into the mud. She'd only just come by this spot the other morning- it hadn't been that long at all! And they had been finei then! She'd scratched out a little valley in the mud for excess rainwater to run away from them, so they wouldn't get too much- and the thing that destroyed them was not water, but someone else's hooves. "Why!?"
There wasn't anyone nearby to answer her, or to see her in such a miserable state- which again, maybe she'd be glad for on any other day. But not now. She did not care if someone happened to see her, her careful image of a proper lady ruined by what she might later call a tantrum. "What have I done to deserve all of this?? I haven't been rude, or treated anyone poorly! I've taken care to not travel into anyone else's territory! Why does everything bad just happen to me!? Why is nothing that I do ever good enough, ever right? Does my effort really mean nothing at all!"
Sniffling, she settled down into the mud near her poor flowers, not caring about her coat becoming dirty. What did it even matter anymore? Nothing else was working out in her favor anymore- when had it ever? Maybe everything she'd ever done really turned out just as much of a fail as all the little failures that she had noticed recently. It was just that no one had ever told her, before. Was she cursed? No, that would be a stretch wouldn't it. It was simply that her efforts were always wasted, she couldn't blame that on some nebulous curse, on someone else having chosen to spite her from the spirit world. The only true curse was that one, and she certainly was not suffering that ailment. Only her own hubris.
"What do I even try, for? Am I not good enough, that everything I try has to teach me that lesson failure after failure? I. I hate everything! I tried so hard, I just wanted something nice. I wanted to grow something lovely, to share them. Was that somehow too greedy? I wasn't trying to make anyone like me for giving a gift. What's wrong with trying to brighten someone's day with a little, pretty flower!? Nothing! But, apparently everything is wrong with it, if I can't even get the chance to. I can't give anyone else a smile, but don't I deserve one, too? Don't Ii deserve the chance to do something nice! Well, well I'm done, then! I see your sign, I won't try anymore!"
The sadness faded away to an ember, that grew quickly into a raging flame in her heart. "I just won't try, I won't do anything nice for anyone again! See how you like that then, huh!? Or will I trip up and fail even there? Well, I don't care anymore! I don't care if I fail now, if something messes up again. If I.. if I make someone else sad, like I make myself sad! I don't care!"
Chest heaving, she gasped in deep, angry breaths, before the flame burned out and the next gusty breath seemed to blow all of the heat out of her body with it. "No. I do care, I can't just turn around and make someone else sad on purpose. But I guess I needed that, huh. Somehow I feel better, even if I do feel worse, too." Everything had simply been building up in her, all of this time, hadn't it. She hadn't even noticed.
Still, she did not feel like trying to start her flower patch over again. At least not yet. It was the easiest task to try again, to start fresh, but seeing the trampled yellow petals was just too sad, still. Maybe the next time she returned to this spot, she might feel better. Or, she'd feel better enough to take that fresh start.
Word Count: 853 |
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