Meep! I have been frightened into speeding up Kags' and Inu-chan's getting together, so here goes…. Just letting you all know that I'm pretty much making this up as I go…
Puppies are Cute
Already the brief high the Shikon shard had given me had worn off. The slight extra bit of power had become usual; the two shards had melded into one indistinguishable but glittery purple splinter that looked no bigger than before, and I was in a bad mood. Have I ever told you how much I detest Naraku?
"Hey Inuyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasha!" Naraku had whispered creepily, hunching up his black-clad shoulders and glancing towards me conspiratorially.
"What?!" I had snapped, already annoyed because Master Kakashi had whacked me on the head one to many times for breaking Hojo's toe.(Freakin' pansy started bawling like a baby).
"Looooook what I have here! Aren't you jealous? Aren't you jealous?"
"Naraku… that's a rubber-ducky patterned marble. Get over yourself. Now, if you'll pardon me, I have better things to do."
"Did you… did you just insult Haku-doshi-chan…?!" Naraku had croaked, face turning bone white, eyes reddening.
"It has a name?" I had sneered, and, making the biggest mistake of the day so far, turned my back and stalked away. The next thing I knew, Naraku had jumped in front of me with his creepy baboon skills and punched me right in the face. And now here I am, wrapped up like some ridiculous mummy in a cheesy horror film, bored out of my life. Well, at least I'm missing Geometry…
Tik-tok-tik-tok-tik-tok……
3 freakin' hours later….
I rolled over again on the paisley sofa that was the school's "cradle of rejuvenation" and sighed dismally. Screw that. I would've preferred even Geometry with beastly Mr. Guy to this incredible boredom. Serves me right for letting my guard down around that freaking psychopath and his marble collection. Takahashi High was so pathetically tiny it didn't even have a nurse. I was just supposed to wait here in this stupid deserted room until school was over. Something about not allowing kids to leave school unsupervised before the end of school. I was just about to give another particularly dramatic sigh to the empty room when I heard a set of footsteps outside. My heart leaped. Civilization! Humanity! My endless ostracism was over, my loneliness ended? Who could it be? Probably Mrs. Garcias come to say that school was over. Or Kenshin to come "Make me feel better" with one of his overly sunshiny smiles. Even Naraku, come to gloat over my damaged face, would be an improvement. However, the quick, light footsteps belonged to none of these. I recognized the battered and bruised girl immediately. She stalked in the door, grumbling darkly, and was halfway through the room before she even noticed me. She gave a violent start, slipped on the carpet's edge, and fell with a heavy thud. I winced.
"Uh… do you need a hand, Kagome?"
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My day had started out pretty good, actually. I got a B on my History test. Mrs. Lorax had complimented me on my poem- violets in the dark. For those smart people who know what I'm alluding to, kudos, for those who don't- Inuyasha's hair and eyes….??? Yeah, that was sweet. I actually understood the geometry lesson for once, though the disappearance of a certain black-haired god troubled me. Sango seemed a little off, though. She was much quieter than usual, and there were big black bags under her eyes, like she hadn't slept all night. I didn't ask her about it though, and she seemed to get a hold of herself pretty quickly. All in all, it had been a surprisingly okay day- until I met that witch Ino and her friend Kagura. That was when things got ugly.
"Hey, tomato-girl, 'sup?"
"Guess what Higurashi? We're having a party on Saturday and you're NOT invited. Oh, and everyone else in the grade is. We're gonna go to my dad's 5th mansion in Hong Kong on my private jet."
"Well, too bad for you. Maybe if you weren't so fat and clumsy,
we'd invite you too…"
"Oh, did you hear Inuyasha got beat
up? Poor cutie. Don't you just wanna kiss him whenever you see his
adorable little face?"
"Yeah, and squeeze him to death, and make him go to the ball with me…"
"He's just soo hot… I wonder if tomato-girl likes him…. Now that I think of it, she does go bright red whenever she sees him… Too bad for her she's just too fat and ugly and stupid. Me, on the other hand…"
The fight that ensued earned me 3 weeks detention, but it was worth it. The look on Kagura's face when I punched her in the stomach after she threatened to "tell her daddy on me" was priceless. Kagura and Ino both got picked up immediately by their parents' maids. But mom was at work, so I got stuck in the boring old sick room until mom could come. At least, I used to think sick-rooms were boring. But not anymore…
I had barged in the door, oblivious to my incredible good fortune, and for that I hate myself. Tripping in front of Inuyasha…. Oh, god…… But then,
"Uh… do you need a hand, Kagome?"
