11-17-2019, 01:29 AM
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the moon’s brute music touching them with fire
A sound, unlike those of the Marsh, reached them. They rose their head, taking in the sight of the Lion. (Blue eye.) A response. Had their words reached Them? But no, the Lion seemed to not recognize them. It must be an inhabitant of the Mash. There was a tightening in their chest, so they took a breath.
The Lion's words brought them confusion. What was wrong with their legs? [b]"What is wrong? I am walking," they said, raspy words breaking. They paused to take a breath. "It is very inconvenient." Inconvenient in the way speaking was, with throat and tongue, and lips, and words. They knew the words, ancient and new in the way all was, but they did not know the flesh. Only trial and error had allowed them a way to communicate. They took a breath.
They could help them, the Lion said. "What Nest is this? Where is the Guardian? Where is my Guardian?" Even now, they were unused to such silence. Their own words scratched and rattled inside their mind, clawing at their flesh. It was different from the chatter of their Siblings and the soothing hum of their Guardian. Foreign; disgusting; abnormal.
Something else was coming. They watched as the Dragon (pink eyes) stopped in front of them, eye momentarily glancing at the corpse. Black. "Goodbye," they said to the corpse. They took a breath. They focused their attention on the Dragon once more.
Were they alone? They remembered the Man who had once asked them that. 'No,' they had said back then before the Man had departed. They were never alone. (What did they think? What did they think? What does that mean?) This time? Were they alone? They could not be alone. They were never alone. They were not supposed to be alone. They were not allowed to be alone. They did not bother to take a breath, even when the tightening in their chest began. Nothing was supposed to be alone. The animals were never alone; there were always Kin near. The plants were never alone; they had sprouts, and seeds, and leaves, and branches, and roots. The Moon had the Sun, the Clouds had the Sky, the Ground had the Water, the Guardians had their Children. What did they have? Where were They? Where were They?
Were they alone? Where are You? they ask again. The same hum within them replied. No. No. No. No. No. "No," they gasped, temporarily breaking eye contact from the Dragon. Is this what the Man meant? Is this what the Man meant? Their questions went unanswered and they lacked the knowledge to answer it themselves. "Where are You?" they wheezed out, voice failing them. Spots dotted their vision and they became aware of the heavy feeling in their chest. Air. The body needed air. They remembered how they had lost consciousness when they had first awoken. Air. Air. They took a breath. Took two breaths, took three, and ignored the unfamiliar sensations that came with every shudder. What was this? What was this? They were breathing but the tight feeling persisted. Ignore it; set it aside; they had to focus on breathing.
The odd sensations remained, like a tick grabbing hold of an animal to suck the life out of them. The Lion said they would help them. Maybe the Lion and the Dragon knew the answers to their questions. [color=#538575]"I am alone. Why? Why? Why am I alone?" They took a breath, took two, and puzzled over the feelings in their chest.
(—don't you think?)
The Lion's words brought them confusion. What was wrong with their legs? [b]"What is wrong? I am walking," they said, raspy words breaking. They paused to take a breath. "It is very inconvenient." Inconvenient in the way speaking was, with throat and tongue, and lips, and words. They knew the words, ancient and new in the way all was, but they did not know the flesh. Only trial and error had allowed them a way to communicate. They took a breath.
They could help them, the Lion said. "What Nest is this? Where is the Guardian? Where is my Guardian?" Even now, they were unused to such silence. Their own words scratched and rattled inside their mind, clawing at their flesh. It was different from the chatter of their Siblings and the soothing hum of their Guardian. Foreign; disgusting; abnormal.
Something else was coming. They watched as the Dragon (pink eyes) stopped in front of them, eye momentarily glancing at the corpse. Black. "Goodbye," they said to the corpse. They took a breath. They focused their attention on the Dragon once more.
Were they alone? They remembered the Man who had once asked them that. 'No,' they had said back then before the Man had departed. They were never alone. (What did they think? What did they think? What does that mean?) This time? Were they alone? They could not be alone. They were never alone. They were not supposed to be alone. They were not allowed to be alone. They did not bother to take a breath, even when the tightening in their chest began. Nothing was supposed to be alone. The animals were never alone; there were always Kin near. The plants were never alone; they had sprouts, and seeds, and leaves, and branches, and roots. The Moon had the Sun, the Clouds had the Sky, the Ground had the Water, the Guardians had their Children. What did they have? Where were They? Where were They?
Were they alone? Where are You? they ask again. The same hum within them replied. No. No. No. No. No. "No," they gasped, temporarily breaking eye contact from the Dragon. Is this what the Man meant? Is this what the Man meant? Their questions went unanswered and they lacked the knowledge to answer it themselves. "Where are You?" they wheezed out, voice failing them. Spots dotted their vision and they became aware of the heavy feeling in their chest. Air. The body needed air. They remembered how they had lost consciousness when they had first awoken. Air. Air. They took a breath. Took two breaths, took three, and ignored the unfamiliar sensations that came with every shudder. What was this? What was this? They were breathing but the tight feeling persisted. Ignore it; set it aside; they had to focus on breathing.
The odd sensations remained, like a tick grabbing hold of an animal to suck the life out of them. The Lion said they would help them. Maybe the Lion and the Dragon knew the answers to their questions. [color=#538575]"I am alone. Why? Why? Why am I alone?" They took a breath, took two, and puzzled over the feelings in their chest.
(—don't you think?)
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