Folly & Agendas & Talulah

(STC) Chapter 27: [... Is Gone]

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This Chapter will be subject to future changes!

I apologize to those who have made it thus far,

but I plan to rewrite this chapter in the future

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Do you feel a sense of wonder?

Do you feel a sense of relief?

I feel neither of those things...

Just a feeling of desolation.

Leaves flew in the wind unfettered by their brown branches and tall stems. Crisp air descended upon the elated inhabitants below. No roof was present to hinder the sunlight shining on our tanned faces. Only a few months of the year provided such evanescent beauty; the remaining months are rife with immutable frost and perpetual horror.

Laughs saturated their ears with delight and felicity. They frolicked through the courtyard delivering a blissful atmosphere as they go. Small shrubs outlined the area supposedly portraying a natural look. The features of their faces amplified all of the elements of a cliché day in wonderland.

Leaves fell all around me. Some landed on their backs. Some of them took flight once again like the little birds following their mother. Others never reached the ground and were horrifically rendered to shreds.

And then they were trampled upon by little pigeons with astonishing coos. They danced around my feet while I tried to touch them with my shoes. They would always hop away as soon as I tried to kick them. They would flap their wings in fear even though I was only playing with them... I think.

All of a sudden the pigeons flew into a different spot.

"W-Wai!" I reached  my hand out, but I reeled it in as quickly as it lashed out.

"Are you alright Talulah?"

I look up to see an old man with a large, fuzzy tail curled into a ball. I immediately recognized him as Mr. Wyn - my teacher when I was in Koshchei's palace.

"I'm okay." I respond with a fake smile.

"You have been sitting on the bench for a while now. Are you sure you don't want to go play with the other children?" 

I looked to my left and saw the multitude of kids prance around with devil-may-care laughs and smiles.

"I'm fine." I proclaimed.

"Then I won't bother you any more." And he left.

I let out a bored, rueful sigh. Ever since I was abducted by Koshchei I couldn't help but feel a little lost. Everyday seemed to be one chapter of a novel playing incredibly slowly; excruciatingly slow.

Thankfully the pigeons hopped back to me bringing their wondrous coos with them. I smiled at the sight albeit I wasn't very happy on the inside. Boredom consumed most of my day. I lived in a palace, but it felt like a prison.

Suddenly, a piece of bread was thrown in front of them and they all flocked to it pecking at their morsel. And then, a boy walked up to one of them slowly; his hand hovered over one pigeon which seemed incredibly fragile. He scooped up the bird in one motion and wrapped his arms around it.

"What are you-" I covered my mouth from my sudden outburst. 

"What?" He looked at me dumbfounded. "Have you never seen anyone pick up a pigeon? Or maybe that's just me. Don't tell my mom."