Do You Still Like Us?

and so the king beast trounced and pounced and shounced and shouted and he ate and gobbled everything up, except one little tiny morsel of a cute thing that scuuuurieeeeed and scrammed itself away   “Nothing! THAN I am nothing!!!!”  ‘why?' ‘because that little thing got away?' “YES!” ‘it is ok, little things sometimes scurry away, but you are a proud and beastly king.' ‘these things need not bother such a great king as yourself.' “AND yet, it makes me FEEL, still, FEEL so small...” ‘yes this can happen.' ‘even to such a great and beastly thing as yourself.' “AM I such a SMALL thing that I cannot eat WHAT I WANT whenever I WANT???” ‘you can eat whatever you want.' ‘perhaps you allow the little things to thrive by themselves?' ‘you don't eat everything!' “OF course not! Then who would see me EAT?!”

and so a heavy paw rises and the 2 tinies are now able to shakily stand to their feet and cower before a mighty and great beastie. “Now run and scamper off you little darling things.” the hard booming of the beasties voice knocks them back down quick fast. but there is nothing malicious in that booming voice, only strength and booming and loud percussive force. ‘perhaps we can tag along for a bit?' ‘i've, i've, i've never felt so safe before' their voices break and quiver, but their hope for, something, ally, life shines bright. and all of it is mercilessly and completely lost on such a mighty and brightly beastie. “HAHAHA, yes little ones, you want to see how a real KING beast tramps and stramps through the night? Come and watch me eats and feasts.” ‘aaaahhh but we are so tiny!' ‘won't we be trampled so easy?' “NO NO NO, no such thing, I shall protect you little things, you shall feast upon my feast, watch a real KING beast in action! ...and if I'm unlucky tonight perhaps I shall eats you HAHAHAHA!” The laugh booms and presses against them, but there is no malice, only arrogance and ignorance and a huge and frightening thing being a huge and frightening thing. ‘thank you great king.' ‘we are excited to see you in action great king.' 

so 2 tinies cower forward into black, damp blindness. horrible and terribly wicked sounds echo and scurry around them as a wet, dense copper waft fills their noses too full. their tiny hearts beat, blat, blast against their chest, pounding deafening booms against their ear drums, until they feel a heavy hand gently encompass them and pin them gently flat against the ground. “Awww, my first meal has arrived so easily.” the voice is deep and resonate and chases all courage and hope from every corner and crevice. ‘meal?' ‘surely one as mighty as yourself could never be nourished by such tiny morsels.' “Ha, true, but you are merely the first morsel the night has bestowed.” ‘but why ruin what will obviously be such a mighty and delicious meal?' ‘we are the tiniest and sourest of tiny things and we can tell from your mighty paw's grip you are a beastie of great renown, deserving of scrumptious, delicious and satisfying morsels.' ‘we could never die with peace knowing we so poorly began your night's meal so sour and unsatisfying.' “Awwww, I so rarely find such class and respect in these woods. You think and act well to think and act so rightly to a beastie such as myself. You are right, I deserve much better than such little things as you. You are a meal meant for some ugly and undeserving thing.”

darkness seeps thick and thicker as creaks and whines and gurgles burble towards 2 tinie tiny tinies, now cautiously stepping forward  hand in hand into darkness. the woods engulf them. a sharp crack snaps quick to their right and they cower holding each other tightly. the crack is quickly followed by a wet snap and a frantic fury of sinew, bone and muscle obscured in dark and brush. to their left and just above them another too quick snap, crack, squeal and the 2 tinies can only whisper whimpers to each other.  ‘i am afraid.' ‘me too.' ‘do not lose me.' ‘never.' 2 tiny hands clasp tighter as 2 tinies hands beat harder.

the day draws towards it's end and the weight of reality begins to fall heavier and heavier with the dipping light. on the horizon they see the ships sailing back home and they have no idea how to stop the inevitable. but they are clever and brave and wild and they look to one another in silence thinking of a way out. “let's run away.” “yes! but where?” as the night continues to seep into the shadowed and dark places they hear many wild sounds begin to rise behind them. “into the woods.” “we'll never survive.” barely a whisper, but a reckless hope has been given life. “maybe, but we'll be together.” “yes, we'll be together.” and so 2 tiny hands clasp as 2 tinies rise to their feet and contently, confidently walk into the darkening woods, smiles uncontained and wild.

