Miles to go

Poem featured is "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost" The rest of the writing is my own.

Whose woods are these I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

She fed him a broken bit of cookie from her dirty apron. The wastes were such a messy place. 

“Pogo dear, this merchant, he seems a bit messy, perhaps you can wash him up a bit with that fine soap of yours?”

"Hm, yes, that does seem prudent"

My little horse must think its queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year

The traveling salesman wasn’t moving much, sweet Pogo took his arm and the herbal scent of rosemary wafted up, she poured water from a canteen and the water washed over his skin, rust colored water washing over him as she scrubbed the small cuts.

“Maybe ask him again where he is?” Silk absentmindedly put some cookie into the merchant’s unconscious mouth.

He gives his harness bells a shake, 
To ask if there is some mistake
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

A smile crossed the remnants face, so sweet, the little feather and furred girl had a sadistic streak a mile wide.  Without the tiniest bit of prompting she pushed him over and dug her hand into the open wound on his back, leaving him to choke on his chocolate chips, and leaned over him “where is he?” 

The merchants eyes flew open and he let out a stuttered scream, and tried to answer, maybe he would have said anything at that point, before his last crumb laden breath left him bleeding on the ground. 

“Oh well.” Silk shrugged and dusted herself off, standing up, helping Pogo off the ground. 

“Keep going?” Pogo smiled.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep

Writing Prompt: "Has that scar always been there?"

"Has that scar always been there?"

I had been humming quietly in the bath, and the voice startled me. I preferred to bathe alone, very few people saw me like this. I preferred my body painted and adorned, naked I was nothing but a broken doll.

I pretended not to hear. "Did you say something?"

"Yeah, those? She gestured to my arms, chest and back, have you always had those?"

Oh...yeah. Since I was a child.

"The story we told family is that one of the older bathhouses collapsed, a candle caught and burned, I was barely rescued in time."

She looked incredulous, "And the truth? scars like that look like a pretty severe....beating maybe?"

"We never spoke of it again."

Everyone dies alone

"The world has gone to shit and its still so beautiful up there"

Silk laid her head on his shoulder, ear to ear laying opposite directions in the sand. In the distance she heard shouting. Just moments ago Dandy had called her over and beckoned her into the private rendezvous. With one hand on her weapon, she heard him talking,

"You can still see the oldcestor satellites sometimes."

"Some people say they live up there, in the sky"

They fell silent, and she heard his voice in her ear,

"This disease, it's going to take me at the bells if I don't do something-- and I won't have that. Other people dying have drowned in their own fluids."

Silk laid silently, waiting for what was next. She wasn't an idiot, but she let him talk.

"That's why I called the meeting. I am going to die on my own terms."

"What's the point of that?"

"I don't want to be alone when I go, I want to be with family. I want to be with you."

"Everybody dies alone." As soon as the words left her mouth, they felt cruel, but she only received compassion as a response.

"I want you there. When I go in and when I come out. If I come out."

"You will. I'll be there"

"I may not... be myself"

She heard her words like an echo in her head. This man who she was laying under the stars with, she knew she didn't know him, and shouldn't trust him, and yet, she did. She put her lips on his neck as he continued to speak. He confessed to her, his truth and his life, and she promised to look for him, and never stop, no matter how the gravemind changed him.

They stared at the stars and she let the sand pass between her fingers, pressing her hand to the ground, certain that if she tried hard enough she could make glass, stop time, something. Why did she care? Mother had warned her against this, and she had always been shit at following directions.

He got up first, and they climbed out of the pit, walking back to kiva. She knew he was holding her hand but it felt numb.

"I am going to gather family, when I get enough I will find you."

"What is enough?"

"You."

He heard him speaking to people, telling them to meet him, but the words were hollow. At some point she felt her anger flare, and she disconnected from him and walked into Kiva, and walked up to Ayrian, "come to the meeting that Dandy is calling" Ayrian looked stunned and said he would try, and then the call came. It was a mess. Someone yelled that it was septics. Where was he? She saw Dandy run off into the darkness, and knew it was over, that his careful plan was shit. "Medics in the center!" She hunkered down with the medics by the fireplace in Kiva, and proceeded to do her job, until soon enough, there he was, brought and laid, dead in front of her.