In that instant I thought my heart would stop. His hand, outstretched towards me, was smooth and slender, perfectly tan, with surprisingly long fingers. His face, a beacon of glowing light and beauty was… blushing?
Without a word, I placed my hand in his and smiled… and he smiled back.
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Her hand was warm and soft as a petal. Hating myself, I drew back quickly. Immediately the soft warmth vanished and I was filled with a curious sense of emptiness. Kagome's eyes never once left my one, filled with a kind of disturbing expression I couldn't quite read. I stepped back several paces and cleared my throat loudly.
"Meep! Uh, hi Inuyasha! I, uh, hear Naraku beat you with a chair?"
I scowled. Stupid girl, believing such stupid rumors. Gossip at Takahashi High was one thing I had never learned to escape.
"He punched me because I laughed at his rubber ducky marble," I spat. "And what are you doing here?"
"Well, uh, I kinda got in a fight with Ino and Kagura…" she seemed hurt by his tone. Well, he would prove to himself that he couldn't care less!
"That's pretty pathetic. Weren't you fighting with that Ino witch the first time I met you?"
"Hey, it's not my fault she's so evil and twisted and vicious and snakelike and retarded and- well, anyhow, I think it's really jerky of you to say that to me. How did you manage to get hit by that nuthead Naraku anyhow? And everyone says you're good at martial arts. You're the pathetic one."
"Hey you dastardly little pumpkinhead do you know who you're talking to? I'm the 3-time winner of the Mephisopheles Martial Arts Award. I could take that big wimp Naraku anytime! He got me from behind!"
"Oh, I see, is that you're excuse you lily-livered turnip?" By now we were quite close to each others' faces.
"You want me to prove it, you scilly-scally flibbitagibbet*?"
"Oh, so you'd hit a girl?"
"Try me!"
"What on earth is going on here?"
We froze- I, one fist raised threateningly and her, finger stabbing angrily at my face, and turned slowly to face the door. There stood Mrs. Garcias, framed threateningly by the sick room door in all her wrathful Scottish glory*, flaming hair bristling, arms crossed across her ample stomach, freckled face burning like an unfortunate marshmallow.
"I leave for one- well, maybe a little more than that- seconds, and here you two are, getting in fights again! This is disgraceful! I expected much more from you!"
"B-b-b-b-but Mrs. Garcias…"
"Don't you 'but' me, young man! And you too, young lady-shut your mouth or the flies will buzz in. Not another word from either of you. Leave immediately. School is over. And if I hear another word about either of you getting into a fight again…"
She left the threat hanging dangerously in the air. I swallowed, and looked around for Kagome, but she was already gone.
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I stomped down the corridor, face smoldering, hands on my hips.
"What a jerk! What an incredibly jerkish jerk! I can't believe I actually liked him! Wait- did I just say that out loud?"
I whipped around. The hallway was empty except for a random tumbleweed blowing past the rows of lockers. I sighed in relief. Then a thought occurred to me.
"Wait… School is over, my friends aren't here, I know Inuyasha's approximate location… This is a perfect time to stalk him!"
I skipped merrily off, Pink Panther theme music blaring in my head, already forgetting my enmity with the gorgeous purple-eyed junior. At last, some excitement!
I found him walking slowly, hands deep in pockets, past the home ec room. He appeared deep in thought, iPod jammed in ears, midnight hair tousled across his flawless face. I slipped behind a random pillar and watched him.
-an hour later-
It was hard to admit this to myself, but perhaps following Inuyasha hadn't been such a great idea after all. I had boarded two buses, each time having to go to the wildest extremes as so not to show him my face, walked at least 10 miles, and ran about 3. And all the while, the sun was slipping lower and lower in the azure sky. I hadn't even gotten my backpack before starting on this wild goose chase! And my mom must be really, really worried by now. I was about to give up and turn back when a shout shocked me back into reality.