as they both turn to their tiny tinie little towns they realize it all at once and sudden. they are enemies, a thing real and ancient, they are from different towns, different sides, they're different. ... “you know we're not so different” “yeah i think we kinda have a lot in common” “the ships have already sailed, so maybe we can just sit and talk a bit” “yeah, let's sit and talk, a bit” and so 2 tiny souls falter and stumble head over heels for one another, looking for answers, finding frustration and laughs, but forward they trek, ever committed to the light and bright and impossible.

‘oh, why?' a small chuckle sweetly wafts from them both. and so unfolds the story of 2 tiny little tinies who hopped into a tiny and little row boat together one odd night on their way to a near by fire on the shore, to drink and eat and eats and drinks and drinks and maybe eats some more, confused to how they met and enjoying sweet circumstance their oars lapped less and less as they talked and joked and stared deep into one another until transfixed. the moon dips deep and the sun begins to rise and they hold each other close and fall asleep to dream of together. the morning comes and the ships all sail away. they wake long after and smile sweetly to one another. today they miss the battle, but they happily stare into each other and row back to shore and step upon those soft, sandy shores and sweetly turn to walk back to their town, only to realize they've turned from each other and they are enemies.

‘good morning’‘we are not gods...’...smiles and coughs and knowing winks and nods push through hazy smokes and hazy, sunny rays  )()()the o0ld on3s...the 0ddd one$l;;; 3never seem sh00000w U>p”””...“This can be true”a puff of bluish smoke raises and wafts through the aire, stinky but still oddly sweet “But sometimes not”a simple and true smile shines from an old and weathered mouth of crooked teeth and sharp eyes crowded with earned and worn wrinkles“true...but we are here....and there are no gods and we are here...and where are the go...”“Shhhhhhhhh....”a pause ensues....truth can be hard to see and so they all squint and smile...4 gals stand before 2 old tinies...no gods among them....but truth burns to tell true......“You might be right”...“We ran away long ago”

the 4 gals grow sleepy as the sun begins to rise, they struggle to stay awake and watch the cute tinies begin to wake up and row their little boats back home, most going the right way and some going wrong, everyone groggy and a little cross and wanting a hot breakfast before they all set sail back into the thick, quick, hit of battle again.“Sad how everyone can come together so easily at the end of the day.”“And start all the hate back up in the morning.”the tiny voices from behind startle the girls and they quickly turn around to find a tiny old man and tiny old lady sitting next to each other holding hands on a log not far away. they are both dressed in dark green tunics and thick, ripped, tattered brown pants. the lady smiles sweetly as the old man winks, nods his head and lights up the tiniest smoking pipe the gals have ever seen.“Good morning.”“Yes good morning beautiful ones, are you the gods who have returned?”

and soon homes and taverns and streets are filled with light and fire and laughter and food and drinks, some are dressed in blue and red and some are dressed in red and blue, and some mix and some mingle unknowingly happy amongst one another. the towns seem connected in their togetherness and commons. at times the towns feel connected, but the looming ships still sit idle and testament in the bay, their wounds real and deep and recent. at random fights break out of the night, until they die back down again. at random laughter and song shine bright until they quiet down again. the night grows deeper as little tinies laugh and climb into tiny boats and float and bob and rock in the bay, watching the fresh hanging moon peek out from behind the cloudy, deep sky. they talk and share and laugh and cry, the tiny ships do not notice how they mingle and mix amongst one another. 4 gals creep farther back into the darkness and forest behind them to watch. 2 tiny towns mix and mingle and there is no hate as the moon hangs high over a happy and peaceful, sleepy, sweet scene.