She had never been so mad, she thought. No thats a lie. Never so mad since she came to Bravo. Outbursts of emotion were impolite, uncouth, and had she the impropriety she would have screamed at his lifeless body, hit him with her rage. Instead she simply quietly muttered "You idiot" over and over "you idiot you swore I would be there" as another doctor checked him out. The doctor confirmed he died by poison to her, and Silk knelt in absolute stunned silence and anger, tears welling in her eyes. Next to her, she heard a voice, "Do you have anything to write with?" It was Harper, and she handed her her inkpen. Harper took his arm and wrote something....Silk only caught a bit of it, but it was right.

She watched him sink into the floor, and wanted to go search for him, but knew it would be ages before he reappeared, and who knew when he would show up. She began to notify family, her sister, Rajah, who was distraught but then quickly distracted by something else, as she usually was, Ayrian, who was otherwise occupied, Max, who was off in his own world. As far as she could tell, no one cared but her that he was gone.

Running up the steps to Kiva Singer stopped her. Hoarse as always "He died saving me" her voice was a rusty squeak. "I would be gone if it weren't for him." Silk nodded numbly.

She knew he had his outs, she still trusted the doctors opinion, and liked Singer. He died stupidly, and she was angry. She would still wait for him, if only to say it to his face. He should have been in her arms when he went through with his foolhardy plan.

----

Still doctoring, throwing herself into her work, it was a flurry of death and blood. Silk was using Singers crash kit to save people as quickly as possible while Doc Bravo knitted limbs back together next to her.

She thought she heard a Valkyrie cry outside, and yelled again "bring the hurt to us!" Throwing herself into her work right now was the only thing she could do. Wrist deep in blood and glitter, shocking people to life, knitting them together and sending them back out was all she could do to distract herself from the situation at hand.

Out of the corner of her eye Whip came inside, a familiar figure slumped over his shoulders. Silk continued her work, no, if they needed help they would have been in front of her, live for the living. Miitheifs called her name, and motioned her over, and then she stopped everything.

It was Rue.

Silk began to try to save her, knowing it was futile.

"Shes gone" one of them said.

"I came out of the woods as soon as I heard her scream, but it was too late." Whips voice.

Tears welling. No. Vegasians don't cry. She sat with her, hand on her lifeless body, and wrapped her hand around her sword, thirsty, "You need this with you sister." Silence. Chaos reigned around her and she looked over to the medics, who were beginning to become overwhelmed without her.

"Sister, you can't hear me, but I need to live for the living." She looked at Whip, "Please stay with her?"

With that, she walked off and stitched people together until she couldn't anymore. The attack thinned, and she felt utterly, completely, alone.

----

She left early the next day, after searching all night, and getting knocked out by the Scarecrow and left in the woods by her family and friends she had had enough excitement. She still hadn't found Dandy, and would figure that out later. As she hopped the early caravan out of Bravo, she said goodbye to the settlement, and good riddance, at least for now.









"Please find me."

The bottom of the bottle

I could hear a door creak on its decayed hinges. Any other day, any other time, I would care, jump to attention. Anything could be coming through the door and I wouldn't be any wiser. My head was pounding and light poured through the broken windows of our room. Everything was in a state of dissaray.

"What are you doing."

I heard her sharp voice as I sank lower into the cast iron tub, only a few inches of lukewarm water left, not serving any real purpose for cleanliness, a metallic scum floating on the surface, what was left of my usual painted self, exposing my hidden flaws. I reached for the bottle, my fingers just not quite long enough to reach.

She was there in an instant. How did she move so fast? I could still smell the cold on her, back from Dedstop so soon? How long had I been out? She ripped the bottle away, her voice too loud in my ears, ringing.

"I told you you could drink about it, but this is enough."

"No...I can't"

"Yes. You can. You are Silk Fortuna D'Lux, not some common drunk and you will not act like this."

There was no warning before the hooch poured over my head, stinging my eyes and my raw skin. I tried to scream and shuffle out of the way but I was far too inebriated.

"And this?" she held up the bottle. "This no name bullshit? You are better than this, I know where you are from, I was raised in the shadow of the Black Pyramid myself, you do not lower yourself to this trash"

And with that, I felt myself hoisted from the tub, I tried to whine, and squirm, and kick, I put an elbow in her rib and she, always a better fighter than me, simply clocked me over the head and threw me out the front door. I awoke a second later, head throbbing, ugh, that would leave a mark. I saw her throw something at me, a ragged towel "you might need this" and I realized I was naked and outside.

"You are a bitch Rue"

"I know but you love me anyway"

"Let me in"

"Not until you act like your damn self"

I sat there for hours. Wondering if I even cared, and then I heard something in the dark, shamblers maybe?

