large stone pillars sat in shallow water. the water was clear and blue. the air around Ezekiel felt clean and pure. the sun was setting on the horizon, and the clouds in the sky were now colored with soft yellows and oranges. Ezekiel sat propped up against one of the stone pillars, watching the sun set before him. everything was tranquil. small rabbits lay nestled in patches of grass, and birds sung their sweet songs. Ezekiel sighed quietly.
"why do you hate me?" he spoke softly. a large quadrupedal animal laid near a broken pillar. its legs were long and digitigrade, resembling that of a goat. its body was pure black, and didnt seem to have any discernible texture. its tail flicked. the face of the beast was a ghostly white, and its teeth were pointed.
"why do i hate you?" the creature spoke. "your existence is pointless." it continued, closing its eyes. "your inability to tell people what you truly think, your reluctancy to let others into your head, causes you to, for lack of a better word, live for others rather than yourself. you will contribute nothing to the world while only living to please other people, therefore..." the beast took a brief pause. "your existence is pointless. and that is why i hate you." Ezekiel glanced over at the beast. "oh, i thought you were just going to say its because i was annoying, or something." he gave an unenthusiastic chuckle. "that too." the beast retorted.
Ezekiel looked up into the sky longingly. the sun had long set, and the stars shimmered brightly against the dark blanket of night. the moon was full. "i know you dont mean what you say." ezekiel said. the beast perked up. "oh? you think so?" Ezekiel nodded. "what makes you think that, Kherpin?" the beast asked. Ezekiel opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. he gave it a second. "i dont know." Ezekiel said quietly.
The beast stood and looked Ezekiel in the eyes. "just because you fear no god, does not mean you cannot be harmed, little one." the beast disappeared in plumes of dark smoke. the atmosphere felt stiff, and uneasy. birds no longer chirped, and the only sound to be heard was an odd chittering. it sounded like it was coming from everywhere.
Ezekiel's eyes fluttered open. his room felt warm and welcoming. the flames on his candles seemed to dance. his room smelled of vanilla and cedar. the meaning of the beast faded from his simple mind. the lights in his room were dim. Ezekiel yawned and laid his head back down, drifting back into a now dreamless sleep.