4 gals step out of the boat onto a soft and sandy wide bay beach. to their right in the distance is a beautiful port town full of obvious personality. to their left in the distance is a beautiful port town obviously full of personality. the colors don’t quite match, but they are such the same. the 4 gals walk to one end of the bay and examine the tiny town. it is cute. after a while they turn around and walk to the other end of the bay and examine the other tiny town. it is cute. the differences are hard to spot. they take their time examining and appreciating the cute tiny of it all as the sun dips in the distance and 2 fleets of ships quietly, quickly, swift dip back from the horizon. the fog is now gone, but the dark obscures all their figures as the fleet swiftly, unevenly splits and begins to sail swiftly back home to their tiny homes. 4 gals eventually notice the fleets return and hide in the dark shadows, watching, waiting, wondering, who are these cute tinies?....and in the dark one question presses...why DO they fight so?

“monsters!!!!”a tiny scream turns to a tiny roar as all the tiny waring ships begin to pull and tug their ships away. tiny bodies fall over the edges of quickly turning ships and splash tinie tiny in the calm lapping waters of the calm and lapping bay.{{{::”d000004t rug””!!‘yes! don’t run!’‘wait, talk with us!’“why do you fight so fierce??”tiny hearts tremble from fearless chests and booming souls. a tiny pause ensues as the winds fade and everything sails to still.““WE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM!””a tiny and mighty roar echoes forth from all sides.‘then why do you fight each other’it is the first time the tinies have thought and yelled this thought in sync, the first time they have turned to each other and wondered why, why do they fight. it is a greatly tiny first thought.“We have always fought for us!” they yell as“We have always fought for us.” others yell in shock and syncBoth sides begin to see each other and wonder for the first in a long time why DO we fight?‘we have come a long way’‘and have longer to go’“but perhaps tonight we can eat and rest and talk?”{{__)yeah w33”r3 hungray, we need 400000df, s7up f!1ght, feeedb up”@#@ a tiny hero stands proud upon a deck. “never trust the gods. they turn us against.”and a sudden and mighty wind pours forth and tiny ships pull sails taught as they all quickly begin to sail away. the fallen and overboard are easily reclaimed, but not always on the right ship as all the ships sail into a misty fog rolling thick into the bay, disappearing from view. 4 gals stand bewildered and lost in their tiny magic ship as it continues to float ahead, lazily onward and closer towards the near by empty beach.

far over the horizon loud cracks and booms boom and crack loudly far and far away. the sounds slowly, lazily grow louder and closer as their boat lazily floats slowly closer towards.“what is that I wonder?”but they all know what it is, it is the tinies. they slowly float closer and scrunch their eyes towards the distance, blinded and tearing scrunch from the smoothly rising sun ahead.}{}}_i c44n||t csee anyfang???|||`but the noises boom and crack closer than far and their hearts begin to race at the chaos of it all, until they come upon the scene. a gut wrenching war of tiny ships pounding each other into next to nothing in a large island bay. it is devastating and evil and real. and it is so tiny. 4 brave gals stand in their magic boat and tower over the surreal scene, giant and real and splendid and appalled.‘stop!’‘now!’the moment pauses at their booming voices. every clear eye turns and stares their way. the crashing clang and death pauses for the moment.

As 4 gals tread water they smile and laugh about their adventure so far, such a silly and beautiful and scary thing. They wade and laugh and breath and float easily on their backs until just over the horizon a blob of a speck of boat sails slowly towards them. Tiny and dinky it slowly draws near, big enough to hold 4 little gals, an obvious leaking and sinking mess. As they all climb over the soaked and damp and ruggedly rough edges they wetly splash into an ankle deep of salty sea. They tiredly lay upon their backs, breathing, the water not reaching past their proud cheeks as they stare and smile into the deep, pure blue sky above. The boat floats on as sky turns to star.

