Chapter 1

The forest sprites lit the garden of pinks, blues, and yellows. The memory kept me kindled through the heavy winter snows. I sat atop my throne at the bottom of the stairs sat my servant. He was a portly fellow although not all that bright. 

He pulled out a scroll and spoke the words I would not soon forget, “Henceforth, your reign has ended.”

Grisham was a small kingdom. As the eldest daughter of the royal family I was first in line for the throne. My reign had lasted eight years, in that time the public had become bitter towards the royal family. My decrees had not been met with the warmest reception shall we say. Executions had become commonplace in my mother’s time as ruler, my reign had been no different. My younger sister, July, poured over my mind. 

If anything, she was a far more studious princess in her younger years. Ever the observant one and quick witted as well. Ultimately, my father, the former king, ordered my removal.  That was one of the few powers granted to a male monarch in our lands. Now exiled, I departed my former kingdom on foot. There was something which stirred within me with those words and I hoped to find it on this journey. 

Chapter 2

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Green pine cones sent a fresh mint smell through the air. I had no idea where to even begin in my quest for the garden from my youth. A wave of nostalgia surged through me in that pine tree forest. A warm comfort filled me. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 3

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Atop a waterfall a red bird was perched, yellow and blue feathers cluttered its wings. The fresh scent of the water calmed me as I made my way further and further up the slippery cliffs. The sounds of nature calmed me, the splashing water as it descended from the ever greater heights bouncing from one ledge to another. With the changings seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 4

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The rain pattered against the brick street. Aimlessly, I wandered the vibrant city. Stalls with rare fruits and vegetables I had never encountered during my life in the castle were being sold to as wide a variety of clientele. Umbrellas fashioned from a translucent silk, said to be a gift of the water goddess to the people of the nation, swayed around and bobbed in unison. I picked up a fruit from a vendor who I could not afford to pay as a now banished penniless wanderer and softly hummed. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 5

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The sun pulsated downwards onto me. The heat in that swampy marsh caused my breathing to become heavy. As I trudged forward through the brown sludge in the shallows, I thought back to my sister who now sat atop the throne. A strange feeling overcame me, jealousy and loathing for both myself and her. 

She had to scrap, tooth-in-nail, for her spot on the throne. It had been a merciless battle royale between her and I for a spot as head of the country. As the eldest, I was favored and still was the failure. As I reminisced, a wooden staff I nearly tripped over bobbed up and down amid the mud. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 6

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The wooden staff was said to be blessed by the earth goddess. In the swampy marsh, I held it out in front of me and began to sing. In an instant, the swamp had transformed shape entirely, it had become a field of flowers with bees buzzing every which way. Without uttering a single word, I plotted my course for the first clue to the garden’s whereabouts. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 7 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. A ballroom with flowing, heavily decorated  dresses  I recalled the memory with some nostalgia and annoyance. The chandelier stuck out in my mind, as did the gaudily dressed gentlemen my parents forced me to dance with. His outfit contained so many frills, bells and whistles really, it was bothersome to watch. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 8

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The dance began in the twilight. Amongst the stars she and I collided off each other. Tenderly, she swept away my tears. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 9

Softly, the new though began to bloom. The ocean’s tide washed away my worried one by one. A heavy rain wept over my heart from the sky above. The white sand curled between my toes. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 10

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The hummingbird pecked the sky within the mountain water. The stony surface carved itself into my memory. The skidding rocks swept downward in a torrent as I ascended. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 11

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The lark rested on the snow covered statue. Trees powdered in snow slump downward to the earth. A frozen rain covered the path before me. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 12

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The sun melted away and gave way to the moon. The stars fluttered helplessly before regaining steam as I stared off into the night sky from the wheat fields. My heart was nourished by the tranquility from the peaceful darkness. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 13

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. My name is prince Charles, son of the former king to the kingdom just south of Grisham. If ever there was a gentleman’s man, it was  In my horse drawn carriage, I began my journey to the garden from my childhood. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The first days of my journey were idle, if anything it was all rather dull. The waves of heat pulsed down on the horses. The fair maiden from my youth, how I longed for her gentle buxom once again. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The horses had begun to sweat profusely. The summer sun in Grishire was by far the populace’s most menacing foe. I recalled her again, July my deepest love, of the many men I had slept with in my time on this planet, none could begin to compare to her as I made course for the garden she and I first met. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 14

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The autumn leaves melted into the sunset. The rain pattered on the brick path as my horse drawn carriage marched onwards to the kingdom of Grisham. My memories were filled with thoughts of January and July. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The sun pulsed as we reached the next stretch of our journey. A rockslide caused the cart to swerve out of control  and into the brush. My mother, the queen of Grishire, had laid a trap to prevent my passage across the border. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I awoke from my unconsciousness beneath the moonlit sky. Blood from the accident flecked my brow. A ghostly hand intertwined with my own… was it January clouding my vision? With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 15

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The eagle glided downward from its nest, the clouds brushed by its wings in its descent. My first order of business was to make course for the kingdom of Squire to the West where the shadow witch rested in her eternal sleep. The pain in my chest throbbed. With the changing seasons the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom.  The apple with the cursed magic core which I greedily lapped up in my childhood in that forbidden garden had cast a taboo spell over my heart. In the twenty years since then, its magic had gradually decayed my body. Deeper and deeper the throbbing swelled in my chest as I hobbled onwards. With the changing seasons the curtain falls.

Chapter 16

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The woodpecker’s pecking against the oak tree resounded throughout the valley. I set out from the village I had grown up in which resides in a forgotten valley in the mists. Softly, I rested against the ridge of the valley. I was the eldest daughter of a wealthy farming family. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Daughters of farming families were tasked with retrieving and consuming a rare berry which is rumoured to bring good luck to their families said to grow near a witch’s hut in the kingdom of Squire. I rested beneath the whistling breeze as a fuzzy cat tail brushed against my cheek tickling it. The cat tails bobbed up and down in the breeze as My whistling was carried along with the wind.

Chapter 17

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I had made peace and parted ways with my home valley, the knowledge that I could very well never return again depressed me yet I felt a calmness now. I made my way through a frozen forest. The frost covered trees devoid of any leaves gave me the urge to lie down. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. My breath clouded the air around me as I inhaled and exhaled over and over in the empty forest. The frosty air chilled me in an almost refreshing way.my eyes welled up with tears, I may very well never see my family again, I wept beneath the cloudy sky. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 18

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Rain descended down upon me as I laid down in the field of clovers. The green leaves nourished themselves, lapping up the rain. I allowed the water to wash over me, the scents refreshed my spirits. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. With memories of July and the castle now distant in my mind, I decided to take a detour to the kingdom of Squire. The night before my dreams were flooded with events I had never experienced. Overcome with nostalgia for a future past I could not recognize, I felt a sense of obligation.The rain pelted me as I surrounded myself in luck. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I lifted myself up the next morning, wiped the dew off myself, and charted a course for the kingdom of squire. It suddenly occurred too me how expansive this field of four leaf clovers was, I had sat at the edge of the field. Slowly, so as to not crush too many clovers, I carried onward through the fields. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Tiny, pale pink flowers intermingled with the clovers the deeper I went into the field. I crossed paths with a man who harvest the luck from the four leaf clovers. He was a rather peculiar fellow. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The rain from the previous night slipped downwards from one of the clover leaves I encountered. I made sure to make mental note of the fresh smells from the clover leaves as it wafted through the air. The further across I wandered, the more the greens meshed together. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I recalled the boy who used to play with my sister and I as we mingled and gossiped with each other in that garden. He was blond haired prince by the name of Charles. While I had not cared for him particularly, my sister had fantasized making him her king one day as lily petals brushed by us. With the changing seasons the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I stumbled across lily petals in the field of clovers. Curiously, an elderly woman with a golden flowing gown sat on a bench nearby dispersing the lily petals between the flowers. Lily petals were rumored too bring about the blessing of the earth goddess. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

“Pleasure to meet you,” I nodded at the woman as she looked in my direction.

“The pleasure is mine,” the elderly woman smiled back, “what brings you here today might I ask?”

“‘Bring me here? I’m simply passing by,” I explained.

“Perhaps it’s just as well she think I’m simply an old maid…,” the old woman muttered under her breath.

“Pardon?” 

The old woman giggled feverishly, “well I suppose I must confess now you see I dabble in magic a touch.” 

“Which element?” I asked, taken aback. 

