100 Dates

You're An Affliction

The con had a conundrum after months of careful consideration, realizing too late that partnering with someone only bloomed trivial daydreams that dared to intrude her other thoughts. Here she was, hiding away exhausted in a prickly bush, all credit to the amateurish loudmouth who kept her restless throughout the night.

Taco could barely get a minute of rest, waking too often to restore the fatigue in her sore body. Luckily, exhaustion won a few hours later when familiar yellow dreams danced around her. Curly gold flowers decorated her shell once more meanwhile vines entangled her limbs, the two nearby moons dripping down a black tar that shined in the golden light.

A luscious field, a regal breeze, the silhouette... Was missing? Taco turned and stood up, searching for the other being but lost herself in the flourishing pasture. Instinct guided curious hands against the flora until arriving at one of the dark ponds. Although the pool glimmered and sloshed, the texture was like that of sand that slipped through her fingers.

Her legs slipped into the edge of the pond, and she kicked up the sludge carelessly. A smile etched onto her dimples all while her face grew warm and tickled. Soft liquid sand cascaded downwards into the pool but in a brief moment, it stopped and the liquid starts to drain. Soft sandy water turned to claws that latched onto her lower body, pulling the taco into the shineless tar.

Nothing could be done, her entire body trapped.

She's struggling, she's sinking, 'I'm drowning, I-I!'

There's nothing, zilch, only an abyss with dying stars humming in the distance. There's fear in her heart and there are sludge-like tears down her face, but for just a moment, everything is quiet. Everything is peaceful. Nothingness filled her lungs and it threatened to swallow her whole to never see or feel anything again. For the first time, she was at ease. Not happy nor miserable, but an intoxicating indifference.

A cocoon entrapped her, blocking out everything that reared its ugly head. Hands clawed through the skin of her spacial void and aimed to ravage, her heart pounding and body thrashing at the threat of being torn to pieces but grasping hands.

'Please! Please, I can't do it, I can't take this, please!' She cries out, fresh scars carving into her shell, barely containing the torn lettuce and crushed tomato innards. Relentless and unforgiving, one last strike aimed itself in between her eyes.

"Please!"

Taco wakes up in terror, scrambling to take cover underneath a shady bush. Shaky hands trace over the deep break in her body, desperately heaving in and out. Being in the open made her feel so vulnerable, but now she could only feel pitiful. None of it was real, none of it was real. Repeating that sentiment slowly calmed her down.

The sun kissed the edges of the forest and while the trees refused to accept the illumination, it rose higher and dipped the dark leaves in a warm glow of light. The ground below warmed up but only slightly as the being hidden away attempted to recompose herself.

Sitting by wouldn't accomplish anything, so she set to work and retrieved her notebook. The walk to the cabins was dull as she hugged the shadow of the tree line, attentive eyes explored the terrain with dull interest but piqued with interest at a sleeping figure. Speaking of the devil, there sat Microphone softly snoring with a line of drool running down her chin.

"Oiu, oiu!" An obnoxious voice hollered.

"Contestants, please report to MePhone 4 for the next challenge!" Screeched the toilet, water sloshing out like spit off his lid. Microphone stirred from the assistant's ruckus grumbling, leaving her diary inside before joining the other competitors. Taco followed suit from the safety of the trees and gazed from a distance the last handfuls of contestants gathering by an impressive maze.