Antithesis

Chapter 77: Anger

It was spring. The grass was soft and fresh, smelling of fertile earth and morning dew. It coated his cheek, brushing against his face in what would surely be a rash.

It was a nice temperature, foggy and crisp. It didn't burn or hurt his lungs like the winter air did, it wasn't sharp or fragrant like the peat bogs. It was gentle and soft, rounded on the edges.

Adrian grunted and used his forearms to lift him, gentle and careful. His joints didn't break, his skin didn't burn.

He righted himself, confused and dazed all at once. He had never been here where the grass was so green, darker and healthier than the evergreen trees. Even the soil under it was dark brown and lush.

There was moisture in the air but no threat of rain. It was overcast but still bright. It was an illusion so perfect it could only be real.

"Where…" Adrian paused, startling at the sound of his own voice. Deep, smooth without the rasp that followed him like a shadow. His words hung there before spreading out gently. He blinked and inhaled slowly, scratching his cheek in an anxious tick.

"Where am I?" Adrian whispered, smooth and quiet. Somewhere in the distant through the fog, there was a lake. He could see the movement of gentle waves lapping at the edges, but the sound was swallowed in the serenity.

He spun on his heels, bare feet digging into the grass. It must have been mixed with moss, there was no such grass as soft as this.

"Hello!" Adrian shouted, fearing for his own sanity for a moment. Had he somehow been trapped in his own mind? Had he been taken captive by a foreign invader?

A twig snapped, which was alarming since the trees around looked pristine and healthy. No such twigs should have fallen or littered the ground already.

Adrian spun, tearing up vegetation with the speed of his twirl.

Standing there, looking cheeky and ashamed, was a pale face with hair like spun gold.

"Hello," Luna grinned, eyes bright and ecstatic.

________________________________

Luna showed him the lake, laughing and sprinting across the grass with no care. She was wearing a dress, long and white. It trailed after her like the wings of a dove, flowing and flapping like a patronus. She beamed, eyes bright and smile so pointed it threatened her face with bruising.

The water of the lake was cool, biting on his feet whereas the small minnows flitted around instead. The aquatic bugs skittered on the surface, the tadpoles sticking to the reeds that lined the mud layer.

"Here!" Luna laughed, forcing Adrian to fumble and hold the trail of her dress in his hands. The material was smooth and slick, untarnished and pristine where her toes wiggled coated in smelly clay.

"Do you think we could catch a frog?" Luna laughed, tugging her hair up on her head to twist it into a braid. Adrian's brow furrowed as he scoured his eyes along the bank.

"There's tadpoles…"' Adrian trailed off thoughtfully, "so there should be frogs."

Luna grinned, and they hunted like a pack of benign wolves.