"Hey you! Yeah you with the red sweatshirt! Hands up!"
"What the hell?? Who are you?"
" Did you not just hear what the boss said? Hands up you little rat! Hand over all your money!"
"And how am I supposed to do that with my hands in the air?"
There was a ringing blow. Franticly, I hid myself behind a graffiti-covered building and peeked cautiously out.
I was in a shadowy, garbage- strewn street. It had slipped my notice that as the sun went down and my weary feet carried me ever onward, the houses and streets around me had deteriorated, grown more and more slumm-y, more trash and graffiti covered, shutters drooping and music pounding violently from dirty windows. However, there was no sound in this filthy street to which I had come but the yells and thuds and grunts of fighting. Inuyasha was doing incredibly well- almost impossibly well- how could such slender arms possibly hold such strength?- but there were just too many of them. Even medal-winning demons have their limits. There was a final, solid thock, and the laughter of the goons faded into the dusky twilight. Inuyasha sat alone in the abandoned street with his knees drawn up to his chest, for what seemed like forever. It took me a long while to notice that he was crying.
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I just couldn't stop myself. The tears poured traitorously out of my eyes, burning my eyes like acid, tears of fury. Despite the slight addition of power from the shard, I was still just so weak! It was terrible!
"Why do I have to be so…so pathetic, so weak! This human body… so slow, so fragile… Everything hurts so much in this terrible world! Why?! Oh why did I come here?! Shikon shard, please, send my back! To my world, to my life, to my strength! Oh please, why, why won't you send me home???"
And with that I just kind of broke. I was so stupid! I had had the gall to go through that shining door and now I was trapped here, with no way back. I wanted to go home, even if it meant Kikyo… To think of me, the Inuyasha, being beaten by a bunch of scrawny humans… the very thought of it made me feel sick and beaten inside. Then suddenly came a sound that made my very soul freeze.
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It wasn't my fault- I didn't mean to! But when I heard those words, proof that my far-fetched fantasy was real, that there was a real live angel crying on the ground not 10 feet from me, my legs just sort of gave out. My heart gave a violent start and then seemed to stop beating. All the color drained from my face as Inuyasha, amethyst eyes terrible and yet wet with tears, came walking around the corner towards me. What was I going to do? What should I say? Would he… kill me? At that moment my mind just seemed to shut down. The words that slipped dumbly from my quivering, traitorous lips were going to be my last, of that I was sure. How could I be so stupid?
"W-w-w-will you… go to the ball with me?"
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For a second I couldn't believe my ears. They had always worked perfectly fine for me in the past, but there does come a breaking point, I guess.
"You-me- w-w-w-w-what?!!"
All my anger and pain had vanished as if swept by a sharp gust of wind, replaced by unbelievable shock. Dumbstruck, I watched her face redden slowly until she looked like she'd gone sunbathing in Death Valley. She clamped a hand over her mouth and I could swear she looked like she was going to cry.
"W-w-w-well I mean I was just thinking maybe you might wanna- wanna go with me?"
"A, There is no ball, I don't have a clue what you're talking about, and B, you stalked me all the way out here just to ask me something stupid like that?"
Kagome hung her head. I saw the tears dripping from her cheeks onto the filthy pavement, and in an instant I was by her side. I had placed a soothing hand around her waist before I even knew what I was doing. I tilted her face up to look at me- and froze.
What was this warm, somehow familiar feeling welling up inside me again? Her eyes, huge and wet and beautiful looked pleadingly into my own.
"P-please, Inuyasha" she whispered softly, her voice small and broken. Our faces were so close together I could smell her. She smelled sweet and young and fresh, like quiet pink roses drenched in morning dew, like a butterfly in the sunlight, like honey… For some reason I couldn't stop looking at her lips, beautiful and rose-colored, like all the rest of her… Our faces hovered closer and closer together, and then-
"Hey! Look at this! The little brat has a girlfriend!"
"Hahahaha!!! I wonder if she's got any money- or something else…"
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go see!"
We jerked apart. I felt a numbing hollowness in my chest at the loss of contact, but that was quickly replaced with rage, hot and bitter as acid. Kagome looked away, biting her lip, eyebrows knotted, huge eyes trembling with tears anew. Her shaking fists were clenched at her sides. I don't think any of us, me or the goons, could ever have foreseen what happened next.
