I'M NOOOOT OKAY!
Username: Niyaru
Prompt Response:
You feed the Stump a painful memory.
Haunted night felt the overwhelming sense of dread and started to become nervous as she watched the looming shadow come even closer. It was whispering to her and she couldn't understand anything that it was saying. She shut her eyes tight as if that was going to make it disappear and for the nightmare to come to an end. She counted to ten before she opened her eyes to look face to face with the shadow creature. She jumped back away from it to give more space between them. She didn't want it that close to her because she could feel the cold emanating from it as a sharp reminder of the night she was left behind. It was as the cold set in to her core and there was no more warmth left, she realized what the shadow was whispering to her. It was all of the words that she had cried out for no one to hear.
I'm right here! The shadow cried in a whisper as it inched closer to her face.
Why are you leaving me behind? She took step after step away from the looming shadow but it seemed to only grow bigger, easily filling the space she had created.
Come back please Haunted shook her head and shut her eyes tight. She didn't want to remember being left behind and alone for so long. They had been running away from something already but she couldn't even remember what it was anymore. The bitter, painful memory of being to slow and left behind covered up any traces of the memory.
You never belonged with them The shadow was starting to talk in a deeper voice but hadn't moved any closer or away from her. She shook her head and screamed out at the shadow. "You lie! They loved me but they were scared!" She screamed as sadness and hatred filled her heart. "They didn't mean to leave me!" She had told herself the same thing over and over every day until she believed it to be true.
The shadow laughed at her and how pitiful she was for believing such a lie. She closed her eyes as she felt tears burn her eyes.
You belong with me The shadow said triumphantly as it came even closer and then engulfed her in the inky darkness. She was instantly transported back to that day where she was alone, cold and scared. She had no idea if she was reliving it all over again or just being made to remember it in such a horrible way. She clenched her eyes shut again but it was no use. The cold was harsher than before and she couldn't think straight anymore. The endless whispers continued to fill her ears as she stood in place. Where could she even run to? She had no idea where safety could even be found. A strange noise filled the darkness around her and she instantly remembered having to hide in thick brush that day.
It was that horrible haunted night that she laid eyes upon something she had never seen before nor did she ever want to see again. She was to young to make out what it could have actually been. All she knew was that it was what sent them running and it was enough for her to be afraid. She had no idea how long she had stayed in that thick brush. The darkness that now surrounded her wasn't easing up with the painful words. It meant to cut into her just to open the wounds again. She collapsed to the ground or what she believed to be the ground. "Please no more." She begged as she sank her head down to lay upon the ground. She didn't know how much more of this she could take because the memory of the night was already playing in her mind over and over. She didn't need the dark whispers or deep voices of lies or truth to make it hurt any worse. She tried to bring herself to think of the life she now had but she was so overwhelmed by the darkness, it was no use. "Enough!" She cried out as one final last attempt to end it all and bring some sort of light back to her.
The darkness seemed to fade away from her as a deep and dark laughter echoed around her. She slowly lifted her head to see that she was completely fine and had never left. Haunted night slowly stood and then cursed at the stump. She was never coming back to this cursed place and regretted coming in the first place. She had buried that night of abandonment deep down inside but that stump had made it come back to life.
Stillness of the Tomb peered curiously into the stump. He heard a noise. So much that it should be fanfare right? Were the bugs having a party? As soon as that thought crossed his mind, it clicked what it was. They were bees. He reared his head back to run for the trees. To his horror, he was completely wrong. They surrounded him and began to feast. They were mosquitoes.
Wistful looked around. Wistful looked behind her. And then she ran. She did not want to know whose ashes those belong to. Nope nope nope. They were not for her. Surely the stump was wrong.
Avid sighed. She would love to take home the feathers and flowers, but already the other kin started to whisper. They called her a hoarder. But the feathers and flowers were so lovely. She could find a use for them. Throwing caution and strangers' condemnation to the wind, she took home the stump's offering. "Thanks!"
Blood of the Forgotten speaks of the time he got several other kin to do the hunting and food preparation for him. He was lounging and lazing away out of sight and when it was time, he swooped in and was considered to have done the task.
She was supposed to have brought the berries for the juice. The juice was meant for the best end-of-winter feast. She'd been reminded over and over again about making sure the berries would keep, has she stored them somewhere safe, is she sure she could bring the berries.
Sun-Cursed excitedly picks up the gift to open it in private. But she bows to the stump in thanks before skipping off with the gift.