“Earth magic,” I work to spread my blessing to these fields. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Witches were said to not be visible to normal humans, I found it curious I could see her. They blessed lands on behalf of the spirits and gods themselves. Farmers were said to reap the benefits most from their magic. I humored myself, as I parted ways with the witch. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. At last I had found my way to the other end of the field. So many cherishable memories filled my mind as I inhaled deeply one last time before parting ways. With a skip in my step, I left the field and continued on with my journey. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 19

Softly, the new thought began to bloom.  To cross the Sea of Stars was said to dazzle some but madden others.The Sea of Stars was the quickest yet most feared and rarely used route of travel in the region. Hesitantly, I dipped my toe into the salty waters. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Crayon drawn stars materialized on the water’s surface. The sea pulled me downwards before I rose to the surface as if it needed to test me first. Ripples trickled outward as I walked on the sea’s surface with the stars guiding my path. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The yellow sometimes misshapen stars swayed up and down in the waves. White specks flickered on the water’s surface as well in these waters where the sky was always night. The stars were poorly colored in almost haphazardly so at times. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. After what felt like endless wanderings, a triangular figure with legs and arms like pencil scribblings in a notebook appeared. He hopped towards me as his sandals clacked against the sea. The tip of his umbrella-like body opened into a mouth. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

“Ah, so you’ve arrived at last,” he began. 

“Who might you be?” I asked.

“I am the god of water,” he explained, “you’re headed for the kingdom of Squire, I imagine?”

I nodded, “Something pulls me there although I don’t quite know what it is.”

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. For a time, we walked in silence. Gradually, the water god with no name to speak of began to increase his pace. Eventually, he reached a running speed as he mingled my fingers in with his own. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

“For tonight, do you wish to be my bride?” the god asked.

Blood pumping through my body, as if in a dream, I sighed, “I do.”

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. A wedding gown appeared on my body and a ring on my finger. For this night and this night only, I was betrothed to the water god. I pirouetted to signal the beginning of our dance on the stars.  With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The dance felt like I was in a ballroom again. The princes of neighboring kingdoms filled with hopes of being future kings of a far off land. The stars beneath me blinked and began to wrap themselves around us. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The water god’s heavy voice echoed across the waters as he sang. His deep voice soothed me as we flew only to land again in the waters on occasion as we danced across the sea. In the distance a flood of lights trickled into my vision. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. We had reached Pawn, the sea-bound capital of Squire. The wedding dress and ring vanished as I dipped my feet into the sandy shallows of Pawn’s shoreline. To some that Sea of Stars was nightmarish to others it was dazzling, it was the latter for myself as I continued from that dream-like world onto my journey once again. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 20

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I sat amid a grove of flowers atop a cliff. An old oak tree creaked as it bobbed gently in the breeze. The cliff overlooked Pawn city, the capital of Squire. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I drifted off to sleep in the warm, gentle summer breeze. When next I awoke I was outside a walled city two towering men guarded. I walked passed them and  into the city with no issue. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom.  In this strange golden kingdom small pink creatures with long draping pink and white ears hobbled about. Their big beady eyes poured over everything around them as they soaked all of it in. A book  art was dispensing books as a line of the creatures waited to be served. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The small pink creatures tore the books apart and munched on them, chatting as if they were at a cafe. I stared in curuosity for the longest time until one of them stood in front of me. The bizarre pink construct blinked with an evil grin on his face. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

“Good day,” he grinned.

“Hello,” I began, “by any chance do you know where I might find your king?”

“‘King’?” he mockingly repeated, “our beloved blue ruler? What d’ya want with him?”

“So this kingdom had a king,” I replied, point blank, “I have some questions for him about how I got here. Last I slept I was in the kingdom of Squire.”

“I think I ate a book about that once,” the pink creature knowingly nodded in understanding as he gestured for me to follow him. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. His name was Kad. The small pink creature went on to explain the kingdom of Not could only be accessed when people slept on very rare ocassions on their visit to the dream plane. The pink creatures were referred to as Soes which came in four different colors and varieties depending on the part of the world the person was dreaming in. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The king was a rather large, blue soe. His ears pointed up like a dog or an alert cat and did not drape around him as I had envisioned they would. His eyes were closed at all times even when I approached him. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

“G’day m’king,” Kad began, “we have a lass here with some business with you.”

The king’s voice bellowed, “good day.”

“Good day,” I smiled back, “I apologizebut I have a request more than just returning to where I came from.”

“And what might that be?”

“Knowledge,” I explained, “there are many unexplainable things I yet not understand and I believe Kad here might help me make sense of him.”

“Sure,” the king replied, “he’s yours now!”

“Ex’use me sire!?” Kad spoke startledly.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The Soe king snapped his fingers and next I knew I was beneath the creaking oak tree once again. On my head rested a small pink creature I quickly identified as Kad. Perhaps this world was more than I understood it to be. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 21

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Kad hummed as we ate a meal by a rather large rock. Kad’s ears would perk upward with each passing grasshopper chirp. Bemusedly, I sat there as the rock’s shade cooled us off that warm summer day. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 22

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Charles whistled as he made his way towards the witch’s nest. The rocky mountain trail would slide him backwards at times yet seemed like a trustworthy companion. The hours passed as he lonesomely thought of his love July as the curse weighed on his heart. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 23

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Yvette marched her way through the fall forest. Autumn leaves crackled beneath her shoes in those foreboding woods. A whistling oak tree startled her as she nervously carried onward. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 24

Softly the new thought began to bloom. His name was Groom, a deity born from the unneeded dreams of men. The deity had held domain over the sea of stars for many centuries before his predecessor had passed away. His night-long engagement to January had infatuated his heart as the stars glistened in the sky.  With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 25

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Sad had a long string of boyfriends lined up for her every meal in the kingdom of Not. Among the other Pink soes she was by far the most beloved. Mad, her rosy cheeked, older brother, broke the news of Kad’s departure to her delicately, and yet all the same, Sad sobbed as she threw her drinking glass against the ground. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 26

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Saddened by January’s departure from the castle, July had spent her late nights in the castle library. Warmly colored book covers enveloped her with a sweet escape from her daily stress as ruler. With many men vying for her attention July chose instead to cuddle under a blanket with a book to plunge into as the candle wax dripped. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 27

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The Witch had not a name to use nor was she born from a human but the shadows. The murky castle garden with bony white roses silently sat as The Witch watered the flowers. The Witch hummed a gentle tune as she spent her day in the long forgotten garden. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 28

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Yvette caught a glimpse of the baby deer-like creature in the snowy fields that day. It’s body was formed from powdered snowflakes as it galloped through the empty pastures. The cold air formed a miniature fog with her breath as the silent snow scattered itself from the sky to the earth below. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 29

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The witch woke from her slumber in the vacant castle. She pulled off the green blanket as her thin, pale fingers reached for her pillow. Groggily, she wiped away the fog in her vision and yawned as a new day had begun. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 30

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Determined to lift the curse, Charles sat atop a hill of cotton with a pot of stew bubbling as he gently stirred. The mountainous camel shaped creature referred to as cotmus could reach its hooves over entire cities. Its beady eyes gleaned as it curiously sniffed the man nestled in its cotton-hilled fleece for a ride. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 31

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The small blue and yellow bird lapped up nectar from a field of flowers. It’s beak formed from twigs and bark lapped the honey up as Kad and I curiously gazed upon it. The flowers shriveled for a moment before a bloop noise bellowed out, honey flecked off their earth planted selves to the ground below as the flower returned more refreshed and joyous once again. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 32

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The emerald green bear formed from unripened forest berries curiously sniffed the meadow flora. Glad, disguised in a grey and white beard, sat in the chair across from Sad at the edge of Not on yet another date. The restaurant served them bubblegum ice cream as they carefully and silently observed the  newly born beary gobble its meal of leaves up. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 33

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The lemon yellow tortoise groggily rested on the shore of the Sea of Stars. The golden crayon stars formed a path to the shoreline as Groom, guided by his heart began the taboo act of crossing outside a god’s domain. The deity noted the tortoise’s citrus shaped shell as his ivory, newly-formed, human body glistened in the mortal realm for the first time. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 34

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. A small mammal with tusks protruding from its wings lazily glided along the summer winds as Yvette noticed the leathery black creature from far beneath. It’s nine beady eyes darted back and fourth as it calculated the wind speeds in all directions and  it hovered deep in the intensely marble blue clear skies. Yvette scribbled out the monster’s outward appearance in her heavily used notebook as she sat crossed legged on the warm inviting bright green hills. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 35

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The blue wild pigs sniffed around the meadow as they grazed on dark green, plump grasses. Their blue fur coats quickly caught the attention of Groom as he departed from the city of Pawn. The rising morning sun from the cliff which towered over the port capital city would forever etch itself into Groom’s mind. With the changing seasons, the curtain.