"You jerks! How dare you ruin my first kiss?! I'll get you for that!! ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!"
And before I could stop her, she was off like a rocket. How could such a slender, fragile looking girl move so fast?! It made my eyes blurry just to look at her. Her face blazed with wrath, and for a second I even felt sorry for the goons. With a smash, her tiny fist collided with the face of the leader. He went down like a ton of bricks. Next she whirled around like a demon and kicked a second in the stomach. He hit the ground. Then she jumped high in the air, long smooth legs glowing in the setting sun beneath her swirling turquoise skirt, and plugged a third goon in the nose. Without a second glance, the rest of the gang ran of as fast as their legs could carry them, screaming like little girls. I had to bite my lip to hold in my laughter. Kagome stood, shoulders heaving, with her back to me, perfect figure illuminated by the last of the sun. Timidly, I walked up to her, afraid now of her terrible destroying power.
"K-Kagome? Are you okay?" I asked, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. In an instant she had spun around, beaming, and was hugging me with all her might, laughing her head off. My eyes wider than dinner plates, I blinked, and blinked again. I think my brain was starting to reach its limit.
"Inuyashaaaaaaaaa!!!!! Did you see what I did??? Did you see what I did to them??? The retards! They got pwwwwwwwned!!!! They should know never to mess with a girl!!! Ha!! Did you see them run???" And with that, she burst into a ringing explosion of laughter. I hesitated, bewildered, and then allowed a smile to grace my lips. Tightening my grip around her, I started to laugh too, my first true laugh since… since, well, Kikyo. I just couldn't stop laughing. As the sun set, I leaned down and buried my face in her shining hair, my eyes filling for the second time that day with tears- but this time, tears of laughter. And I was happy.
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He walked me home, even though the sun had already set and the cool autumn sky was already starting to fill with stars, like scattered diamonds some god of love had sprinkled up there, just to light our way. He took me as far as the bus stop, and then turned away with a smile on his face. I can still see that smile when I close my eyes- quiet, radiant, glowing, and so… real… like it came from the bottom of his soul. He had walked away, figure soon blurring into the shadows of the night, and I would have missed my bus for staring at him if a nice boy who called himself Hojo hadn't grabbed my shoulder and pulled me on. Dimly I recall him talking excitedly to me, face alight, asking if I remembered him, smile fading as I ignored him, room enough in my mind for only one person in the whole wide world- Inuyasha. Such an intriguing, beautiful name, the way it slipped of your tongue, a whisper of wind through bamboo leaves, a handsome wanderer disappearing into a dark night. My whole soul seemed filled to bursting with love for him, so mysterious and yet so real, like a balloon that kept growing and growing, filling my whole being with warmth. We had almost kissed! We would have kissed, if it hadn't been for those stupid, stupid goons… I had sure let them have it. At last the training Sango had hammered into me had come in handy. The looks on their faces, which would have once been my happiest solace in my darkest hours, were immediately shoved out by the impatient, slender hands of Inuyasha, so strong, so perfect… His eyes had somehow seemed different when I looked into them- the pupil longer, the glowing amethyst even more exquisite… I almost missed my stop. The Hojo boy slouched out with a final mournful look in my direction, but I didn't care. My lips curved up in a smile that I was sure would last me forever. Inuyasha……….
Thanks to hispanicinuyashalover, amiegirl, Jazzy my homey- THE SCARECROW WILL GET YOU, and Ajaxtheaxemurderer I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE for reviewing. I have finally kinda gotten to the kissy part, so I better get some reviews…….. Pweeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaseeeeee……………..reviewreviewreviewreviewreview………………….
Well heloooooo peoples! I watched Titanic last night and cried, so disregard any tear-stains on this… *sniffs dramatically* I LOVE LEONARDO DICAPRIO!!!! Please read!
