Golden leaves. Red flurries. Sinuous limbs bending and dancing in the wind, creaking and groaning above my head. My bones crack and shift as I stretch my translucent arms towards the naked boughs above me, reaching futily for something to save me from the pain of my snapping bones.
I bite down on a scream as I feel sharp nail shaped bones burst out of my elongated fingers. My body stretches and my muscles are being pulled taut under my skin before snapping and re-knitting themselves over my spindly bones. Curling up in the soft loam I moan in pain as I feel my internal organs shrivel and turn to dust within me. My heart stutters and throbs inside its craggy prison, giving me the gift of fifteen final beats - one for every year of my young life – before going still and silent in my ,cold chest.
Empty. Empty and hollow is how I feel. My body is silent and still. Slowly I open my eyes, fixing my gaze upon the branches above my head. Noting with a feeling of growing love that the branches that minutes before held wilting leaves in their desperate embrace now burst with leaves in bloom.
A slow smile splits my lips as I gaze at my new home. Home, memories connected with that word flash through my mind. A lovely woman with long brown hair, warm blankets, a small cottage, a strong warm pair of arms, before sinking deep into a black pool and disappearing from remembrance.
Slowly, gracefully I stand. Pale translucent hair flows over my shoulders to brush the backs of my-knees. Memory sparks, pale golden-brown hair being braided by soft hands, then it's gone. Slowly, carefully I make my way to the gentle brook that flows between two wise, old oaks into a small pond. Curiously I bend to examine the reflection of my new body. I know in my heart that I was something different before this creature that I am now but I know not what.
White orbs stare back at me from an angular face framed by silvery waterfalls of translucent hair. My eyes widen slightly as I notice that as the light plays over my skin I can see my bones glitter with a slightly luminous opalescent light. Memory stirs, a small girl looking into a similar pond, gazing back into a pair of vivid emerald eyes, then like flowing water is gone.
Straightening I back away from that haunting reflection.
"Alaine, Alaine where are you?!"
Memories crash into me with the force of a tidal wave, making me sway drunkenly.
"Mama." I whisper. Suddenly I am flitting silently through the dark forest, trying desperately to hold the memories her voice had stirred within me but it is as vain as trying to hold water in a broken bowl. For no matter how much you wish it to be so it can never be. Slowly I stop running not remembering why I had begun in the first place. Quite sobs come from the woods to my right but I do not care.
A shrill keening sound fills my senses, swamping me in agony. I flit quickly and soundlessly through the forest in the direction of the outskirts, a low hiss simmering in the back of my throat at whatever is inflicting such pain upon my kin. Light slowly begins to filter through the thinning foliage. Effortlessly I launch myself into the branches above as I make my way to the sound of wood being mutilated.
Men. Men are killing my children, cutting them up and stealing them away. How dare they.
"How dare you!" I scream. "You shall all die." I watch with satisfaction as their eyes widen in fear. Some of them scream, some of them reach for their guns. I smile; but none of them will survive, I will make sure of it. Slowly methodically I start to cut them down, just as they cut my children down. One man's neck I break, another man's head I rip off, still others hearts I simply rip out. I feel no compassion for these horrible creatures who would so willingly destroy my family. One man though gives me pause. His green eyes seem to look right to the inside of me, recognition flashes in them.
"Alaine." He whispers. "Is that you? It's me. It's, papa."
"I have no parents. My family is the one you are killing." I Hiss before wrapping my long, bony fingers around his neck and snapping it, like a dead branch. Slowly I release him, letting his body fall into the embrace of the unforgiving ground. I turn to my family. Not sparing another glance for the man who had called himself my father. Slowly I reach inside myself for the green well of peace that I know will be there. Serenity filled me up until I can feel myself start to radiate a soft glowing freshness like new grown life. Slowly and painfully a can feel my children and family start to heal from the pain inflicted upon them from the hands of men. When they finally feel whole so do I. Calmly I walk through the field of broken and mangled corpses. Not paying any mind to the blood covering my hands and body; not bothered at all by the blood soaked mud that is squelching up in between my toes.
Happily I re-enter my forest home, sighing as I feel the serenity of the forest over take me; but suddenly it is shattered by the wail of an abandoned babe. I hiss as I feel the compassion of the trees for this pitifully small creature. Silently I flit through the forest towards it, intent on finding out why this babe is here.
Swiftly I enter the clearing where the babe is laying upon its grassy floor cradled in the gnarled roots of an old, matronly minded, oak. I mother fox makes her home in those roots too, I can feel her. I can feel her pain at loosing her cubs to a poacher. I can also feel that the forest want's this child, it wants to keep her. Slowly, cautiously I bend to pick up the babe from her cradle, my hands leave bloody marks on her blanket. her wailing becomes more of pitiful whimper as I hold her to my breast, her small hands groping for her mother's breast and the milk that that should be for her; but she has taken herself from the babe. The babe's golden hair glints in the gentle sunlight that filters down through the thick trees.676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6eYF1ki2I
Gently I call to the pain filled mind of the vixen hiding under the, old Oak. 'Come, I have a cub for you. She needs you, mother and she needs the life you that held inside of yourself for your own dead young ones. Timidly I feel her respond to my call before crawling out from her home to see the cub I had spoken of. Quietly she slinks up to me, looking into my eyes inquisitively. Gently, so as not to startle the babe in my arms, I kneel in the soft loam. The vixen, gently places her paws on my thin arm, boosting her self up to look upon the "cub" in my arms. The babe looks at her with wonderment in her eyes.676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BcqW8F2L8
'I will raise this cub as my own child of the forest, Mistress.' The vixen whispers in my mind. The love she will feel for the babe already is evident in her voice.676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LpkMmRub9
I smile, laying the child down among the roots again. Silently I petition the mother oak to cradle her lovingly in her arms for the vixen, until the babe can walk on its own. With a bit of the pool of mist inside of myself I create a cradle out of grass and flowers before leaving the vixen and oak with their new cub.676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5B6FVmihRb
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Three years have gone by and the vixen's cub has grown young and lovely in the forest. I am going to visit her again today. Her shimmering, forest green eyes remind me of something long forgotten, something I wish to remember. My thoughts are derailed by the wailing of a small child. I smile as I turn my course to that of north wood, again I can feel the love of the forest for this small being but this time I want it too. I want the small child too. They are pure and innocent, so beautiful. I wish that I was like them but I have forever been this sharp, bony, clear being that I am now.
Distantly, in the depths of the black part of my mind... memory sparks.
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The End676Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRf615kQTA