“We must save them!”“Or now we can keep them.”...“Yes we could keep them.”“But they are so sweet and precious.”......“Than we shall save them.”The moment is tense, but it has rolled in favor of the 4 intrepid gals once again. Scaly and shimmering hands grip their shoulders gentle yet firm as beautiful kaleidoscope tails whip quick fast, up and up and up. An eternity of speed towards the surface as the 4 gals breath and life flails to barely ember, until finally, their heads break above, the now dead bubbles of spent turtle aire are ripped roughly from their heads, their chests are compressed in and out as mermaids blow fresh breath into their empty lungs. A long moment of desperate effort until all 4 gals begin to cough and hack and vomit and breath once again. Their eyes come back from the brink of glassy as they all realize everyone is still alive.‘thank you beautys’‘that was close’“Yes, we forget how fragile you little things are.”...“We have to go now, but there should be a boat coming along soon.”“a boat?”“Yes, a magical, silly thing that can find it’s way between the islands of the tinies.”[[]]tinies??>>]“Yes, strange, little ones, they sail these sæs and war amongst each other endlessly, but they can be true if you are.”‘sounds like an adventure’‘just how tiny are they’

“Ok you are right”“We have grown quite greedy”“We do not get such bright and light so far down and deep”“But we know we cannot keep you”‘you can keep us’ ‘as friends’“Friends?”‘yes’‘we shall visit again’‘and share more with you then’“Friends...?”“We would very much like that”“good, then friends we shall all be”...“Well, I guess back to the top then”|||~yesh::; back to the top again)::2 gals quietly sigh relief to themselves as 2 little, strong, brave gals smile and wink at their many new and dangerous merfriends, all swimming and endlessly darting around untilup and up they float...up and up...and still up......and as they all begin to grow closer to the surface the 4 gals notice the dank staleness of their aire bubbles, growing thick and cloudy, milky thick around their heads, they try to keep calm, but their strength flags as their aire runs into a thin and cloudy whisper, all too thick and gone, the 4 gals begin to slowly sink back and down, choking on lack...‘help’‘please and now’

‘and we think we have seen what there is too see for now’‘and it has been quite excellent and amazing’‘thank you so much’}}yersh, thak uwu’’...“Ahhh, but we have deeper to go”“And much more to show and share”the moment turns cold and the shimming of beautiful scales flash sharp out of the corner of their eyes‘no, we have gone far enough for now’‘now, we hug and say goodbyes’...the moment tightens and thickens thicker sharp...“No, we have more to show you!”“We must show you the wonders even deeper, farther down below!”.........“no, no little ladies, you must now let us go now”...“Let you go? We are only your guides, you are free to roam wherever you please”smiles turn sharply turned as the dank and cold darkness begins to seep in“you have been most lovely guides, but as we have said, we will now be leaving”...smiles dark, boding and cautious light the scene“Don’t leave just yet”“Stay a moment or something”‘please, dont keep us”‘it is time to say goodbye’...“Goodbye?”‘yes’‘please’

deeper down and so things row, beauty and gold and rose and old, and new and strange and pains with clever brains, and souls with personalities, and moles digging too down and deep, and a silly misunderstanding between a jelly’s large belly thinking they had first dibs on the old song and melody, only to sink their teeth on folds of jellied beets, more fins then feets, more fins than feats, din after din until in the cacophony, still 4 heartings beat beatly beat, awwed and wondered at sights they’ve never seen, scenes new and not before, nothing settles, just shifts farther, darker, further down into then and than well past before and than and then until there’s almost more...

and a cute moment soon turns ingenious as quick hands grab quickly passing turtles, fully stomached on the easy poaching below and quick on their ways back to the aire above, adept merhands quickly pumping and stealing milky turtle bubble burps strong, full of breath and turtlely aires of milky, round and strong bubble skins holding strong beneath the surfaces above. the mermaids deftly place the milky, airy bubbles gently over the 4 gals heads.“eewwww”}}{[gR0sssp!‘sush’‘sushs , beauties...the bubbles are gross, yes’‘but now we can talk’‘and breath’|||}}}bUt the bubbs Rsogross!?//“silly Gals, these are merely aire turtle bubbles...there are many more wonders to see farther down below.”a wild and briny scent overflows the bubbles/as 2 gals grow nervous/as 2 brave/confident gals smile at the smirking/smirk of it all“we want to take you deeper down.”2 nervous gals look to 2 experienced smirking and smiling gals‘sounds interesting’‘we’d love too’~`=+R33lly}}>?‘yeah’‘really’))990h::wel12 ok**^“good”*winks and smiles ensue as things sink deeper*

