For the second time in thirty years, the entire world has fallen asleep...
Thirty years after the Greymen caused the decimation of her people, high school drop out Rain Collins spends her days learning to pickpocket and hold her booze. Yet she long...
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As I fell, the landscape changed below me. The grey city disappeared, replaced by a forest of tiny maple trees. Squinting from above, I could make out the empty branches, the gold, orange, red, and brown leaves scattered on the ground.
It was the once-football field beyond the east city where we harvested maple syrup once, years ago. The backbreaking work wasn't worth it and the trees were too young, but the small batch of syrup that survived was absolutely delicious.
With a thump, but no pain, I landed on a pillow of crisp, crunchy leaves.
Beneath the grandest maple tree in the field—the only one the couldn't be called a sapling—sat my little sister, Beth. She was fawning over something in her hands. Bright and yellow, shining like the Sun in the autumn field. A daffodil?
I ran the length of the field toward Beth, inexplicably excited by the seasonal anomaly.
"Get back," she growled as I approached. Her usually light and airy voice replaced by something deep, something harsh.
Surprised by my darling sister's sudden fury, I stopped in my tracks. But only for a moment. I needed that flower. Child that she was, Beth was just marvelling at its color. She wouldn't really appreciate its rarity. Not like I would.
"Beth, dear," I said, edging closer, my arm extended. "Let me see the flower."
She hunched lower, pulling the flower into her chest. "No." She snarled as I stepped closer, baring her teeth and snapping at my hand in warning.
I reached forward, snatching at the yellow bud. She bit my hand, tearing a chunk out of the flesh. I hardly felt the pain, only saw the bright red splash out onto her face. It just missed the flower. She wasn't being careful enough, she'd ruin the yellow beauty.
"Mine!" I howled as I leaped through the air, grabbing Beth by her skinny shoulders.
"Ow!" she cried out in pain. I laughed maniacally at her weakness and knew that the daffodil was mine. Holding onto Beth with one hand, I reached out wildly behind me and ripped a sapling from the ground. Despite its massive size, I lifted it over my head with ease and brought it smashing down on Beth's angelic face.
Triumphant, I ripped the delicate flower from her tiny fist and lifted it to my nose. I took a deep breath and smelled tin. Blood stained the tiny petals a deep shade of red.
"Ruined," I said, tossing the flower on the grass. It landed beside Beth's mangled body.
Beth's body?
"Beth? Beth?" I rushed to her side and grabbed her neck to feel her pulse. Her head turned toward me, face destroyed. "No! Beth!" I shrieked her name until my voice was hoarse.
Sorrow rose up inside me, overtaking all of my other emotions. I could only take small, sharp intakes of breath. My hands and tongue had gone numb. I couldn't think or see. Lost in sadness, I held Beth in my arms, cursing the demon who did this to her.