Chapter 36

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The lion’s flowing red main wrapped around prince Charles. The heat’s warmth stung him as the lion clopped up dust from the earth beneath it. The bizarre formation slowly closed the distance between itself and him as its hooves clopped in the dirt and in an instant ceased to be. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 37

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The elaborately placed, brightly colored feathers stood in place of scales on the snake’s body. Light bounced off the feathers and reflected in the witch’s eyes while dew trickled from the watering can. The morning sun flitted between the soft fuzz on that warm autumn morning. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 38

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. It had been many years since I had seen him. Prince Charles was dreadfully pale when he and I reunited at the garden gate from our youth. Between the rails, pale, bony fingers held out an apple from the other side. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 39

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. In the dense, foggy meadow Yvette sketched the flora and fauna of the forest. A bright red rose caught her eye. As she reached for it, her goal now in sight, she witnessed the bizarre, skeletons drinking tea in a castle garden. Golden apple trees strewn about were beginning to bud. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 40

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Charles collapsed in a heap in the dirt as the dust fell around him.  The golden apple slipped into my palm..

“For you,” the witch offered, “the promise I made that day has at last been completed.”

“Promise?” I creased my brow. 

Then a forgotten thought slipped into my mind. A thought which I had hoped to never remember again. A deeply repressed memory. A bargain I could not afford to honour. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 41

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Two young girls infatuated with an androgynous, blond, youthly. blue-eyed boy in a garden of red roses. With a single prick, the boy fell to the earth. One girl reached for his aid while the other charged away in tears for the forest to strike a forbidden bargain. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 42

  Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The deal was struck with the most skeleton-like witch in the coven. The boy would be granted twenty more years of life, in exchange, the girl would consume a golden apple on her return to the garden for immortality. The naive youth felt as if that day would surely never arrive for the young feel age never passes. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 43

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The slender, pale fingers slipped me the golden apple as I wept sorrowful tears. A single bite of the apple and a hollow kiss. The dead’s life was rekindled while the candle wick of another went out in exchange. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 44

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Charles wrapped his large body around July with a warm blanket as they curled up in the castle library late at night with a pleasant read, July gazed upon her husband warmly as they briefly peaked outward upon the domain she would rule for many years more. The rising sun of a new morning freshly woke the newly reborn kingdom. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 45

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. When Kad next opened his eyes, he sat across from Sad in the realm of dreams as they sipped a warm cup of tea, steam ascended upward. The conversation was pleasant although kad could not help but recall his old companion in the other domain however brief their time together had been in his lifespan. The newly formed couple chuckled while the other soe onlookers peaked and nibbled on their books formed from the dreams of the departed. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

  Chapter 46

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. In the sea of stars, I reawoke; the souls of the departed were said to first arrive here as they melted into the sea.My former groom now a blond blue eyed pale skinned man with a delicate build hovered in front of me. In exchange for feeding the golden apple to Charles, my own life had been taken. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. My now translucent figured accepted the outstretched hand as we descended deeper and deeper into the sea together. An intricately laced wedding gown wrapped itself around me as the ring glistened in that brief moment. That night, both he and I were etched into the stars. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 1

The forest sprites lit the garden of pinks, blues, and yellows. The memory kept me kindled through the heavy winter snows. I sat atop my throne at the bottom of the stairs sat my servant. He was a portly fellow although not all that bright. 

He pulled out a scroll and spoke the words I would not soon forget, “Henceforth, your reign has ended.”

Grisham was a small kingdom. As the eldest daughter of the royal family I was first in line for the throne. My reign had lasted eight years, in that time the public had become bitter towards the royal family. My decrees had not been met with the warmest reception shall we say. Executions had become commonplace in my mother’s time as ruler, my reign had been no different. My younger sister, July, poured over my mind. 

If anything, she was a far more studious princess in her younger years. Ever the observant one and quick witted as well. Ultimately, my father, the former king, ordered my removal.  That was one of the few powers granted to a male monarch in our lands. Now exiled, I departed my former kingdom on foot. There was something which stirred within me with those words and I hoped to find it on this journey. 

Chapter 2

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Green pine cones sent a fresh mint smell through the air. I had no idea where to even begin in my quest for the garden from my youth. A wave of nostalgia surged through me in that pine tree forest. A warm comfort filled me. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 3

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Atop a waterfall a red bird was perched, yellow and blue feathers cluttered its wings. The fresh scent of the water calmed me as I made my way further and further up the slippery cliffs. The sounds of nature calmed me, the splashing water as it descended from the ever greater heights bouncing from one ledge to another. With the changings seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 4

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The rain pattered against the brick street. Aimlessly, I wandered the vibrant city. Stalls with rare fruits and vegetables I had never encountered during my life in the castle were being sold to as wide a variety of clientele. Umbrellas fashioned from a translucent silk, said to be a gift of the water goddess to the people of the nation, swayed around and bobbed in unison. I picked up a fruit from a vendor who I could not afford to pay as a now banished penniless wanderer and softly hummed. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 5

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The sun pulsated downwards onto me. The heat in that swampy marsh caused my breathing to become heavy. As I trudged forward through the brown sludge in the shallows, I thought back to my sister who now sat atop the throne. A strange feeling overcame me, jealousy and loathing for both myself and her. 

She had to scrap, tooth-in-nail, for her spot on the throne. It had been a merciless battle royale between her and I for a spot as head of the country. As the eldest, I was favored and still was the failure. As I reminisced, a wooden staff I nearly tripped over bobbed up and down amid the mud. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 6

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The wooden staff was said to be blessed by the earth goddess. In the swampy marsh, I held it out in front of me and began to sing. In an instant, the swamp had transformed shape entirely, it had become a field of flowers with bees buzzing every which way. Without uttering a single word, I plotted my course for the first clue to the garden’s whereabouts. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 7 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. A ballroom with flowing, heavily decorated  dresses  I recalled the memory with some nostalgia and annoyance. The chandelier stuck out in my mind, as did the gaudily dressed gentlemen my parents forced me to dance with. His outfit contained so many frills, bells and whistles really, it was bothersome to watch. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 8

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The dance began in the twilight. Amongst the stars she and I collided off each other. Tenderly, she swept away my tears. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 9

Softly, the new though began to bloom. The ocean’s tide washed away my worried one by one. A heavy rain wept over my heart from the sky above. The white sand curled between my toes. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 10

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The hummingbird pecked the sky within the mountain water. The stony surface carved itself into my memory. The skidding rocks swept downward in a torrent as I ascended. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 11

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The lark rested on the snow covered statue. Trees powdered in snow slump downward to the earth. A frozen rain covered the path before me. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 12

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The sun melted away and gave way to the moon. The stars fluttered helplessly before regaining steam as I stared off into the night sky from the wheat fields. My heart was nourished by the tranquility from the peaceful darkness. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 13

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. My name is prince Charles, son of the former king to the kingdom just south of Grisham. If ever there was a gentleman’s man, it was  In my horse drawn carriage, I began my journey to the garden from my childhood. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The first days of my journey were idle, if anything it was all rather dull. The waves of heat pulsed down on the horses. The fair maiden from my youth, how I longed for her gentle buxom once again. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The horses had begun to sweat profusely. The summer sun in Grishire was by far the populace’s most menacing foe. I recalled her again, July my deepest love, of the many men I had slept with in my time on this planet, none could begin to compare to her as I made course for the garden she and I first met. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 14

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The autumn leaves melted into the sunset. The rain pattered on the brick path as my horse drawn carriage marched onwards to the kingdom of Grisham. My memories were filled with thoughts of January and July. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The sun pulsed as we reached the next stretch of our journey. A rockslide caused the cart to swerve out of control  and into the brush. My mother, the queen of Grishire, had laid a trap to prevent my passage across the border. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I awoke from my unconsciousness beneath the moonlit sky. Blood from the accident flecked my brow. A ghostly hand intertwined with my own… was it January clouding my vision? With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 15

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The eagle glided downward from its nest, the clouds brushed by its wings in its descent. My first order of business was to make course for the kingdom of Squire to the West where the shadow witch rested in her eternal sleep. The pain in my chest throbbed. With the changing seasons the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom.  The apple with the cursed magic core which I greedily lapped up in my childhood in that forbidden garden had cast a taboo spell over my heart. In the twenty years since then, its magic had gradually decayed my body. Deeper and deeper the throbbing swelled in my chest as I hobbled onwards. With the changing seasons the curtain falls.

Chapter 16

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The woodpecker’s pecking against the oak tree resounded throughout the valley. I set out from the village I had grown up in which resides in a forgotten valley in the mists. Softly, I rested against the ridge of the valley. I was the eldest daughter of a wealthy farming family. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Daughters of farming families were tasked with retrieving and consuming a rare berry which is rumoured to bring good luck to their families said to grow near a witch’s hut in the kingdom of Squire. I rested beneath the whistling breeze as a fuzzy cat tail brushed against my cheek tickling it. The cat tails bobbed up and down in the breeze as My whistling was carried along with the wind.