and cold waters push hard and overwhelming, stealing all breath and tightening pores, huge bubbles of air gushing towards their faces, bursting and confusing and popping all around. hands dart out from the dark towards their faces, pinching their cheeks, brushing back their stray hairs until sweet faces emerge from the murk and freeze of’ the moment quick. the water churns, turns normal, clear as 4 gals find themselves serenely floating deep below above, a skool of mermaids hovering, dodging around them, smiling, blushing and glowing interest.“you’re all just so cute and, so beauty”the words are spoken almost bubble beneath the deep, flowing surface above, but they are easily heard. 4 gals smile at the beauty and boldness of the bold and shimmering mermaids floating around them. they cannot reply under waters set so deep, but their smiles are true as they met the earnest stares floating in and around them.“I apologize for our boldness...but you are very special gals and we are very too wild... we just wanted, maybe, a moment together”4 gals smile sweetly and real and wave hello and yes of course.a group of mermaids begins to glow hot and shimmer, shimmering deep and bold as everyone blushes deep, cute crimson and even deeper cute crimson red...

and so 4 intrepid gals set off, bold and glam and confident. they have spent some time glamming and some time bolding and now they set off boldly glam. it is a short lived glam in the humid aire, but they laugh off their sliding blushes and goopy contours. they know they need only be wary the cold. too much heat usually means nonsense and they can all deal with nonsense, but too much cold means something else, and then/than who knows? so they slam through underbrush and higherbrush and all the middlebrush until they are panting for a full breath and a long draught of water. but they are smart and have tracked themselves a river. and as they dip down to refresh themselves with gulps of clear, fresh, flowing waters, a cool breeze cools the cloy and clinging, hot beads of sweat from their smudgy, glammed brows, a flash of a hand flashes out from beneath the surface, grabbing one of the girls fully below the water. a beat. less then/than a moment. 3 intrepid gals dive beneath the surface of a freezing and rushing stream.

there is tea, comfy chairs and warmy warmness that besets the moment. the moment is real and appreciated. the talks go long and deep and seemingly forever, in a comfortable and forever kind of way. naps come here and there, more tea, and more naps by sunny windows and silvery moonlights until slowly it dawns on them, this is going oon far too long.‘why does this stretch?’“yes,...i am alone, but we can stay here safe and fine, talking safe and fine, being, safe, and fine”‘but we have farther to go’“where do you have to go?”‘we have not found it yet’}{][ 8ut we w111//[/ w33e goob g0000 0N fЯЯ3nd *t]]”“yes, yes, leave me the crumbs as you tumbles off into adventure, leave me here alone agÆin and as alwÆys”...,.‘do you want to come?’“real?”‘y33sh’“yes”

through the thickness of it all 3 gals shakily stand to their feet. the ground is soft, but their fall was hard and they are immediately sore and put out.:”:” oh no!, we ЯЯ söref and brökenf”:”?>?”‘sore’‘not broke’‘stand firm and quick’ll’the 3 little girls confidently and roughly stand as a new and hungry craver climbs into the space, thick and sore and ready too pounce on 3 strong, confident and sore gals standing against the angst.‘aw you want us broke too_’...“hehehe, i see 3 marvelous creatures tumble from such a height and I do not offer them a comfy chair and tea to rest, and hope they share their tales, ehhhhhh, that’d be ghastly”the thickness remains, but the moment is calm, quiet and clear. what once was has now gone and only a cold and stuffy stillness remains.‘we apologize’‘we have judged to quick’“ehhhhhhhh, these things can happen, eyes can play trickity tricks, the important thing is too keep one’s wicktity wits”...‘yes’‘we would love some tea’))we dio not no U}”“than let’s have some tea, a comfy chair, i can only offer a moment, but i can promise a real one”2 little girls look to their unsure friend, a reassuring smile passes between all, real or lie, they have each other.||@ real one w0odu be kwt nice||