Puppies are Cute
Chapter 11
The second she was gone, I spun around and started to run as fast as I could, which was pretty fast. There was no mistaking what I felt this time. It was the aura of Shikon shards. And not just one this time- many more. My pulse quickened as I raced through the dark abandoned streets. How on earth did this keep happening? The jewel had been shattered and the pieces scattered in the other world, I knew that for certain. The portal had been closed for fifty years. And yet somehow the shards kept popping up everywhere I went. How was that possible? I just didn't get it… I remembered the day, so long ago I couldn't count the years, when my mother had given the jewel into my keeping. As the wind whistled past me, speeding legs bringing me ever closer to another mystery, I recalled the past…
I looked up at my mother with huge trembling golden eyes, puppy ears twitching, tears coursing past the scrapes and livid bruises slowly fading on my plump cheeks. I must have been about 5 in human years. My mother knelt down gracefully on one knee and stroked my long silvery hair with a pale, slender hand, tear-streaked face inches from mine. In her other hand she held the jewel, shimmering gently in the candle light. Her golden and white kimono fell gently around her wasted frame. Even in her last moments she was beautiful.
"Inuyasha…" she whispered, her once vibrant voice sounding like the merest whispering of wind in dead leaves, as if it took her a great effort just to make out the words. "My darling, you are so precious to me. You know that right?"
I forced myself to nod my head, glistening tears making shining tracks on my small pale face.
"Inuyasha, I… want you to have this. It will become your heart and your power. Guard it with everything you have, for… for it will be your very soul. Never give it to someone unless… Unless you truly love them,… trust them with your heart… Your father… he… he gave this to me, and I have protected it… always. It is called the Shikon Jewel. Please, my love, take it. You know I will always… Always love you…"
And with that she fell into my arms, lifeless, long raven hair spilling like water over the dirty ground of the deserted hut in the forest, skin white as the snow that fell from the sky onto the roof of the rough shelter, muffling the heart-broken cries of a baby hanyou as he curled a tiny fist around the jewel that was to be his new heart.
With a blink, I shook my head, sniffed, and skidded to a halt. It wasn't good to bring back old memories, I knew that. What had gotten into me? The powerful aura brought me back to reality. I was in the middle of an empty, moonlit square, surrounded by collapsing houses on all sides. And before me…
My breath caught in my throat as I slowly raised my eyes. Towering above me was the largest tree I had ever seen. It's massive, gnarled brown base, which would have taken at least 20 humans with outstretched arms to span it, was hung with a strange rope, grown into the tree in many places, around which hung 5 huge wing-chime looking objects, each bigger than the last. It soared so far up into the star-sprinkled sky that I couldn't see where it ended. There was no mistake. The aura of the shikon shards was coming from inside it.
I cocked my head to one side and stared up at it, puzzling. It seemed to stare back down at me, like some giant wild beast frozen forever in place among dwarves by some malignant demon. How was I supposed to get the shikon shards? I didn't want to have to cut such a huge tree down- it would take forever, if it fell it would crush all the houses around it, and besides… it seemed sacrilege to touch such a lofty, ancient giant. A gust of wind swept my hair back, carrying trash and fallen scarlet leaves in a tiny tornado, and I heard a strange noise that seemed to make the very ground vibrate, like the sound when you blow across the top of a bottle, only an incredibly immense one. Then it clicked in my head. Of course! The tree was hollow!
With a huge leap, I cleared about 15 feet and reached the first branch. It sagged alarmingly under my weight. Aaagh! I wasn't gaining weight, was I? It must have been all that ramen… Before you could say, "Shishkabob!" I was on the next branch, which was quite a bit sturdier than the last, and then on to the next. I must have looked quite a sight to any curious passerby- a boy with a red backpack jumping like a giant overfed squirrel from branch to branch of an enormous tree that seemed to look on in derisive amusement! It took quite a while, but at last I had reached the uppermost branch and was standing, shoulders heaving, looking in amazement at the twinkling lights of the city spread out below me in an intricate, teeming web of life. Tiny multicolored lights shone bravely against the overpowering darkness which swept up to the towering mountains soaring darkly far in the distance, like the foreboding body of a sleeping dragon enfolding this tiny stronghold of humanity, ready at any moment to wake up and snuff out the lights without a second thought. I shivered. This world might not have been my home, but I had grown used to it, even attached to it over the years. I sighed, and turned to the yawning hole in the tree below me. I had a new problem now- how was I supposed to get down there without breaking my neck? Besides, it was rather… creepy looking. How was I gonna see down there, anyhow? I shook myself. I couldn't possibly turn back now! Especially after that climb… I would get what I came for. Besides, if there was… something down there, surely I would have felt it, wouldn't I? Pushing away my fears, I crawled down into the hole and vanished into the darkness.