Chapter 17

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I had made peace and parted ways with my home valley, the knowledge that I could very well never return again depressed me yet I felt a calmness now. I made my way through a frozen forest. The frost covered trees devoid of any leaves gave me the urge to lie down. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. My breath clouded the air around me as I inhaled and exhaled over and over in the empty forest. The frosty air chilled me in an almost refreshing way.my eyes welled up with tears, I may very well never see my family again, I wept beneath the cloudy sky. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 18

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Rain descended down upon me as I laid down in the field of clovers. The green leaves nourished themselves, lapping up the rain. I allowed the water to wash over me, the scents refreshed my spirits. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. With memories of July and the castle now distant in my mind, I decided to take a detour to the kingdom of Squire. The night before my dreams were flooded with events I had never experienced. Overcome with nostalgia for a future past I could not recognize, I felt a sense of obligation.The rain pelted me as I surrounded myself in luck. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I lifted myself up the next morning, wiped the dew off myself, and charted a course for the kingdom of squire. It suddenly occurred too me how expansive this field of four leaf clovers was, I had sat at the edge of the field. Slowly, so as to not crush too many clovers, I carried onward through the fields. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Tiny, pale pink flowers intermingled with the clovers the deeper I went into the field. I crossed paths with a man who harvest the luck from the four leaf clovers. He was a rather peculiar fellow. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The rain from the previous night slipped downwards from one of the clover leaves I encountered. I made sure to make mental note of the fresh smells from the clover leaves as it wafted through the air. The further across I wandered, the more the greens meshed together. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I recalled the boy who used to play with my sister and I as we mingled and gossiped with each other in that garden. He was blond haired prince by the name of Charles. While I had not cared for him particularly, my sister had fantasized making him her king one day as lily petals brushed by us. With the changing seasons the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I stumbled across lily petals in the field of clovers. Curiously, an elderly woman with a golden flowing gown sat on a bench nearby dispersing the lily petals between the flowers. Lily petals were rumored too bring about the blessing of the earth goddess. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

“Pleasure to meet you,” I nodded at the woman as she looked in my direction.

“The pleasure is mine,” the elderly woman smiled back, “what brings you here today might I ask?”

“‘Bring me here? I’m simply passing by,” I explained.

“Perhaps it’s just as well she think I’m simply an old maid…,” the old woman muttered under her breath.

“Pardon?” 

The old woman giggled feverishly, “well I suppose I must confess now you see I dabble in magic a touch.” 

“Which element?” I asked, taken aback. 

“Earth magic,” I work to spread my blessing to these fields. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Witches were said to not be visible to normal humans, I found it curious I could see her. They blessed lands on behalf of the spirits and gods themselves. Farmers were said to reap the benefits most from their magic. I humored myself, as I parted ways with the witch. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. At last I had found my way to the other end of the field. So many cherishable memories filled my mind as I inhaled deeply one last time before parting ways. With a skip in my step, I left the field and continued on with my journey. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 19

Softly, the new thought began to bloom.  To cross the Sea of Stars was said to dazzle some but madden others.The Sea of Stars was the quickest yet most feared and rarely used route of travel in the region. Hesitantly, I dipped my toe into the salty waters. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Crayon drawn stars materialized on the water’s surface. The sea pulled me downwards before I rose to the surface as if it needed to test me first. Ripples trickled outward as I walked on the sea’s surface with the stars guiding my path. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The yellow sometimes misshapen stars swayed up and down in the waves. White specks flickered on the water’s surface as well in these waters where the sky was always night. The stars were poorly colored in almost haphazardly so at times. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. After what felt like endless wanderings, a triangular figure with legs and arms like pencil scribblings in a notebook appeared. He hopped towards me as his sandals clacked against the sea. The tip of his umbrella-like body opened into a mouth. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

“Ah, so you’ve arrived at last,” he began. 

“Who might you be?” I asked.

“I am the god of water,” he explained, “you’re headed for the kingdom of Squire, I imagine?”

I nodded, “Something pulls me there although I don’t quite know what it is.”

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. For a time, we walked in silence. Gradually, the water god with no name to speak of began to increase his pace. Eventually, he reached a running speed as he mingled my fingers in with his own. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

“For tonight, do you wish to be my bride?” the god asked.

Blood pumping through my body, as if in a dream, I sighed, “I do.”

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. A wedding gown appeared on my body and a ring on my finger. For this night and this night only, I was betrothed to the water god. I pirouetted to signal the beginning of our dance on the stars.  With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The dance felt like I was in a ballroom again. The princes of neighboring kingdoms filled with hopes of being future kings of a far off land. The stars beneath me blinked and began to wrap themselves around us. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The water god’s heavy voice echoed across the waters as he sang. His deep voice soothed me as we flew only to land again in the waters on occasion as we danced across the sea. In the distance a flood of lights trickled into my vision. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. We had reached Pawn, the sea-bound capital of Squire. The wedding dress and ring vanished as I dipped my feet into the sandy shallows of Pawn’s shoreline. To some that Sea of Stars was nightmarish to others it was dazzling, it was the latter for myself as I continued from that dream-like world onto my journey once again. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 20

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I sat amid a grove of flowers atop a cliff. An old oak tree creaked as it bobbed gently in the breeze. The cliff overlooked Pawn city, the capital of Squire. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. I drifted off to sleep in the warm, gentle summer breeze. When next I awoke I was outside a walled city two towering men guarded. I walked passed them and  into the city with no issue. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom.  In this strange golden kingdom small pink creatures with long draping pink and white ears hobbled about. Their big beady eyes poured over everything around them as they soaked all of it in. A book  art was dispensing books as a line of the creatures waited to be served. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The small pink creatures tore the books apart and munched on them, chatting as if they were at a cafe. I stared in curuosity for the longest time until one of them stood in front of me. The bizarre pink construct blinked with an evil grin on his face. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

“Good day,” he grinned.

“Hello,” I began, “by any chance do you know where I might find your king?”

“‘King’?” he mockingly repeated, “our beloved blue ruler? What d’ya want with him?”

“So this kingdom had a king,” I replied, point blank, “I have some questions for him about how I got here. Last I slept I was in the kingdom of Squire.”

“I think I ate a book about that once,” the pink creature knowingly nodded in understanding as he gestured for me to follow him. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. His name was Kad. The small pink creature went on to explain the kingdom of Not could only be accessed when people slept on very rare ocassions on their visit to the dream plane. The pink creatures were referred to as Soes which came in four different colors and varieties depending on the part of the world the person was dreaming in. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The king was a rather large, blue soe. His ears pointed up like a dog or an alert cat and did not drape around him as I had envisioned they would. His eyes were closed at all times even when I approached him. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

“G’day m’king,” Kad began, “we have a lass here with some business with you.”

The king’s voice bellowed, “good day.”

“Good day,” I smiled back, “I apologizebut I have a request more than just returning to where I came from.”

“And what might that be?”

“Knowledge,” I explained, “there are many unexplainable things I yet not understand and I believe Kad here might help me make sense of him.”

“Sure,” the king replied, “he’s yours now!”

“Ex’use me sire!?” Kad spoke startledly.

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The Soe king snapped his fingers and next I knew I was beneath the creaking oak tree once again. On my head rested a small pink creature I quickly identified as Kad. Perhaps this world was more than I understood it to be. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 21

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Kad hummed as we ate a meal by a rather large rock. Kad’s ears would perk upward with each passing grasshopper chirp. Bemusedly, I sat there as the rock’s shade cooled us off that warm summer day. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 22

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Charles whistled as he made his way towards the witch’s nest. The rocky mountain trail would slide him backwards at times yet seemed like a trustworthy companion. The hours passed as he lonesomely thought of his love July as the curse weighed on his heart. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 23

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Yvette marched her way through the fall forest. Autumn leaves crackled beneath her shoes in those foreboding woods. A whistling oak tree startled her as she nervously carried onward. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 24

Softly the new thought began to bloom. His name was Groom, a deity born from the unneeded dreams of men. The deity had held domain over the sea of stars for many centuries before his predecessor had passed away. His night-long engagement to January had infatuated his heart as the stars glistened in the sky.  With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 25

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Sad had a long string of boyfriends lined up for her every meal in the kingdom of Not. Among the other Pink soes she was by far the most beloved. Mad, her rosy cheeked, older brother, broke the news of Kad’s departure to her delicately, and yet all the same, Sad sobbed as she threw her drinking glass against the ground. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 26

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Saddened by January’s departure from the castle, July had spent her late nights in the castle library. Warmly colored book covers enveloped her with a sweet escape from her daily stress as ruler. With many men vying for her attention July chose instead to cuddle under a blanket with a book to plunge into as the candle wax dripped. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 27

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The Witch had not a name to use nor was she born from a human but the shadows. The murky castle garden with bony white roses silently sat as The Witch watered the flowers. The Witch hummed a gentle tune as she spent her day in the long forgotten garden. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 28

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Yvette caught a glimpse of the baby deer-like creature in the snowy fields that day. It’s body was formed from powdered snowflakes as it galloped through the empty pastures. The cold air formed a miniature fog with her breath as the silent snow scattered itself from the sky to the earth below. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 29