a dank and damp breath fills the space thickly, sickly, deeply. as the 3 girls strain hard against the hard branches and clinging vines sharp, slick talons tear into the space. ripping, gnashing just outside darkness blinded by blinding shafts of bright, shine and shining light poking through the momentary gaps and moments. a deep terror fills the space.and then pure chance hits. the bottom falls out and the 3 girls fall and tumble to the soft ground below. screeching, mad tearing lashes out harmlessly above, stuck, infuriated, harmless.‘this is a dangerous place’‘very’“””’we n33333333D t) gobb b@4(k::””;;’))‘no, no it’s ok’‘these things can happen’‘but we must not lose our nerve now’‘anything can happen’the 2 brave girl’s little sweet smiles shine wicked in the soft underlights. thick, cold fogs grow around them. it is a reassuring and inspiring smile. it is a cold and thick crowd of fogs.

as 3 gals watch all it unfolded they begin to slid backwards through greasy slime and slimy moss, the quiet and unassuming speed quickly turning tumble well too soon until they are too soonly tangled deep, thick and hard, thick in vine and mossy slime, stuck hard and fast. too soon they hear a beating and impatient breath pounding closer and closer. a hungry and nasty crunching fills the hot, damp, cramped aire, hunger drawing closer and near, racking nearly and closely, clawing too close and too near. not a moment too lose 3 stuck gals squirm with all their might.

fury pours forth, a steaming heat only adding to the already humid, thick and dripping aire.“Shut ya trap birdie, you’re screeching is burning up the place, dummy!”the lizard’s laughter pours thick as red bleeds bright and red hot, thick through the bird’s being, rage and rage and rage upon rage floods forth, razor, thick talons shredding wood, vine and steaming, clinging, supple moss in it’s furious pursuit of weak, supple flesh.“You’ll never dig deep enough you silly fool!”the lizard’s too pleased laughter pushes the moment hard, harsh, real. the bird cannot win. the bird hates this moment, but has no way to understand their utter disappointment and utter hopelessness. the bird falters, in self.“Do not despair you silly thing, you are a bird and I am a lizard. Today I win and gloat, but tomorrow maybe, maybe something different. Today you lost, but you did not die.”the gesture is beyond the bird, who can only shake their head and lose fury, this goes beyond capacity. the bird breaths deeply as they blindly fly inline with instinct, purpose, hunger beating deep from stomach and breast. eventually the bird flies beyond the horizon.

mighty and majestic a bird of pure predator swoops, dives, scents delicious and hidden food. scratching deep at crevice and dark crack as the lizard slinks safely deeper and laughs safely to itself. it is a warm and scaly and too loud laugh that infuriates the bird and instigates a deeper, meaner search of the area from the now angry, hungry beast. soon the bird finds the scent of 3 brave and new gals hastily hidden, it’s talons rake deeper, closer, meaner, anger more than instinct, purposed and leaking agenda. the safe lizard cackles at the blind stupidity of it all as the 3 gal’s hearts pound harder at the closeness of consequence.“You pathetic thing, you scratch for worms while I stand here, you will never win you dum worm eater.”it is a mean and heartless feint, and it works, the lizard draws the bird’s sharp attention as 3 shocked gals spill and sneak quickly into the grey shadow outside focus, hiding safe as they now watch the moment ensue before them.

and so a crazy and silly adventure ensues. plunging down a dark and twisting hole, deeper and deeper they plunge. quick hot breath builds up in the too stuffy way, heart pounding uncomfortably sweating sheens on foreheads and smalls of back as they all race farther and farther onward. until peeking rays of sunlight and thickly swelling heat wrapped in sticky nonsense crowds the aire thick. it pours down their throats and fills their lungs, warm and sticky and uncomfortable. the fluffy cottontail they chased is no more and they find themselves tumbling onto a thick branch cleaving mighty and high through a jungled aire. before them belches a thick and multi colored lizard, nature and instinct incarnate, recently well feed and contently sunning in a thick and brightly shining shaft of pounding sunlight. then a sharp screech from above and that crafty creature wiggles itself snug in a crack of tree and shadow, hid and safe and snug. they are no fools, they hear danger too and so the 3 strange, brave adventurers find their own hiding cracks in the thick branch and snuggle deep as the can as they watch that wild and wonderful lizard hide.

