Amore Mio ✓

LXVI. Useless in Society

Neilson's POV:

There's a sweet scent of morning droplets around me. The blurriness faded, autumn leaves from the infinite tall trees lay scattered on the forest floor, motion turning crisp brown. The air was frosty, cold, brutal. Taking a single step, sounds of crunchiness flew in the air, filling up the silence. My feet were bare, covered in dead leaves.

"Muffin! Come on!" a sweet sound traces in the air.

I look up, and she smiles at me, waving a hand in her direction.

"Alice."

"Come on, Slow-po!" she shouts and runs in the other direction.

"Alice! Alice!" I ran after her — Alice dashes through the woods, faster than I anticipated. I increased my speed, chasing after her, leaping over logs and sharpened rocks. We dodged and zipped past oak trees with lowered and broken branches. "Alice! Wait!" I shouted, and she giggled.

We passed by a lake, hardened by the frost, translucent water bounded into a smooth stable.

"You're so slow, Muffin!"

Everything blurs and the colors blend. Then she stops, "Too slow."

She disappeared.

I cup my hands together around my mouth. "Alice!" The sun hides behind the clouds, dark shadows of dense trees and thick bushes cast around me. "Alice! Come out! This is not funny!"

A soft branched snapping caught my attention. "Hi."

I turn to see a little girl wearing a pink dress quoting - Cute like Mommy, Smelly like Daddy - with white knee-high socks. Her hair was tied up in two ponytails caught by pink bows. Long lashes flutter, cheeks stained pink, and she smiled, "Hi."

Scanning the surroundings, I tried to find her parents in the damn forest. She tugs my pants, and I look down. "Uh, hi."

She held my pinky, "Come on, daddy."

I point a finger at myself, "Daddy?"

She giggles, "Silly daddy, let's go. Mommy and baby brother are waiting for you."

Hesitantly, I followed her, feeling the sun illuminating. The clouds dispersed, brilliant pale blue sky with a warm, mellow glow. Light chirps bloomed, tweeted, and warbled incessantly.

"Who are you?" I ask.

She looks at me, "Daddy, why are you so silly right now?" she pouts.

An adorable pout.

She stopped walking and crossed her arms, then stomped her small foot. I smiled and chuckled nervously at this strange girl who called me daddy." I'm kidding," I responded, messing up her hair.

She smiled and held my pinky again. "Come on."

The girl disappeared behind thick bushes, and I followed her.

The dewy grass was cold against my feet, dark green and glossy, gently fluttering against the breeze. There weren't any dead leaves, not a single one.

A voice caught my attention, happy, naive, and innocent, a soft melody.

"A dangerous plan, just this time

A stranger's hand clutched in mine

I'll take this chance, so call me blind

I've been waiting all my life