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The witch woke from her slumber in the vacant castle. She pulled off the green blanket as her thin, pale fingers reached for her pillow. Groggily, she wiped away the fog in her vision and yawned as a new day had begun. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 30

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Determined to lift the curse, Charles sat atop a hill of cotton with a pot of stew bubbling as he gently stirred. The mountainous camel shaped creature referred to as cotmus could reach its hooves over entire cities. Its beady eyes gleaned as it curiously sniffed the man nestled in its cotton-hilled fleece for a ride. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 31

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The small blue and yellow bird lapped up nectar from a field of flowers. It’s beak formed from twigs and bark lapped the honey up as Kad and I curiously gazed upon it. The flowers shriveled for a moment before a bloop noise bellowed out, honey flecked off their earth planted selves to the ground below as the flower returned more refreshed and joyous once again. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 32

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The emerald green bear formed from unripened forest berries curiously sniffed the meadow flora. Glad, disguised in a grey and white beard, sat in the chair across from Sad at the edge of Not on yet another date. The restaurant served them bubblegum ice cream as they carefully and silently observed the  newly born beary gobble its meal of leaves up. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 33

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The lemon yellow tortoise groggily rested on the shore of the Sea of Stars. The golden crayon stars formed a path to the shoreline as Groom, guided by his heart began the taboo act of crossing outside a god’s domain. The deity noted the tortoise’s citrus shaped shell as his ivory, newly-formed, human body glistened in the mortal realm for the first time. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 34

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. A small mammal with tusks protruding from its wings lazily glided along the summer winds as Yvette noticed the leathery black creature from far beneath. It’s nine beady eyes darted back and fourth as it calculated the wind speeds in all directions and  it hovered deep in the intensely marble blue clear skies. Yvette scribbled out the monster’s outward appearance in her heavily used notebook as she sat crossed legged on the warm inviting bright green hills. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 35

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The blue wild pigs sniffed around the meadow as they grazed on dark green, plump grasses. Their blue fur coats quickly caught the attention of Groom as he departed from the city of Pawn. The rising morning sun from the cliff which towered over the port capital city would forever etch itself into Groom’s mind. With the changing seasons, the curtain.

Chapter 36

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The lion’s flowing red main wrapped around prince Charles. The heat’s warmth stung him as the lion clopped up dust from the earth beneath it. The bizarre formation slowly closed the distance between itself and him as its hooves clopped in the dirt and in an instant ceased to be. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 37

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The elaborately placed, brightly colored feathers stood in place of scales on the snake’s body. Light bounced off the feathers and reflected in the witch’s eyes while dew trickled from the watering can. The morning sun flitted between the soft fuzz on that warm autumn morning. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 38

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. It had been many years since I had seen him. Prince Charles was dreadfully pale when he and I reunited at the garden gate from our youth. Between the rails, pale, bony fingers held out an apple from the other side. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 39

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. In the dense, foggy meadow Yvette sketched the flora and fauna of the forest. A bright red rose caught her eye. As she reached for it, her goal now in sight, she witnessed the bizarre, skeletons drinking tea in a castle garden. Golden apple trees strewn about were beginning to bud. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 40

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Charles collapsed in a heap in the dirt as the dust fell around him.  The golden apple slipped into my palm..

“For you,” the witch offered, “the promise I made that day has at last been completed.”

“Promise?” I creased my brow. 

Then a forgotten thought slipped into my mind. A thought which I had hoped to never remember again. A deeply repressed memory. A bargain I could not afford to honour. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 41

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Two young girls infatuated with an androgynous, blond, youthly. blue-eyed boy in a garden of red roses. With a single prick, the boy fell to the earth. One girl reached for his aid while the other charged away in tears for the forest to strike a forbidden bargain. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 42

  Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The deal was struck with the most skeleton-like witch in the coven. The boy would be granted twenty more years of life, in exchange, the girl would consume a golden apple on her return to the garden for immortality. The naive youth felt as if that day would surely never arrive for the young feel age never passes. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 43

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. The slender, pale fingers slipped me the golden apple as I wept sorrowful tears. A single bite of the apple and a hollow kiss. The dead’s life was rekindled while the candle wick of another went out in exchange. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

Chapter 44

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. Charles wrapped his large body around July with a warm blanket as they curled up in the castle library late at night with a pleasant read, July gazed upon her husband warmly as they briefly peaked outward upon the domain she would rule for many years more. The rising sun of a new morning freshly woke the newly reborn kingdom. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Chapter 45

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. When Kad next opened his eyes, he sat across from Sad in the realm of dreams as they sipped a warm cup of tea, steam ascended upward. The conversation was pleasant although kad could not help but recall his old companion in the other domain however brief their time together had been in his lifespan. The newly formed couple chuckled while the other soe onlookers peaked and nibbled on their books formed from the dreams of the departed. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

  Chapter 46

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. In the sea of stars, I reawoke; the souls of the departed were said to first arrive here as they melted into the sea.My former groom now a blond blue eyed pale skinned man with a delicate build hovered in front of me. In exchange for feeding the golden apple to Charles, my own life had been taken. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls. 

Softly, the new thought began to bloom. My now translucent figured accepted the outstretched hand as we descended deeper and deeper into the sea together. An intricately laced wedding gown wrapped itself around me as the ring glistened in that brief moment. That night, both he and I were etched into the stars. With the changing seasons, the curtain falls.

The dust danced around the light bulb the room itself was dim. Mary could not believe it had been years since that fateful day her grandmother had passed away. She felt alive in this attic. It brought back many memories from a simpler time. Now at age 46, her children both grown up and moved out, Mary felt the need to seek out her past once again. Bring back to life the memories of her childhood. Even for just this one night, Mary wished to relive and explore the friendships of her childhood. 

Mary walked up to the framed photohraph of her first dance with her girlfriend. She recallled how they both wanted to move in together. Mary released a breath. Dust spattered everywhere, it coated the face of Mary herself. Mary turned around at a sudden noise. It was a strange child in ragged poorly cobbled together clothes.

 “Hello,” the girl began, “are you lost?” 

“Who might you be?” Mary asked anxiously.

The house had been abandoned for many years to see another being here was odd to say the least. 

“My name is Bun,” the girl chuckled in a manor much giddier than Mary had expected. 

Mary’s antennae twitched. This girl had a curious scent to her it smelled familiar somehow. The realization came all too quickly. The young girl was the bug queen’s daughter. How had she entered the room? Were the rumors the bug queen could teleport others true? Bunny curiously stepped towards Mary and giggled.

“Well I suppose this is good-bye.” 

“What? Wait!”

And with that, a blue portal opened which Bunny slipped into and vanished. Mary never visited her childhood home again.

The moon crescendoed into the sky usurping the end of the bug-men’s slumber. There was not a moment to rest for young Crystal they were wrapped up in their nightly sketching sessions. More than anything, Crystal enjoyed sketching the night life in their small town. Every nook and cranny was embedded into their mind in these moments. They soaked in every sound the cricket-men’s chirping, the dragon birds as they swarmed around their worm-men prey, the angered buzzing of the neighboring bee-men families as they bickered over the dispensing of honey, it all fascinated Crystal to no end.

Bun observed Crystal from behind a corner. She decided she would never interact with them personally simply view this bee-man from afar. Pencils in hand, Crystal furiously scratched out their artwork, lost in the thoughts from their day. Bun observed Crystal for hours, she admired their love for their craft. Bun stepped through the portal  and returned to the nest without so much as a word to a soul in the village. 

Their ruby lips enthralled the other spider-men although frankly it was unclear why so to Beatrice themself. Beatrice spun their silver thread with newfound determination from this thought. True they were plump for a spider-man but they deeply loved their place in the spider-men nest. Beatrice spun together their latest creation whistling all the while. Their thread wove carefully between their slinky black hairy arms. 

With their right back leg, Beatrice tapped along to the rhythm. The tune had an unearthly quality to Bunny but even she admitted Beatrice’s thick black coat was luxurious. Bunny watched as Beatrice wove together a full set  of ant-men gloves.  The spider-men hive was brimming with warped, light black shadows. The spider-men were renowned the Bug world over for their high grade weaving. A bee-man needed their blanket as much as the next Bug-man. 

Beatrice’s products were even worn in the Bug Queen’s royal court itself. Many a bug-man had fallen madly in love with Beatrice and been rejected. That said, equally as many rumours were everywhere of Beatrice’s many romantic entanglements. The spider-men were a rather promiscuous bug type after all. Bunny drowsily began to fall asleep to the rhythm. Eventually, the Bug Queen herself needed to open the portal for Bunny to return to the nest.

There I sat, swaying in the breeze from bee-men hive. A valley brimming with flowers stretched down and sloped upwards into the sky. The bee-men were collecting honey. The war between the bug men and humans had just begun at this point. The Bug Queen had transported me to another time period altogether this time. The bee-men were preparing honey to distribute for the war. 