and so they sit and think, about the moment, about each other...2 little girls wonder if they can trust, everything seems lost and wrapping and warping in weird ways...but can they trust???>> CAN i trust u?>>””‘we we’re gonna ask the same thing’a laugh...and a real stare“”””I “””don””t know?’‘same, but let’s try;;;moments ago..cuteness enticed them too quick...but still they linger‘i feel our story lingers’PPPO]lingers***]]]‘langish’...+_+_prehaps, we dive in>>>>>>........>>>>i fear, but prehaps....I should ++‘shush silly’‘lets be silly’;lets trust to trust’}{}|||~whuuuuuuy))))(‘because WE are real’‘because WE are silly’

chase escalates as a cute and quick fluffy bob of cotton dances just always out of reach, a tickle just beyond the sense, reach and preach, almost distraction with it’s own bent and agenda...they chase cute until a deft hop plunges cuteness into a turnt and wicked hole hiding behind the shadow of a twistedly heavy and morose tree.“^^%Fo!!03,,,w3, fo((ow]]¿¿!]”‘we should think’‘a breath before’“@DV3NT&R#!!!@”‘of course!’‘but we choose’“t4h4i555 t4R33 looOOls w3irds”‘exactly’‘let’s think’

a simple thing turns impossibly different turns harder than imagined turns wacky. jibberish turns into curious. there are words passed between, but more important their is now lived constantly, nothing to hide behind, nothing to duck out of, only here, and now, and on their way “home”. so house/home begins to make themselves known and now and 2 little girls realize things have shifted. It is overwhelming, it is uncomfortable, it is unwanted, but it is real...things have changed. and as 2 little girls steal a quick, uneasy glance to one another they just barely catch a quick and wondrous happening just out of the corner of their eye.‘oh what’s that now?’‘it’sa quick bugger!’“XXZZ>>>WHAT?”‘you didn’t see that?’“

‘whose they?’“YOU”‘us?”“YES”...‘ok’‘we are very tired’‘but you seem very interesting’‘walk with us and we can talk along the way’“IT IS A LONG WAY BACK< **** MANY WINDY WAYS AND BY WAYS< ******MAYBE TOO FARRRRRRRRR”‘maybe, but maybe there are new things to see’‘maybe new things to say’‘maybe new things to hear’...“MAYBE”...“BUT IT IS A LONG WAY BAAACVK *******MAYBEEE TOOOX FARRRRXX”...‘maybe’‘but lets try’...“OK*”

...‘ok do not tell us hehehe’‘so what do we call you’“Call mE”‘yes whats your name silly’...“SILLY’”...‘no’‘hehehehe’‘your real name’“MY NAME IS HOUSE”‘oh’...“THEY ALSO CALL ME...HOME”‘...oh’...

...“WHERE DO YOU GO”‘we are going home’“WHAT IS HOME?”...‘it is the place we are going silly’“THERE IS NO HOME”...‘we have a lovely home’‘and we’d love to have some tea with you there’“I AM HOME AND I AM GONE’...‘you are a silly thing’‘come with us’ ‘to our home’‘for a while at least’‘just a little bit with us’‘at least’“YOU ARE SWEET, BUT I TELL TRUE, THERE IS NO HOME”...‘we are sorry’‘but we are tired’‘and cannot engage this silly’‘but you can come back with us’“THERE IS NO BACK”...‘walk us back home and we can share and nap and everything’‘we promise’“YOU CANNOT PROMISE BACK WITH YOU, NAP WITH YOU OR ANYTHING! THERE IS NO BACK WITH YOU, THERE IS NO HOME WITH YOU, THERE IS ONLY THE END OF YOU”‘what do you mean”“DO NOT MAKE ME TELL YOU”...

