The Playful Snow

The cold seeped into her bones, letting her body weep in agony as it spread it's prickly touches over her nerves. The darkness diffused over her, the never ending push of a final frontier; the twinkling twilight that people always spoke of. Except there was no light at the end of the dark tunnel, no harmonious voice that greeted her.

There was absolutely nothing except darkness and a deep chill.

Pain, scorching pain reverberated against her chest. The pain extended over the entirety of her body, letting the pulsating feeling burst over her like an overflowing damn.

A sudden gasp and her eyes snapped open.
Suddenly, it wasn't so dark nor was it cold.

A bright light shown down on her, almost blindingly so as a gust of wind picked up her scattered hair.

It was the moon.
It shown so bright, so brilliantly that she had almost mistaken it for the light at the end of that dark tunnel.

Another gasp-she had forgotten to breath.

A sudden shiver ran through her and it felt like something was calling to her. It was a mumble, a barely audible whisper, but it was so distinct and so clear that the word vibrated down her spine; it struck her to the core.

Flora Greene.

That was her name, it was given to her by the moon. She couldn't help but think: "How beautiful."

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"Flora," she spoke loudly, pronouncing each syllable as if it was a foreign language, "Flora Greene." She repeated again. It felt...right for some reason. It was then she noticed her hair, which was curled loosely and hung down to her waist. It was a chocolate brown with red tints to it, leaves and flowers were weaved in and out from it. Instead of picking them out, she let them set there. Again, it just felt right.

When she had tried to get up, there was a tingling on her back; it was almost a fluttering feeling.

She had wings.
Giant, Monarch butterfly wings.

"What am I?" She asked out loud, looking towards the moon, hoping that she'd get answers. Alas, the moon stayed quiet and still.

Flora wandered the woods where she awoke for what seemed like hours, for when she stopped the moon had settled between the mountain peaks and beautiful pink and yellows began to stream across the sky. When she arrived at a clearing, one with a dead tree in the center, next to a murky pond, she couldn't resist the temptation to look at herself.

So she crossed the meadow. The dead grass pricking at her heels as she walked, and the songbird's lullaby whispering into her ear.

Vibrant purple eyes stared back at her.

She gasped again, tempted to reach out and touch her reflection, but refrained from doing so.
Her large eyes were framed by thick lashes, ones that left shadows against her sharp cheek bones. A long, narrow nose and small, full, pouty lips took the center of her face.
Freckles were sparse against her olive skin, and the shock was visible on her face.

Again, temptation drew over her and she reached out to the touch the water. As her fingers sifted the murky, brown water a tingle ran down her neck and into her arm; from that single finger sent ripples into the water, and went she retracted her finger the water slowly cleared and turned a dull blue.

Quick, shallow breathing.
She had to tell herself to calm down.

"What am I?" She asked again, but this time to nobody. She looked around the clearing, and then back to the way she came. Her eyes snapped down to the dead grass, and they widened once again; the dead grass in the meadow had slowly become alive once more, the green lush pastures with white poppy flowers at the entrance, "Did I...? No i-it couldn't be!" She whispered to herself.

Evidence. She needed real evidence. So naturally she got up and approached the dead tree.
At first, she didn't know what to do. She stood there and looked at the tree, looking at the dead branches and trunk before feeling that tingle running down her neck once again.

So, reaching out, she touched the tree.

Nothing happened.
Immediately that is.

Once she retracted her hand, suddenly the tree shook slightly. The dead branches slowly turned a healthy brown color, and green buds popped out of the same branches. Soon those buds became green, vibrant leaves; Flora stepped back, looking up at the beautiful, full, healthy tree that stood before her.

Warmth filled her heart and her wings beat happily behind her.

What was she?

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For the next couple days, Flora wandered around the dead forest some more. Her wings beat against the cool breeze, letting her lift off the ground and glide against the tall, yellow wheat she had discovered no less than a few hours ago.

It was the gentle yelling of someone, other than herself that drew her immediate attention. She had found someone else! Excitement coursed through her, and she beat her wings as fast as she could in the direction of the noises.

A smile stretched across her face, the excitement made her heart palpate, and her face flush with red. She had truly found someone! Finally, after days of searching! She finally found someone.
She stopped when the wheat did, looking at the same village laid in front of her.

The houses were made of stick, log, and mud. The people wandered around either in proper dresses, a bonnet adorning their heads, or in rolled up pants stuffed inside boots. She saw children running about, the hot sun beating down their bare backs as they played.

"Hello!" She yelled, leaning back on her heels as she did so, the smile becoming painful.
However, no one answered. She looked confused, but figured they ignored her for her obviously weird appearance.

"Hello?" She tried again, this time taking a few steps towards the village. The mud sunk in between her toes as she took each step towards the village, "hello?" She tried for a third time, and yet no one replied.

"Please, I know I have a strange appearance, but I really need help!" She tried again.

Nothing.

When she turned she noticed a man walking towards her, a genuine smile on his face. She let out a sigh of relief as she walked towards the man as well, "Finally! I thought everybody-"

The man walked through her.
Walked through her.

Her eyes were wide as she stared blankly in front of her.

What was she?