Danica

What happened?

I squinted through sealed eyelids as 20 off-white bones peeked out from behind my lips. My flawless, fair skin burned under the rays of the rising Sun. Holding just faintly onto Danica’s hand, I listened to her gentle laughter beckon me to follow.The tall reeds tickled my bruised knees, and I flinched every time I stepped on something squishy with my bare feet. It was never really an issue running outside in just my nightgown, but I had never been farther than the corn field. Swamps were a different setting entirely.

                “Come ON, Rebecca! You’re going too SLOW!”

                Danica’s surprisingly sharp tone bit at my heart, and I instantaneously let go of her hand and flopped down hard into the mud.

                “Rebecca get UP!!”

               I rose to my hands and knees and sat back on my legs. The five fingers I held in front of my face looked oddly like 10... 10 tiny, pubescent, bloody fingers…

                It was then that I noticed that blood was everywhere. Everything that felt like mud, all of the squishy things smudged on the soles of my feet, the stains on my dress, all of it was--

                “REBECCA!” Danica’s scream echoed throughout the swamp as she snatched my hand and yanked me to me feet.

                …mud. All of it was fun, messy, muddy mud. I had never been happier. And it was all thanks to my good friend Danica, who’s laughter calmed me as I trotted behind her. Her polite aura soothed me as we walked, and 20 off-white bones peeked from behind my rose-coloured lips just as they had been all this time.