One by one, they collected from the flowers before they returned to the bee-men hive. Dewy honey dripped beneath me in the hive. The beehive was shaped like a vase with no bottom. Carefully crafted, meticulously constructed. The bee-men had poured their hearts into the structure. Drip. Drip. The humming of bee-men filled the air. The sounds overwhelmed me. The bright pinks and purple of the flours below. The portal opened and close and back to the Bug Queen’s nest I returned.   

I shut my eyes and concentrated, a new landscape opened up before me. It was a lush tropical jungle teeming with plant life. A species of sentient carnivorous plants which feasted on the ant-men released a sweet scent to lure the ant-men in. An ant-man walked near one of the tiger lillies and cautiously observed it with his antenna. He was undertain if he should return to the nest with it for food supplies.

His feelers felt the tiger lilly up and down, the ant-man turned away as a sense of dread filled him. The tiger lilly morphed into a round orange shape and slurped up the ant-man. The porta; opened as I drifted back to sleep.  

I shut my eyes and concentrated, a new landscape opened up before me. I sat atop a brown block, I was in a village made of chocolate. I peeled back the layers with my hand, excited to see where it would take me. A cockroach-man rested his hand on mine to stop me. 

“You mustn’t do this, miss. Our world has boundaries.”

“‘Boundaries’?” I giggled as I repeated the word back.

“The capital of the cock-roach-men exists inside a walnut.”

A city made of chocolate. The cockroach-men, miniature as they were, sculpted and remolded their landscapes constantly. They were a species of architects, after all. The portal opened as I drifted back to sleep.

I shut my eyes and concentrated, a new landscape opened up before me. The portal opened as I drifted back to sleep.

Chapter 1

Divorce, the one word Patty dreaded when she decided to come out. Her husband, Marvin, had always been homophobic Patty knew but sure his wife of fifty years he would accept for who she was. The word had terrified, even haunted, Patty in the days and weeks that followed this conversation with her husband. Even more so than the derogatory language which followed. Patty was not one to stew in the badness, she needed to make a change in her life with Marvin gone from it. 

Patty turned to the computer her son and grandson used for escape when they were troubled. Social media was out of the question not that it was too difficult for her to figure out, Patty just did not feel like dealing with judgemental strangers. What was one thing warm and fuzzy which brought her so much joy to watch? 

Cats.

After browsing videos of kittens Patty saw that one video had a link. “Kittens in need of a home. Please click if interested in adopting.” This was it. Perhaps it was the adrenaline and dread of what she had just experienced with her divorce, but Patty decided at this very moment, at age 70, she would adopt a pair of cats.

Chapter 2

Timidly, they took their first steps into their new home. Patty let the new kittens Paws and Claws out of their kennels for the first time. Ten minutes passed, Claws zipped about sniffing each and every surface. Eventually, Claws settled on hiding behind the sagging sofa in the dining room. 

Paws scanned the room, testing the carpet’s feel on his paws. Paws clearly needed some time alone. Patty, her internet research fresh in her mind, lifted Paws up with her one hand and plopped him down near her bed in another room. Paws darted under the bed for some time alone.

Patty chuckled to herself. They were both the same breed of kitten, the same age even, yet Paws and Claws had very different personalities. It livened up the house. She loved the change of pace. Fresh spring air wafted through the cottage Patty had gotten in the settlement from her wealthy ex-husband. Her new home and family, Patty mused to herself.

Chapter 3

When it came to petting the new kittens Patty discovered Claws was more open to affection. Claws was much more outgoing than Paws. Claws sniffed every nook and cranny he could find in the first three days. Paws had kept to dark quiet spaces where he could be by himself during this time. It was a concern for Patty, she pondered whether Paws was just adjusting or not comfortable in his new home. 

An internet search proved useful. “Cats enjoy spaces where they can be alone and need time adjusting to changes.” Patty decided to continue providing paws with as much space as he needed. On the fourth day since they had settled into their new home together, Patty sat on her bed playing with Claws’ favorite toy: squeaky mouse toy tied to a stick and string. The plush mouse bounced about with Claws giving chase. Paws emerged from underneath suddenly and trotted up to Claws. Claws sniffed Paws  curiously, the pair had hardly interacted apart from briefly during meal times since arriving at the cottage. 

A swift bop landed on Claws head from Paws.who proceeded to trot towards Patty. Paws sniffed Patty’s foot, she put out a hand for Paws to sniff. After a minute Paws was in Patty’s lap, Claws charged towards Patty. His brother was getting all the attention from his new mom and Claws did not care for that particularly. Clearly tired of affection, Paws leapt out of Patty’s lap. Claws and Paws chased after each other well into the night as the crickets chirped.in unison outside. 

Chapter 4

Paws and Claws both had the same favorite dry food so they often got into scraps over it. Paws always wanted to eat both plates. Claws only wanted to eat from Paws’ plate uninterested in the food in front of him. 

“The grass is always greener on the other side,” Patty muttered to herself. Her mother had raised her on those words and they had always proven true. 

Patty set out their food as she had each other day since Paws and Claws had arrived at her home and into her life. Claws was behaving oddly he refused to even touch the food. Patty scratched her head.  Claws was usually the first to the kitchen when food was put out. Paws trotted along behind him on most occassions. Paws was nowhere to be seen. Patty called her friend Anna for advice.

Anna had lived with cats since she was little. The pair had grown to old age as close friends. 

“The novelty sounds like it’s worn off,” Anna replied to Patty’s inquiry. 

“‘Novelty’? Are they world class food critics or something?” Patty quipped.

“Cats can be really fussy,” Anna went on, “Boots is very particular.”

“Boots? The cat’s name is Boots now? Anna don’t tell me you–.”

“I can’t help it, they look at me with those big eyes and I’m just smitten,” Anna sighed, “besides I’ve never had a husband like you cats are my cuddle buddies.”  

“Oh Anna,” Patty sighed her heart skipped a beat as it always did when they always spoke to each other over the phone. 

Patty said her customary thanks and good-bye to Anna before she ended her conversation. Patty pulled out her laptop and plopped it on the cushion in front of her to look up cat food brands. It looks like her days of internet searches were not about to end any time soon. 

Chapter 5

To say Paws and Claws both wanted attention would be an understatement. Patty needed to pet Paws every hour on the hour. Claws was more one to lounge around, he was more than excited for his belly to be rubbed and to get pets on the head but was not as insistent for cuddles and attention like Paws was. 

One morning, Paws pawed at Patty’s arm. He needed his cuddles. Paty was still half asleep. She was going to enjoy her retirement in old age one way or another. Patty had worked as a mailwoman for many tireless years. Sleeping in every now and then was her biggest reward. A gentle warm breeze wafted through the cabin. Leaves on trees rustled, Patty soaked in every little detail in her half dazed state. 

Paws let out a loud series of meows. He was getting cuddles with his new owner one way or another. Startled, Patty woke up and smiled at Paws. A small furry companion was exactly what she wanted to wake up to in the morning. 

Chapter 6

Paws and Claws decided today was the day. They were going to make the greatest escape in history. In their minds anyways. In reality, Paws stared intently at the front door from a distance while Claws dashed towards the door but was blocked by a prepared Patty’s foot.

Patty had read up on the many breakout attempts of house cats eager to see the outdoors. The dart for the door was half-hearted at best. Paws and Claws both had come to adore Patty and the top tier food she put out for them. Paws enjoyed cuddling with Patty on the couch while Claws enjoyed his head pats. Neither party felt especially inclined to make a serious cabin break attempt. 

Chapter 7

Patty got another friend for Paws and Claws. To her, the goldfish seemed like a nice companion Paws and Claws saw the goldfish more as food. The small fish bowl with blue rocks at the bottom sat at Patty’s bed stand. The heretofore nameless goldfish shone a brioght orange. Patty felt he livened up the cabin. 

Days passed,  Patty changed the goldfish’s location to a high shelf out of the cat’s reach. Paws and Claws decided to make a game of reaching the goldfish but their attempts were continuedly thwarted by their small statures. Neither kitten was about to reach the goldfish soon but Patty was starting to have cold feet about her new pet. Feeding the goldfish was a challenge which required a stool to stand on. The strain on Patty’s back and budget was beginning to outweigh the rewards. The stress of Paws and Claws attempts to consume their new “companion” was also taking its toll on Patty.

“Sure, I’ll take him off your hands,” Anna began over the phone, “I have a huge unused tank somewhere in my basement. My pets’ll never reach him”

“Great,” Patty breathed a sigh of relief. 

Perhaps Paws and Claws would not be getting any more friends anytime soon.

Chapter 8

Claws loved to Jump Patty found out over time. The higher the better. Thankfully, Patty had forced her now grumbling ex-husband to install shelves into the cabin before they parted ways. One day, Paws decided to he was going to reach the top of the bookshelf in the livingroom. Patty had nervously known this day would come at one point or another but seeing Claws perched atop the towering bookshelf where her photos rested made her nervous all the same. 

