June bug funeral

     As the light from the moon gave the wisps of a cloud slowly passing over a macabre glow, a girl stepped into a forest clearing the land below. The clearing itself took the girl by surprise. She had been walking for ages in that forest. Tree after tree, gradually growing closer the further she walked.  The girl had almost let herself become worried she had lost her way before stumbling into the open.  With every step, her heart had fallen further. 

     Now, in the open air, a smile crept to her face as her eyes turned skyward. She watched the moon, not quite full, reveal himself to her from behind his hiding place.  As the young girl's smile grew, so did the moon. 

     To the casual observing glance, the moon would have appeared no different. To the girl in the field, it grew.  

     That silver light shone brighter than it's golden counterpart in that moment. It encompassed the clearing as the only pair of eyes for miles slowly grew accustomed.   The girl and the moon stood transfixed with one another. 

     Minutes slipped past. The glow still focused on the clearing. Focused on the deep brown oblivion in the girl's eyes. Neither one flinched. Neither one wavered. Neither one stopped grinning. 

     As the minutes grew to hours, the girl suddenly felt tired. She had been so determined to continue her journey until sunrise, but this unexpected encounter struck her somewhere she hadn't been sure she still had.  The next moment, with her satchel underneath her head, she was on the ground. 

     The amount of time that passed between her lying down and succumbing to sleep is a mystery, but once she slept, the moon continued to grow. The larger it's size, the more focused it's ray.  Sometime during her slumber, a spotlight shown on the lost girl. A glimmer of moon light remained even as the sun rose to take it's place. 

     The girl awoke at first light, threw the strap of her satchel over her head, and began her trek. When she reached the edge of the clearing, she turned her face once more to the sky. She smiled at the sun, and the sun back at her. Her eyes traveled the outter rim of the clearing. She closed her eys and etched this place into her mind. The place of her last restful sleep in 382 days. 

     She inhaled the warmth of the sun as she turned, eyes still closed, toward the forest. The girl exhaled slowly, as if she knew she what she was leaving behind.  She stepped into the shadows of the trees and opened her eyes.  Light gray irises shone through the branches, challenging the dark with each step. 

     

Damsel in distress

Once upon a time, in a strange settlement in the middle of a city, in the middle of a country known as the United States, there were various kingdoms. 

Our story today follows a girl. A girl who may not have been born with flawless princess beauty, but if she had figured out how to properly apply makeup, she could have almost been there.  This girl grew up with a dream: to be a princess. Unfortunately, her real obstacle on that road was not skin deep. 

You see, the girl in this story was not a very nice girl. She saw everything in the world only in terms of how beneficial it could be to her. If she could find no such value in an object, or person, she'd crinkle her nose, roll her eyes, and sigh a sigh so full of contempt it could curdle milk.  She had grown up with the dream of becoming a princess, and that included treating others as her subjects. 

There is one lesson she, eventually, learned. This lesson, however, did not point the girl on the right path, as lessons in stories so typically do. This lesson she learned, helped her to deceive. 

She discovered she was able to seduce potential princes with a spell to honey coat her malice and a gentle helplessness concealing her evil plan. 

Oh, how this trick worked for her.  She worked her magic on man after man; perfecting her craft for the perfect one. She had gone through her fair share of decent men and nice guys and men playing the same game as she (all of them having discovered her for the snake she truly was), before she found him.  

She saw the potential in the poor, unsuspecting prince from the moment they met. He was soft spoken, with kind eyes.   His smile, when he was feeling confident, was contagious. He was sweet, caring, and wanted to be strong. That was his downfall. 

This girl was cunning. She set up a long game for this one; she had aged quite a bit before her claws finally took their grip. She lured her prince in with a smile and clumsy 'trip' into his arms. 

His presence at court became a rarity. Those who once called him a friend, began to forget his smile and quick wit. When he did turn up, she sat glued to his side. Her sly smirk and condescending glances lingered on everyone in the room. The pair seldom spoke, and always retired early. 

The prince fell into darkness. 

After three years of whispered trickery and witchcraft, the court had a glimmer of hope. The girl, who everyone feared would get her wish and become princess, stopped showing up on the prince's arm. 

The prince would dance and laugh again, if only for a short while, before retreating to her. It was small, but there was hope for the people of the settlement. 

That hope was soon extinguished.  The prince married that girl, and her darkness spread through his kingdom. 

It was once a beautiful land; green and full of promise. It now sits in shadow. 

There is legend whispered in the streets by those brave enough to cling to hope. A legend of one who will cut the snake's tongue and end the troubled times. 

None so far have risen. 

So the subjects live their lives; smiling unto their prince and his spell-bound happiness, averting their eyes from his damsel's malicious gaze. They wait. 

They wait in the darkness for one who will bring the light.