Frostbit Roses

Spilt Blood Always Drips Down

I'm fed up. I am fed up!

I hate being in this cage!

With nothing but my bag in tow, I run as fast as my feet will take me, not even bothering to put on my shoes. My feet thud against the hardwood floors of the house I grew up in. I refuse to be held back by its walls any longer! I am going to escape! I approach the window. I flick my hands, commanding newly grown vines to prop it open for me. I take one final step before taking my freedom!

I leap out of the window and into the refreshing air. My feet brush up against the grass before I thud not so gracefully onto the damp ground. Fun. Actually, this really is fun! Haha! Laughter bubbles up in my chest until I can't contain it anymore, and I start giggling as I skip through the night.

I feel a bit like a graceful deer bounding through the forest, but no doubt I know I look more like a clunky bear stumbling down a hill. I can't even be bothered to care. The corners of my mouth turn up. I feel great! Fuzzy butterflies flutter in my chest as an indescribable feeling of joy comes over me in exhilarating waves.

I stop for a moment to catch my breath. I take in my situation, my new reality. The life I'm about to create for myself. Once I figure out what that is. And how to do it.

I walk into the forest., brushing my hands along trees and leaves as I see them. I can feel their energy pulsing underneath my fingers. Life is truly the most beautiful thing. I smile to myself. My feet crunch on the rocky ground. Everything seems so surreal when it's still and calm like this. I can't wait for this to become my every day, my always. No more fields of wheat for me.

I walk and walk and walk until I forget I'm walking. Then I run again. I dash and jump over, around, and under trees and bushes. Cool air flows through my hair and caresses my skin as I cut through it. A sharp pain suddenly pulses through me from my foot. My muscles tense up. The skin on my face crinkles into an expression of pain.

I grab the foot to see what had caused it, and I notice little sparkly specks of black, and blood dripping out of the cut. I look to the forest floor where a small prick of my golden blood sits on a small spike coming out of the earth. I rip a piece off my dress and tie it around my foot. What is this? It's not like a mundane rock. It hurt me. My head tilts to the side, and I lean down to get a better glimpse.

It is as dark as midnight, and it sparkles in the moonlight. It looked gorgeous. I almost reach out to touch it, but I hesitate. The air gets thick and cold, and the wind howls and blows in my face.

It's probably nothing, right?

I stand up slowly and start walking again. I feel a bit more weary now, but I know it's not something to worry over. It couldn't have been anything. Haha! Yeah, just some stupid sharp rock. Just a stupid rock.

A tall spike of the same kind of rock shoots out of the earth, and dirt and debris fly everywhere. I yelp as I stumble back. What the heck- oh my gods...

More spikes shoot out of the ground, one after another, leaving a trail of destruction. My breath goes shallow. I gulp. I look around and then at the ground. Maybe I should just go back, and forget this ever happened...no. For too many years I have been scared of incidents, conflict, and danger. I'm not going to stop, I will keep going if it's the last thing I do. I left so I would be able to choose for myself, so that's what I'll do.

My first real decision!

My eyes perk up, and I can feel a smile slowly rising to my cheeks. I place my non-injured foot firmly on the ground, then my other foot, and then back to the first one until I'm running next to the trail of rocks. I make my way down the trail. I feel air flowing around me, it feels so good, so free! Only tree branches and thorns will slow me down now!

New pillars break out of the ground with every moment, leading me deeper and deeper into the expansive depths of this forest. I feel a sense of danger, and I can't help but love it! Trees and flowers reach out at my limbs like they're trying to drag me back, but the ground pushes me forward even faster. Everything around me is buzzing with an energy that I've never felt before and it feels so exciting!

My eyes catch sight of something in the distance, I have no clue what it is but I'm experiencing an intense pull towards it. Its twisted silver branches reach out to my soul as my feet push me farther than I've ever dreamed of going before. It was a tree, a special tree. I could feel it. I reach back with my arms reaching out, slicing through the air surrounding me and reaching the tree.

And before I realize it, I'm there. It looms over me, swaying and rustling its black feathers in the cold breeze. The vibrant red fruit it's growing weighs down its limbs. It's swaying is all I can hear and all I can think is how wonderful it would be to take a bite...

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"Ugh.." I groan. I have a headache. I reluctantly open my eyes and am met with darkness. Sand is on my skin, and I hear the gentle sound of water lapping in and out.

Where am I?