Deepest gratitude to my editor, Tilia B.
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"Forget"
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A field of brilliant flowers encircle the two young bodies, enveloping them with an air of freshness and growth that only the nature of Earth can bring. The blues of the forget-me-nots shine and glimmer in the warm, sensitive rays of sunshine, the stems and petals swaying in the soft breeze. They appear endless, stretching across the entirety of the ruins of Sablier with ease, bypassing the uneven ground and disintegrating buildings, and Leo could not imagine a scene sweeter or more peaceful.
Time holds no precedence within this place, as all matters of the forgotten world halt to a stop. Everything is without sound, and so the sun continues to brighten the incoming afternoon of the day and embrace the few remains of breath and life beneath it. Leo's body is free from the strings of reality and responsibility, and, if Elliot had not been resting his head on his lap, Leo feels as though he would float away toward the golden light.
Leo caresses a few fingers across Elliot's forehead, touching the strands of fair hair that move out of place when the breeze passes by. Even though Elliot's eyes remain closed, the appearance of a deep sleep, the warmth of Elliot to the touch brings a gentle smile to Leo's face.
"You're very tired today, aren't you?"
Leo's words are translucent, almost fleeting. The smile on his face grows gentler as he speaks to the sleeping Elliot. "You never could get any sleep before, could you? But the nightmares will stop now."
The sun's light illuminates Elliot, the boy's usual sharp features now timid and hidden away by the confines of sleep. Leo looks to the flowers around them and extends a hand out, plucking a handful by the stems and bringing them over Elliot. The dangling roots carry packs of dirt, steadily staining the boy's fair face.
He begins to pinch the bloomed flowers from the stems and collect them in a pile, in a trance with his work as he speaks. "There is no one here to bother us. But this place is abloom, so you shouldn't sleep long. When you open your eyes, you'll see. I'm quite shaken by it myself." A chuckle breathes through Leo's smile as he looks forward to laughing with Elliot over the irony of a prospering Sablier.
Once Leo's pile of forget-me-nots reach a decent size, he tosses the bare stems away and grasps the tiny shimmers of blues in his hands, the fragrance spreading in his body and soothing each of his senses. The sensation is especially poignant, reminding him of the jolt of exhilaration that he only experiences from captivating books.
"Everything began right behind us," Leo reminisces, turning to look toward the orphanage now devoid of human presence. "You were always so stubborn, appearing again and again… but at some point I became thankful for that."
Pulling the flowers away from his face, Leo looks down to Elliot. With a graceful motion, he parts his hands and watches each flower fall on to Elliot, encasing him in a blanket of lifeless flowers. Leo laughs happily to himself, touching Elliot's face again and whispering, "It's good that you're asleep, because you wouldn't ever let me live that confession down."
Leo raises his head to the cloudless sky, closing his eyes and breathing so deeply that his mind clears and becomes empty. When he opens his eyes again, the edge of his eyelids quivering, a tear falls down his cheek.
The fall of a single tear triggers a shooting pain inside Leo's ribcage.
In an attempt to stifle the overwhelming, all-consuming monstrosity bubbling inside and forcing its way through, Leo covers his mouth and the silent screams choking within every panicked breath.
But, when Leo grips his face, he feels a warm and viscous fluid smearing across. He pulls his shaky, desperate hands away from himself and sees the image of blood. The odor seeps into his pores, and he gags through his cries as the blood drips from his fingers.
The image of Sablier, and the image of the maternal sun and brilliant flowers, shatter before Leo's very eyes, the strings of reality wrapping themselves around his body once more. All that awaits him is darkness, the claustrophobic walls of the underground room crowding him on every side. There is only a faint presence of light, dimly burning from the torches on the walls, and the warmth of the previous sun only makes way for a bitter, detached room of stone.
And now, sitting at Leo's lap, is a pale, bloodied Elliot.
Leo peers at the sight with horror, a pure horror that threatens to break every part of his mind. The memories come flooding, merciless and destructive in their path, and Leo is unable to shield himself from the truth - the sight of Elliot, the one person who brought Leo happiness and meaning, who pulled him out of his exclusive world at the orphanage - Elliot, who shined with more passion than anyone Leo would ever come to know, who inspired Leo and left only the greatest impressions, despite the arguments, despite the miscommunications, despite everything - that very Elliot was now -
Trembling uncontrollably, Leo reaches his hands to Elliot, searching for the warmth of his skin that he had felt just a moment ago. However, Elliot is cold to the touch, his lips a blue shimmer in the torchlight.
"E-Elliot," Leo pushes the name through his cracking voice.
He grabs Elliot's shoulder and shakes him, all with no response. He grabs Elliot's collar and shakes him, but the result is the same.
"No, this cannot be - this cannot -"
Leo buries his face in Elliot's chest, pulling his unresponsive body from the ground and toward him. He tightens his arms around him, as if in an attempt to warm his cold master. But the dawning realization pounds inside his head, no longer allowing Leo the tranquility and privilege of ignorance, and the tears that had been waiting for a release pour forth, unyielding, each filled with every emotion that reside in Leo's broken, devastated body.
A piercing cry echoes against the daunting, unforgiving stone walls, and, no matter how many times, Leo's cries do nothing to ease the despair consuming his very sanity.