Lilou really hadn't expected her wake to be so abrupt. She had the sense of falling, on and on, repeating seemingly forever, until that proved wrong. And she hadn't hit the ground with a thud either; it was as though she was suddenly caught and then gently lowered to it.

The place she opened her eyes to was perfect and terrible at the same time.

Deep, rich greens and pale blue skies dotted with plumes of white; there was no doubt this place was flawless. Flowers appeared to be tended to, and birds chirped endlessly. At one point, Lilou had thought them to be annoying.

But then the days dragged on. By day four, she should have died here. However, she was still alive, with her frilly white dress and perfectly manicured nails. She was still effervescent and glowing, with no signs of dehydration or starvation.

And then weeks passed.

And then months.

And finally, years.