Claws and Paws were no more than 8 months old. Patty’s gut twisted at the horrible possible outcomes. Would Paws be able to land safely on the ground? Paws slipped. For a moment, all the colour drained from Patty’s face as she watched Paws plummet from the bookshelf. However, Paws made quick work to ensure he landed on his feet. Perhaps not all old sayings were entirely without basis in reality. Patty thought as such as she released a sigh of relief. 

Chapter 9

It all happened in a single moment, Paws had eyed the blue pen Patty had been using to sketch in her dream diary for several days beforehand. Finally he charged towards his prey the blue pen was skillfully swiped with Paws’ paw descending to the ground. The clack the blue ben created satisfied Paw. Patty sighed and lifted the pen back onto the table. 

In that moment a thought crossed Paws’ mind. Paws repeated the process with quick reflexes. Once again, the blue pen descended from the wooden table to the ground. Once again, Patty released a sigh before placing the pen back on the table. Again and again for the next five minutes this game continued. Paws thought of it as a game, Patty’s agitation grew. 

Patty admitted defeat, forfeiting the pen to Paws in defeat. Satisfied, Paws trotted back to his cat bed for a long nap. Patty let out another sigh. In this moment Patty knew, this was one game which wasn’t about to end anytime soon. 

Chapter 10

Paws liked to play with the tap water. Patty brushed her teeth and each morning Paws made a beeline for the bathroom sink each morning the tap turned on. Paws contently stared at the water. Paws flicked his paw against the water and licked his paw. While Paws stared at water in motion, Claws played in the livingroom racing about. Claws enjoyed the sound of water. 

Patty returned to the living room while Paws trotted behind. Patty sipped her tea while reading the morning paper. A satisfying clack resonated as the tea cup rested on the plate. Claws curiously sniffed the empty cup. It was another quiet morning.

Chapter 11

Cooking was no easy task for Patty. Paws and Claws needed constant monitoring. Breakfast was especially challenging. Patty loved bacon for breakfast. Claws trotted towards the stove each morning at the smell. Claws loved human food. Patty fed Claws a few nibbles of bacon each morning.

It was a challenge yet a reward all the same. Patty loved to read the newspaper. The crossword puzzles were especially thrilling with as the cats danced about the kitchen. Both cats would scan for any crumbs they could locate. Paws lounged around in the sun. Months had passed as they had started their life with Patty. Day to day life was relaxing and it was not about to change any time soon. 

Chapter 12  

Paws and Claws went through a lengthy box faze Patty adored watching as the pair peaked through the holes. Paws took great delight as he knocked the box on its side as a game. Claws treated the box as his own personal space. 

Gently, Paws poked the box and sniffed it. The scent was unusual to say the least. Could it be his only brother? Claws had used his glands to mark the box as his territory. Thusly, the dispute over the plot of land ended with a victor.

Chapter 13

The moment I dreaded never actually came to pass. The carpet would have minor marks from Paws and Claws scratching but thankfully I trained them early on to use the scratching post.That said, it bugged me more and more as the marks from scratching became bigger and bigger over time. The damage could not be completely contained I guess. I suppose the furniture is just the sacrifice when you’re a pet owner.

Chapter 13

 Ever the tidy cat, Paws loved to groom himself while I prepared for the day. Paws would sit on the toilet seat and groom his paws and fur while I brushed my teeth. When I was not looking he would stare and observe. More than anything, Paws desired to be like his owner. Paws loved humans, their food and mostly just their food. 

Paws loved to snatch food off my plate. As with every morning, Paws was grooming himself today as I combed my short hair. The wind whistled through the cabin on yet another tranquil morning.

Chapter 14

Specifically, the cat bed I ordered online was for Paws and Claws. I had set aside some money for the cat bed it was generally a fine product. Yet still they chose my bed to sleep on. The warm quilt blanket and cats purring as they overlapped each other on top of me warmed my heart through the cold winter which had only begun.

Chapter 15

Tensions and disputes would erupt on occasion over pens and boxes. Claws was more aggressive so the conflicts usually ended in his favor. Paws preferred playing with pens while Claws was now going through a box phase so the issue was not as bigas when I first introduced the objects to them but still. Winter winds howled through the creaky wood. A cabin at a national park was probably not the best place to spend a snowy winter.

Yet, this was where I chose to spend my retired days. The snow had begun to accumulate on the ground reaching over three centimeters in height. In the basement, the sunflower I had planted had begun to bloom. The contrast and irony between the  snowy winter cold and the warming cabin mused me as I twiddled away my long winter.  

Chapter 16

Claws had developed a shoulder jumping problem. Whenever I was near the bookshelf he would pounce. He waited from his chance and would leap onto my shoulder. To keep his balance Claws would dig his claws in which stung at the best of time at worst it was a dull heavy pain. 

The stinging would hurt when having a warm shower but otherwise was not an issue. Yet even so, I enabled him and his shoulder jumping habits. I had figured out how to maneuver Claws off my shoulder if I wanted too, yet his happy pur as he had kindled my heart like a warm fire in the fireplace. Sparks would gradually pop up yet vanish just as quickly as the winter carried on.

Chapter 17

The snow had reached the bottom tip of the window as Christmas neared. I had prepared for the heavy winter snows by stocking up on groceries all at once for the holidays. Yet still, the thought that I was trapped in a warm log  cabin with two baby kittens and a sunflower to grow actually sounded fine to me. 

I caught up on fanfiction on the couch, my grand daughter explained it to me over video chat the other day.  The romance novels I grew up on had a number of fanfiction online for alternate pairings with the romantic rivals. I had finally accept I was pansexual to myself so it provided me with a warm escape as the snowflakes descended and built upon each other.

Chapter 18

I scribbled out my grocery list for when the snows had calmed and I could drive to town to pick up meals. I scribbled every last thing I could think of that would need re-stocking. My ex-husband was, if nothing else, wealthy. He had begun trying to win me back, I appreciated the money anyway. 

I thought of my childhood friend. She was always friendly to me over the phone when we chatted. We shared a kiss beneath the cherry trees that one time overseas. My husband never knew it was a secret from our trip she and I shared. I returned my attention to the present, Paws and Claws were playing with a grocery bag. It warmed my heart and rekindled the sparks of joy within me.

Chapter 19

 Thoughts of Anna filled my mind as the snow had begun to melt. She had been my secret lover on and off over the years, my husband loathed her. I feel he somehow knew I would have rathered spent more time with her than him. The nasty homophobic side to his personality came out whenever Anna was around. I loved them both yet I loved Anna more. It had been more convenient to stay with my husband. 

Anna stopped corresponding through letter once we reached our forties. I heard from a friend she had adopted cats of her own. One was named Paws, a few years later she had gotten a cat named Claws. It connected us somehow deep down I had given my own cats the same names after the divorce. Paws and Claws took turns swiping at the water in the cat bowl. The torrent of memories and swirling emotion from my past continued in my mind as the winter wind howled on.

Chapter 20

The winds had dulled and faded, the memories were pushed to the back of my mind as Christmas had finally arrived. I decorated the Christmas tree I had ordered online with my ex-husbands money. There were ornaments our children had picked out over the years and some I had from my own childhood. They were well worn yet the memories collected in them kept me warm through the holiday season. 

Paws and Claws helped in their own special way. Paws played with the Christmas lights while Claws chewed on ornaments I had decorated the cabin with. The room felt so much brighter than it had been the past while. Something about Christmas just warmed me inside as the new year approached.

Chapter 21

Paws spent his first winter often sniffing the fresh air through the window. Paws was curious of the snowflakes which swirled about and danced in the whistling wind. He would rest his paw on the bits of snow which  trickled through the screen on occasion. Claws, on the other hand, treated the specks of snow as prey to chase. It was a game to him where only Claws himself could win. I sat there and thought back to my own children’s growing up. Some things just never change I suppose.

Chapter 22

My children and I spent our summers with Anna during their childhoods, they did not know of our feelings for each other just that we were closer than most people. My husband had secretly known of our family away from him. He eventually tore us apart. Eventually with the letters stopping, for almost two decades we had no contact. Paws and Claws played with their new cat toy. A cat tail shaped plastic chew toy that I could wiggle as they leapt to pounce on it.

In my head, I thought of Anna in this day and age things could have been so much different. The lies and secrets, the double crosses none of it would have had to have happened. They were both tender and dear to me. I loved Anna more yet I had also had feelings for my husband at the time. I wished we could have all lived together. This fleeting whim of a thought vanished as the snow melted outside. 

Chapter 23

A new year spring had blossomed over top the melted snow. I phoned Anna for advice on cat food for the first time in ages. Thoughts of her and the cats around me had kindled my inner warmth throughout the heavy winter. The irony of a spring on New Year’s day amused me to no end as the phone rang.