"Rue seriously. There's something out here"

"I know, but trade is a day away and I can't very well have you showing up like this."

"So you want to kill me instead?!"

"I didn't say that. Just that you need to figure this out, decide you value yourself"

"But....I want to see her again."

"Be here for the living," her voice echoed through the door.

The zed were getting closer, and I stood there, I am not a brave person, but I missed her and needed to know.... would she be there? But Rue? My family...

I screamed as they hit me, falling to the ground after a few hits, I couldn't. I screamed again, kicked the door.

"Rue, I don't know what I'm doing but please don't let me die. I'm not ready."

Wordlessly, like the valkyrie she was, she was there in an instant, pushing me behind her, her blade, aptly named thirsty slicing through the shamblers like they were made of nothing.

I watched from the ground, she looked like a dancer as she fought, fur and blood and warpaint in deadly choreography. When they were done, she dragged me back inside and stared at me for a long second.

*SLAP*

"What was that for?"

"All of this. Now lets get you cleaned up."

And with that, she started heating water and helped fill the tub with clean water. She gently washed my hair and forced me to drink some bitter tea that she swore was "good for me." It was as if she was never angry at me, though I could feel her sternness, and I knew she was still looking over my shoulder.

Who are you here for?

Something wasn't right, it hadn't been right all trade. Slink offered to help lead people to boot hill, a place I had personally avoided since my coming to town, but on this night, I agreed to accompany. Grabbing Rue's hand, I told myself I was going to be supportive of those who had lost others. Walking down the trail we heard the quiet rustling of leaves and eventually saw the lights of Boot Hill. The quiet lent a peace to my mind I hadn't felt in a long time, and the lights were a beauty I didn't understand how to behold, floating in the trees, glowing blue orbs surrounded us. Rue pulled me back and we began to walk back to town.

Ghosts would come, we had heard. And they did. The mourners cried after their loved ones so loudly, and Rue tightened her grip on my hand, they were a mass, following like a parade of sadness. As our small group split between them, Rue and I tagged onto the end. "I am only going to investigate, the gravemind is an interesting curiosity, I told myself."

"This is selfish, never do this for me." I heard Rue say beside me. 

"What?"

"It is selfish. Never come to this place crying for me if I die. Let me go. Listen to these people crying, they cry for themselves, for their own comfort, it is selfish. Never come here for me. Promise me."

"Probably...I won't" 

Rue was my only friend, could I make that promise? I mean, this outpouring of sadness made me uncomfortable, I did not know how to have these emotions these people were expressing around me. 

As we walked into Boot Hill I allowed the morbid beauty of the situation to overtake me, the mourners and ghosts swirled about, cries so loud I could no longer hear nature and the glowing orbs floating through the trees.

I could hear the mourners and ghosts alike, I did not know who was who... I hadn't been here long enough to tell. I clustered next to Xero, if anything, he would keep me safe if anything were to happen. 

I waited... I don't know what I was waiting for but I saw friend after friend find lost lover, child, friend. Lil ran crying to someone, and Xero grabbed my shoulder before I could comfort her, "No, its personal" He says, and I let it go, but watch her intently, such emotion! I hear someone crying for a lost son, "Timothy!"

Why am I still here? Why am I drawn to this place? Why did I NEED to come here?

"Who are you here for?' The blue man is on my shoulder, asking me.

"I...I don't think..."

"Who are you here for?"

"I lost an infant child, but she could not come out here."

"Speak her name. Call it out." He nudged me forward, pushing me out of my protective circle, I gripped Rue harder.

"Loess..." It was practically a murmur. I couldn't bring myself to be louder.

"Louder, who was she to you?"

"Loess" bolder this time. "My daughter.... are you in there?"

"More, tell more, how old was she"

"She was a baby...there is no way I can see her again..."

"What do you remember about her?

"So little." I was shaking, was this really happening? Could I see her again?

"She was so little... blue eyes..." I called out again "Loess, my baby, are you there, my daughter?"

And then it happened, I felt faint and I do not honestly remember if Rue's hand was still in mine, the world swirled around me and all I saw was her. As beautiful as I could have imagined and remembered, my baby, grown into a woman. I could feel the push behind me to step forward, and with every bone warning against it and trembling, and every instinct telling me to run, I stepped forward. 

"Mom, I grew up."

I never thought I would hear anyone call me mom, not after I lost her, and tears began to fall. "My baby is that you? Is that really you?"

