03-13-2018, 08:30 AM
Butterfly
----
My footsteps were quiet on the red brick of the ground that I walked on, sunlight streamed between the sturdy white pillars that the roof over my head up. The light's warmth passing over my skin in quick, repeated successions as my aimless walk carried me onward. I wasn't in what one would term a foul mood. Pensive was more accurate. I so often thought about many things, often all at once in a steady rushing stream of consciousness. Blurring together. Slipping and slithering in and out of each other's crosshairs like serpents.
Life was a peculiar thing. How much it could change with a broadening perspective brought on by an awakening.
Never thought I'd make it this far.
I stopped at the top of a small set of stairs that led out into the gardens. Where she stood.
Perfect blue and white standing in the center of a galaxy of immaculately cut grass, a nebula of blue flowers spanning out behind her. Esdeath's long hair flowing softly in the dawning breeze of spring. Extending her right arm slowly, deliberately. On her index finger, a red winged butterfly was perched. Big enough that I could see it from where I stood. Crimson wings twitched leisurely, feet holding onto the finger that was its perch. Long antenna atop its head. Completely unafraid of her. We were the same in that one particular way.
She smiled down at it with stunning gentleness that touched my heart. Regarding the way with which she was perceived, most would think that smile would be promptly followed up with her tearing its vulnerable wings off. They'd be surprised that no such action would occur. With an easy flick of her wrist the butterfly took flight, rising higher and higher with steady determination into the sunny sky's familiar embrace. A single, red winged soul going about its way in a wide world in an even wider to the point of incomprehensibly universe.
"It's a species that feeds specifically on these blue flowers," Esdeath spoke, still peering upwards for a moment longer before turning her gaze on me.
"You mean the same flowers that you can use in torture?" I teased.
"Of course." She smiled. "Funny how things balance out, isn't it? Most would look at these flowers and see little else than just that. To the butterfly, its a source of life."
"...I think I'm starting to rub off on you," I said with a slightly laugh shaking in my chest. Esdeath fixed me with a half lidded stare, lips pulling into that predatory smile.
"No more than I've influenced you, I'm sure."
I made no attempt to deny this. It was true.
"Where does it go from here?" I inquired, gesturing with my chin to the sky above. "The butterfly, I mean."
"Somewhere south, where it's warmest."
She adjusted her cap between her forefinger and thumb, a little tick of hers I'd noticed. Concealing her eyes for a brief few seconds as she made her way up the steps, the clacking of her heeled boots sounding rather loud in the comfortable stillness. Silky hair brushed faintly across my forearm. The exposed skin tingled. A hand delicately squeezed mine, only once.
And then she resumed moving, the clacking of her footsteps drifting further and further away into a distance echo that morphed into silence.
I was peaceful.
----
My footsteps were quiet on the red brick of the ground that I walked on, sunlight streamed between the sturdy white pillars that the roof over my head up. The light's warmth passing over my skin in quick, repeated successions as my aimless walk carried me onward. I wasn't in what one would term a foul mood. Pensive was more accurate. I so often thought about many things, often all at once in a steady rushing stream of consciousness. Blurring together. Slipping and slithering in and out of each other's crosshairs like serpents.
Life was a peculiar thing. How much it could change with a broadening perspective brought on by an awakening.
Never thought I'd make it this far.
I stopped at the top of a small set of stairs that led out into the gardens. Where she stood.
Perfect blue and white standing in the center of a galaxy of immaculately cut grass, a nebula of blue flowers spanning out behind her. Esdeath's long hair flowing softly in the dawning breeze of spring. Extending her right arm slowly, deliberately. On her index finger, a red winged butterfly was perched. Big enough that I could see it from where I stood. Crimson wings twitched leisurely, feet holding onto the finger that was its perch. Long antenna atop its head. Completely unafraid of her. We were the same in that one particular way.
She smiled down at it with stunning gentleness that touched my heart. Regarding the way with which she was perceived, most would think that smile would be promptly followed up with her tearing its vulnerable wings off. They'd be surprised that no such action would occur. With an easy flick of her wrist the butterfly took flight, rising higher and higher with steady determination into the sunny sky's familiar embrace. A single, red winged soul going about its way in a wide world in an even wider to the point of incomprehensibly universe.
"It's a species that feeds specifically on these blue flowers," Esdeath spoke, still peering upwards for a moment longer before turning her gaze on me.
"You mean the same flowers that you can use in torture?" I teased.
"Of course." She smiled. "Funny how things balance out, isn't it? Most would look at these flowers and see little else than just that. To the butterfly, its a source of life."
"...I think I'm starting to rub off on you," I said with a slightly laugh shaking in my chest. Esdeath fixed me with a half lidded stare, lips pulling into that predatory smile.
"No more than I've influenced you, I'm sure."
I made no attempt to deny this. It was true.
"Where does it go from here?" I inquired, gesturing with my chin to the sky above. "The butterfly, I mean."
"Somewhere south, where it's warmest."
She adjusted her cap between her forefinger and thumb, a little tick of hers I'd noticed. Concealing her eyes for a brief few seconds as she made her way up the steps, the clacking of her heeled boots sounding rather loud in the comfortable stillness. Silky hair brushed faintly across my forearm. The exposed skin tingled. A hand delicately squeezed mine, only once.
And then she resumed moving, the clacking of her footsteps drifting further and further away into a distance echo that morphed into silence.
I was peaceful.