she wanted her close. closer.
she opened her arms and watched her stumble into her warm embrace. nothing about breathing was easy for them, but they made it work.
they were like two clues to the same mystery; not enough for an answer but just enough for a decent start.
her hair smelled like campfire and her skin tasted like liquid smoke and sweat, and she let herself relax in the arms that had held her too many times to count. she did not feel the shift of muscles. she did not feel the intake of breath. she tried desperately not to feel the sting of the blade that nestled in her flesh and split apart her ribs.
if breathing was hard before, it was nearly impossible now. it was hard to breathe. it was hard to focus, it was hard to understand, it was hard to think of a reason why. her legs were protesting and her breath was hitching and her heart was stuttering and then she was falling, dying, ceasing to exist, all faster than her brain knew what to do with. it didn't seem to be working quite right. there were still a lot of things about the world that she didn't know, and now would never learn, but one thing was for certain: the ground's embrace was much colder than hers had ever been.
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