"yes"

"Does it hurt?"

"No mother, I am fine."

I cried so hard, I could hear people calling at me to go and I couldn't care, I just wanted to hold her hands and hug her forever. Rue was patiently beside me, not saying a word.

"You are safe, you are fine?"

"Yes mother, you don't have to worry about me anymore."

And with that, I hugged her and it was everything I hoped. I cried and heard the coaxing and calls of people urging me to leave. "Be safe, my Loess, my sweet girl" Tears were falling like I didn't know they could, I did not understand how to process this, how to feel this, and yet, here it was. 

At the urging of all others, I allowed myself to be pulled away, back out to the road, and walked silently back to town. Tears streaming, and fell into a bottle of hooch for the rest of the night.

-Silk-

A mothers love

Loess,

I don't know if you are alive, or dead. There is so little known about the gravemind, and what is known I have ignored mostly in a quest to stay away from such morbidity in my life. But holding you for the few moments I was able, I felt something I never knew I could, and feeling you sink away, put a fear into me I didn't know I was capable of and hope to never touch on again. 

They say one never knows love until they have a child, and maybe that is true. Does it even count though if you left me before you even had a chance to truly cry out or beg for milk? I have heard people talk about the love of a mother, and maybe that is what this is. I miss you Loess, and I pray that you have either found peace, or you come back to me whole.

Pray. Hah. I am a woman of no religion and yet my lost child is the only thing that can make me pray, what does that say of me? If anyone who knew me could see me now, writing this to you, they wouldn't recognize me, all laughter and parties reduced to tears for a babe I have barely seen. You are my greatest sacrifice, my only pain, driven me from my home and to this near destruction.

Stay safe, stay far.

Silk

What do we say to the god of death?

As Silk hopped off the caravan she pushed open the door to her quiet abode. Finally. Alone. The trade weekend seemed endless, Bravo was nothing like what she was used to and Vegasia was a world away. People were so different here, she closed the door behind her and immediately sank to the ground, head in her hands. Would she ever get the hang of it? In Vegas City she knew exactly what was expected of her, she had a title, a name, and people to take care of and who took care of her. There was no worrying about whether someone "cared" or "liked" one another, frankly, it was tiring.

She had come here with a hardened exterior, no friends, no family, and goals in mind, but these "Braves" as they called themselves were clouding her judgement. She found herself developing.... friendships? Was that friendship? In Vegas city all the people she had counted as friends were her slaves, courtesans of her family, or otherwise in her employ, there were a few she knew from school or that were Family, but her family was different, and nothing like she had seen in Bravo.

In this crazed place, people developed caring for one another, and it confused her downright, and after Rue saved her at the beginning of the meet, she had a conversation with Lil and Xero about the value of friendship. People had value, she was sure of that. But friends? Friends were people that you liked simply because, and that is...unknown. But Rue was kind, and held similar values, in fact, most of the Valkyries were quite amusing, and that cook they had found was fun as well.

So...friends are people you care about all the time, and not just when they are in front of you, and not just when they are doing something for you. Silk thinks she understands but isn't quite sure. Lil made a point of telling her that it was a poor example to say she cared about people not directly in front of her because she had sent Gideon to fetch her lunch, and thus she couldn't see him, and he had done so.

Feelings were messy, and Silk did not do messy well. She pulled herself up and started a fire for hot water. A bath would make her feel better. A memory of home, the scented hot waters would cleanse the filth of Bravo from her.

Ugh, filth. They kept calling her a whore, which, as she was learning to understand was not an insult in these parts. But where she was from she simply understood that all transactions had a price. Apparently, as she was told "whorin is a protected right". Which... seemed vulgar but fine, if she was going to be a whore she would be the finest courtesan they had seen. She was not some low born vegasian and her pride would take hold long before she allowed herself to be brought low by anyone.

She had nearly died this trade meet, a call far too close for her comfort, the reaper had nearly killed her, and if it hadn't been for Doc Creed, she would have met the Gravemind. Unnaceptable. She had come to Bravo for a new start, and if she had wanted to meet the Gravemind she would have stayed in Vegasia. Besides, she was far too pretty to die. She would have a date with death eventually, no doubt, and when her time came, perhaps she might finally have a burning question answered. But not today. Never today.

She needed time to mull over this in her head. This trade meet was full of interesting exchanges. She slid into her now hot bath and let the scented waters waft over her head.

"Those braves smell funny. They could use a bath."