but the thing is, even if i could go back, i wouldn't belong there anymore
The hem of her shirt rips on the branch, her legs sink into the brackish mud, and in this instant she knows she is caught. Like a rabbit in a snare; too weak and small to fight. She can only thrash out in opposition of her fate. Tears leave clean trails down her dirt-stained face. She doesn't even notice the figure at the edge of the clearing, not until they come closer.
Aurelia
Her racing heart takes pause and her breath turns shallow as she looks - really looks - at the woman before her. They kneel down, tresses of their hair shifting with the movement, and they touch her. She flinches back. "Don't! They'll-" she begins to hiss out a warning but, as she glances about frantically, they've gone. The faces in the reeds, the whispers on the wind, the dark cloud that was chasing her.
She looks back up at Mildew, forlorn, lost. Was any of it real? Her lip trembles and she hugs herself, shaking. "I don't know, I don't know," she shakes her head, "They- they wanted to hurt me and I.." she reaches out to grasp for Mildew's wrist, her grip weak, "I can't run anymore. M-my leg..."
The wound above her knee lies open, oozing and throbbing with infection.
Aurelia
Her racing heart takes pause and her breath turns shallow as she looks - really looks - at the woman before her. They kneel down, tresses of their hair shifting with the movement, and they touch her. She flinches back. "Don't! They'll-" she begins to hiss out a warning but, as she glances about frantically, they've gone. The faces in the reeds, the whispers on the wind, the dark cloud that was chasing her.
She looks back up at Mildew, forlorn, lost. Was any of it real? Her lip trembles and she hugs herself, shaking. "I don't know, I don't know," she shakes her head, "They- they wanted to hurt me and I.." she reaches out to grasp for Mildew's wrist, her grip weak, "I can't run anymore. M-my leg..."
The wound above her knee lies open, oozing and throbbing with infection.
Aurelia