“I recognized the number as soon as I saw it! Patty It’s so good to hear from you again” Anna began, “I take it you need more cat advice?”

“Ah– yes, yes,” I stuttered, “I was wondering how to introduce cats to a new food brand after they had adjusted to one.” 

“Are they both still fussy?”

“No, Paws eats other brands once in a while when the kind he likes is sold out,” I chuckled, “I suppose this call wasn’t really well thought out in my head.”

 “So was there some other reason for calling while I’m in the middle of making myself lunch?” 

I sighed, “no–nothing I was just reminiscing lately.”

There was a long pause. 

“If you’re looking to rekindle the flames again how about waiting until the kittens have grown enough,” Anna began, “I’d be happy to get back together but you’re still recovering from your divorce. It shows in your social media posts you know.”

I had forgotten we had added each other on that platform. 

“How about this,” I started, “we e-mail each other like how we mailed each other all those years ago.” 

“Sounds like a plan,” Anna chuckled, “for now, just focus on  your cats. Cats are rewarding to raise. And, tell you what, if you feel ready for it in exactly two years from today. How about we get married. It-it’s a proposal I’m proposing to you. How does that sound as an incentive to heal?” 

I giggled, “alright, sounds like a plan Anna. See you at the wedding hall.”

Chapter 24

Paws stared out the window at the melted fallen snow. The pine trees smelled fresh as Paws sniffed the familiar,returning scents of the changing seasons. Spring had arrived, the wild flowers had begun to sprout from the earth. 

I sat on the couch and mused, the past 3 months had passed in the blink of an eye. Anna’s proposal had come out of nowhere. Yet, she was still interested after all these years apart. We had begun corresponding by email. Mostly they were just joke emails but it helped to pass the time as Spring had  begun to settle in. April was around the corner as I sat back and enjoyed the peaceful sounds of birds chirping in the nearby window while Paws meowed at the new born birds.

Chapter 25

Today, I tried an experiment. I placed boxes from my online shopping with my ex-husband’s credit card next to the cat tree. Both Paws and Claws responded differently. Paws poked at the boxes with his paws and sniffed them. He inspected them. This one change in the environment filled him with a new excitement and curiosity. Claws’ reaction was the one I did not see coming. 

Claws paid no attention to the boxes and simply lied in the sun while napping. As the months had gone on the once energy filled kitten had begun to lounge around the house and sleep more and more. Cats sleep most of the time I discovered through exchanges online with Anna. Claws’ earliest kitten years had been an exception, not the rule.

Chapter 26

Claws had begun delighting in laying around in the sun which poured in through the window perched atop the cat tree. Paws enjoyed cuddling with me in bed in the beginning of his first Spring. I went to pet Claws as I usually did, he pushed my hand away with his paw. It was a gentle push but the message was clear: I want to be left alone. 

Claws went back to sleep on his cat tree. It stung a little Claws had never been the friendliest cat  with guests but he at least enjoyed having his scruff scratched and pats on the head. The impermanence of the moment as time marched forward. I was reminded of that fact on that day. 

Chapter 27

Claws would alternate between sniffing the fresh air from outside and sleeping. For only a few hours a day he was awake and in that time he mostly ate his dry cat food. Paws was concerned about his brother, well more likely I was projecting my concern for Claws onto Paws. Claws always wanted to be left alone.

He often sulked on his side curled up yet when I tried to give him attention he would brush my hand away with his paw. In my dream, he spoke to me that night. 

“You never pay enough attention to me, I want you to ravish me with attention.” 

The next day I gave Claws a belly rub as he laid on his back for hours. Claws purred now satisfied since he had gotten what he wanted. Cats were surprisingly straight forward in their own odd way. 

Chapter 28

Paws was in need of attention more than anything, he would tap my leg for head pets and scratches behind the ear. A look of love filled his small beady eyes. Claws became jealous that his brother was getting more attention from his owner than him. Claws was ever the cat that needed to be at the center of attention that Spring.

The drastic shift from cold and aloof to attention craving was sudden to say the least. It was unclear what tipped the scale the other way in his brain. I scratched my head in puzzlement. Cause and effect was not a firm and solid constant with cats I suppose. 

Chapter 29

“This one’s name is Paws and the other one’s name is Claws,” Anna explained, “Paws is rather outgoing and loves to cause mischief. Meanwhile Claws is more reserved and timid.”

I woke up from my dream with a gasp for air. He memory was from when Anna introduced me to her kittens they passed away years ago. I decided to look up the life expectancy of cats, 13-17 years on average. Paws and Claws were curled up together at the foot of my bed. I closed my laptop and set it at my bedside. I needed to make every moment count.  

Chapter 30

The gentle spring breeze overwhelmed me with glee. Morning of a new day had arrived. I made myself some eggs on toast for breakfast being sure to set any unwanted feline help on the ground. Their safety came first and foremost. I sat at the table and sipped my hot cocoa in the warm light of spring as I nourished myself with breakfast. Paws and Claws played and tussled at the now unused fireplace as if they were newborn kittens again. Our first nine months had been so fleeting.

Chapter 31

Those memories of Henry would never fade yet with Anna’s proposal in mind, I felt a renewed motivation to continue my journey. Paws and Claws were always skin and bones after a shower. I tried baths and they did not work out. The gentle water pouring over Claws filled him with joy, Paws loved to pur during his showers. Steam would rise up and out the cabin window as I hummed a toon. 

Chapter 32

Paws and Claws chased each other around the cabin’s living room. Paws pounced on claws as they began to tousle with one another. I needed to put Claws in time out since he was the  provoker who began the fight. Paws sat outside the door in solidarity with his faithful lifelong companion. It was another peaceful day.

Chapter 33

Paws and Claws slept most of the day. Paws would yawn occasionally while Claws groomed him. I watched television shows on home media that day. There were cartoons my grandchildren were into that my son encouraged me to watch when they came for their next visit. I browsed my laptop for information on raising kittens as fall began to swirl its way into the air. The leaves on the trees were beginning to brown as the seasons changed once again.

Chapter 34

The sun rose over the hills signalling a new day had begun. Paws sniffed my face while Claws observed curiously from my feet curled up in a little ball. Paws licked my face with warm kisses his fur brushed against me as I turned over and returned to slumber. Claws began to nod off while he purred, his small furry body warming the blanket. 

Cool morning air rested in the cabin but I was entirely too wrapped up in a quilt I had knitted as my kittens gleefully purred around me. Paws trotted to my feet to join Claws, wrapping his tiny body up in the finely knitted quilt. A woodpecker tapped away at the tree outside the cabin as if to quicken the sun’s ascent into the sky and my brief, quiet start to the day was at its end.

Chapter 35

The sun peaked in the morning sky. Paws chased after Claws who skidded across the wooden floor before crashing into the wall. There was a light patter on the front door. It was Anna with roses and a little black felt box. She proposed to me and I accepted without a moment’s hesitation. Paws and Claws skittered to the front door to sniff me as I sobbed happily.

“Anna I love you with all my heart thank you for putting up with me all these years,” I sobbed.

Anna scooped me up in her old worn arms and whispered in my ear, “I’ll be there for you for the rest of our days.”

I giggled and passionately kissed her on the lips. Paws and Claws meowed for attention as we giggled. I held her hand and looked deeply into her oak colored eyes. A pink and blue lace ribbon rested at the bottom of the page as the book closed its final page.

Though the waterlarke’s song shook the sparrows from their tree tis a mighty mistake that bugmen would so callously cause the humble citizenry. In her descent into madness, the snow waterlarke plunged deeper and deeper into the what twould one day be the birthplace of mankind. The young girl dazzled by the brilliance of the what was once and what would be the end and the beginning of all wept for the larke’s last larke as it plummeted towards its death amidst the soft green algae.

A thoroughly enjoyable upgrade from last season’s unfortunate circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic. While Healin Good Pretty Cure had some interesting feminist ideas. Tropical Rouge Precure ups the queerness aspect of the previous season and is much less traditionally heteronomrative. I watched the pilot episode and the follow-up with the parent and even they were more enthralled with this season than the last. A beginning to a compelling all ages piece of entertainment.

Suteki translated is “beautiful” in Japanese.

Twas the name of the waterlarke which frightened bugmankind the waterlarke purged the world of these awesome revolutionary creatures.  Tis not time to dwell on such sorrows thow shall one day be accepted by the bugmen waterlarke. 

Twer just a jest a simple jest but a jest nonetheless. The ocean rippled outward as it trickled across and plunged unto the deepest depths. Tis that but the waterlarke’s undying will as well.

Against the gods reach the stars were destined by the moon. Garden of the snow waterlarke’s wings defined time and space as it traversed. Flower bed may they redefine the scarlet moon. Travesty may they be the moon. Unworthy were they unbearably so. Garden twas just mercifully short.