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"Kagomeeeeeeeee!!!!! Time to get up darling!!!"
I glanced at the clock. 5:30 AM to the dot. But somehow, instead of an evil scowl spreading across my sleep-heavy face, a jaw-cracking grin turned up my lips. I would get to see Inuyasha again today!!
"Coming, dearest mother!" I sang, bouncing out of my bed in my footsie barnie pajamas and skipping over to the bathroom. Downstairs 3 jaws dropped into their cereal.
Humming, I brushed my shining black hair back and paused. How should I wear it today? Up, in a high ponytail? Or down, so it could cascade over my shoulders and maybe catch Inuyasha's attention? Down, I decided. I added a little daisy pin just to spruce things up a bit. I splashed cold water on my face, brushed my teeth with mint toothpaste very, very thoroughly, and bounced back into my bedroom for the most important part of my morning ritual- choosing my clothes.
I think I've forgotten to tell you about my bedroom. This is what it looked like: Sunshine yellow walls with pink and orange polka dots, (just seeing them made me feel warm and fuzzy inside), a gigantic blue and pink striped-covered bed, a chest of drawers, a gigantic collection of stuffed animals (mainly adorable little white puppies) some pictures of my old friends, a desk, a book shelf, and a laptop. All of this was crammed into such a small space that the effect was rather overwhelming for anyone but me.
Anyhow, clothes. I was torn between a daisy-patterned long-sleeved shirt to match my hair clip with a bright-yellow pleated mini skirt with white woolen leg warmers, and a long dark-green sweater and a lacy black skirt and green tights. (Hey, it was really getting cold out!) I chose the daisies. Next I sprayed some Morning Rose TM perfume on myself, put on lip gloss and a light coat of sky- blue eyeliner to match my eyes, and was ready to go. And it was still only 5:45! I checked my plan book. Yep, there was an honor society meeting today. Time to put my plan into action!
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I rolled over in bed, mumbling. The 7 shards, now joined seamlessly into one rather bigger whole, clinked and glittered around my neck. Tossing and turning in the cruel sunshine, I recalled last night:
I crawled down into the tree, holding fast with my fingers to the bumpy surface of the tree, searching with my conver-ed feet for ledges. It was like extreme mountain climbing, except in the pitch-dark. The circle of stars above me shrunk by degrees. Several times I stumbled, and was sure I was going to fall into the gaping maw of darkness below me, and that would be it. My puny barely-more-than human body would shatter like a pane of glass. For the 5th time I cursed my decision to bring the backpack with me. The heavy textbooks seemed to drag me down. School really would kill me!
However, I survived the descent. At last I reached the bottom. I saw a purple glow on the other side of the massive hollow and walked over to it.
There were the Shikon shards, 5 of them in all. They lay, quietly sparkling, on an altar shaped like a lotus petal. For a second I just stood there, and it seemed to me I could feel the tree breathing around me. Then I reached forward with a tentative hand… and scooped up the shards.
All at once I felt a bittersweet burning inside me. The power reared its head within me, surging through my veins like fire. I writhed back and forth as my body began to transform. Outwardly it was just my claws and fangs growing, pupils lengthening and irises starting to yellow, hair lightening up a couple degrees. But on the inside…The power was so heady, so addicting that I almost didn't notice as the towering tree crumbled around me, turning into dust, which was quickly swept away like ashes in the wind. Eyes finally focusing, I lifted my head.
The square was empty. I stood alone in a rough square of dirty moonlight, empty houses unchanged, windows staring like hollow eyes. It was like the tree had never been there. Most probably, I realized, it never was. I stood there a moment longer as the wind swirled trash around me, and then turned my back on the courtyard and flew home. The moon shone above me like a pale coin someone had lost up there in the sea of star-studded clouds, looking down coldly at a very strange world.
I hoped that was exciting for you people, cause I just made it up as I went along! Thanks to
