Shrike's Heart (#2)

[idolpro]

The woman before you is beautiful—fair of features, with lovely golden skin and luxurious long black hair, petite. You have the immediate and distinct impression that she's just let go of your hand, and she steps back, and smiles.

It's not quite a happy smile.

"I'm sorry," she says. "There's just nothing I can do, as things are. But the way is there; it just needs to be lit."

You open your mouth—maybe to say something, or to express confusion—but you have to cough, and taste something metallic, spattering black blood onto the ground in front of you. Then you realize—blood seeps from opening wounds in your arms, your chest, your stomach, your face. It rims your eyes and trails from your nose and you feel like you're dissolving—

—and you fall through the ground like it's the surface of a lake, and go down, down, down.

> Wake Up

Comments

[justfuckingtryit]

You did enough. You got him out, didn't you?

[handpuppets]

It's never—enough—

[ and it's just like in that dream. you saw him cough and cough and choke on his own blood as his overworked, injured lungs finally failed him, and here he is again now, dying in front of you. a stream of blood leaks from his mouth, running into the water at your feet. ]

[nihilmancy]

[She says a silent prayer over his body, and closes his eyes.]

[handpuppets]

[ he lies still.

and then... ]

[justfuckingtryit]

[Glances toward the path... and then back at the man.]

...we shouldn't leave them here.