The Girl With the Dandelion Ring

~Prologue: Just an Average Train Ride~

~Prologue: Just an Average Train Ride~

My fingers feel the bite of the wind as they hover outside of the window. My golden hair tangles in the breeze, tickling my lower back. The hem of my silk dress dances along my thighs, but I don't bother fixing it. No one is here to see it anymore.

I watch as the pale morning light forces its way past the scarred landscape. It weaves its way through the ashy land, over the dried creeks and smouldering trees. I wasn't aware of the extent the fire has traveled. The black train had sped past the ruins for miles, yet the ravished forest still continues.

I lean against the train's wall, feeling the chill of the metal seep into my skin. I take in a shaking breath as I gently probe my stomach wound. Intense pain flares up, but the stitches are still unbroken. At least one good thing happened, I think ruefully.

I hear a door open from behind me, but I don't bother looking to see who entered. I continue to stare at the trees, they slowly fade back to their natural state, untouched by my destructive wish. I feel a tear trace down my cheek, but ignore it as well. I don't deserve to cry after all that I have done.

My tongue darts out, seeking the salty tears that stain my cheeks. It quickly retreats back inside the mouth that had said those terrible words. The mouth that had brought all of this down upon this cruel realm.

Before all of this destruction had happened, I had never believed in 'what ifs', but now I can't keep myself from asking. What if she never gave me this ring? What if I had never learned its secrets? What if I had given its powers to someone else? What if I had never made the wish that destroyed this land?

I guess 'what ifs' are pretty pointless. They can't change the past, and they sure as hell don't make the future any brighter, so why do people bother with them? The only reason I can think of would be that those people regret something. They wish so much that something different would have happened that they resort to tormenting their minds with fantasies that could never be.

I suppose this applies to me too.