Beyond the poetry of the moment, 2 little, tired girls journey back home. It is not the end of it, it is not the easy of it, but still 2 little girls journey back home. Home has changed and the journey back has changed, beyond their effort, things have changed, beyond their wins, things have changed, and 2 little girls cannot ignore it. It is changed and 2 little girls must navigate, deal, wrap themselves around it. It is now a simple and hazy thing, but it has changed in their absence. It is now. It stands before them, real and tangible, a personhood in their midst....“HELLO”‘hello’‘hello’

A gilded wood, sun soaked and hazy with a thick and humid fog clinging thick, slick, lazy upon the damp, mossy forest floor. Hand in hand the 2 little girls walk and slip upon their slippery walk, recounting tales and yarns and things already beginning to spin past lost. There are sad songs and laughter and longing and after and going keep goings and all here and now theres.

2 little girls depart their familiar pirate ship, a wink and a nod is all that is passed as the moment hangs heavy with accomplishment and sincerity. Jessie, that marvelous, fresh Captain, stands proud upon her deck.“You were beyond something else...you were really something out there.”‘thank you Captain’‘we love you Captain’2 little girls stand still and watch as their old ship dips beyond horizon and fading sunset, they boldly whisper past the salty, stingy air:‘we see you’‘always’2 little girls, confident and brave, cry.For the end of things, for the end of the wonder, for the end....2 brave, confident little girls, wipe their tears away, smile to one another and begin their journey back home.

Slow too learn the beastie finds itself in everyone’s way. But the crew is capable and they make space. It is not always easy, but it is always forward and always new. And too soon the girls feel the pang of ending as the time of end soon approaches. No one mentions it, but still it hangs heavy and real. The many new stories they make are now left for another time, and perhaps the 2 little girls will recount the marvelous tales over dying fires with friends tried and true, but for now these stories sail the endless seæs, ignoring ends and stops, ignoring the wrongs long past, sailing endlessly ever off and far beyond.

The walk back to the ship is long, dark, slow, but it is not gruesome. The beasties gears slowly wind tighter into themselves, filling the thickening silence with greasy squeeks and smoky, clingy scents. The walk back to ship is one of tears, grief, acceptance, but it is not shameful. The beastie leads the way, newer with each step, truer and still unsure of the way forward. The walk back to the ship ends, begins, a new start, but it is not the true end. The beastie tentatively steps onto the deck of the ship, as the moment holds fast and the worried crew stops and stares....‘we return’‘we sail’“Yes Captain!”...“...And the beastie?”‘sails with us’“Yes Captain!”

A moment pulls taut as a clockwork beastie cranks into presence, a sharp, piercing grinding that sets their teeth to electric edge. IT now exists before them, cloaked in abomination and terror, unbeatable, untenable, unknowable and unimaginable horror. The crew quakes, but 2 brave girls step forward. Through their fear, through their loss and humiliation, through their soul breaking failures, they stride forward, brave and little, 2 girls approach hand in hand, together....‘we see you’‘and we will love you’:A TRICK:‘a truth’‘hard won’‘and bravely pressed’:ARROGANT COWS=MEANINGLESS WORDS TO BUY TIME FOR ANOTHER TRICK:‘no trick’‘we bring sight’‘love’‘real’‘now’:THERE IS NO REAL!!**!! THERE IS ONLY NOW**!!**HATE AND NOW!!++:‘we give you love’‘earned by no merit’‘a thing bold and true’‘a gift that can never be unmade’:+++***///%%%::YOU ARE MONSTERS: FORCING YOURSELF UPON THE MOMENT::‘we are real’‘we are now’‘and we see you’‘will you accept an unearned thing?’‘will you be seen for the monster you are?’‘will you...be loved despite yourself’:YOU WILL NOT TRICK ME!!!+++::‘you cannot stop love’‘only ignore it’‘do not ignore this chance’...a small clicking, far and away begins to clank in the background. a greasy and smoky scent creeps forward from the murk of the moment....::HOW????::::::LITTLE ONES:::?Little hands reach out to horror as a waterfall of tears and regrets fall to the crimson and bloody floor.

“No Captain!”“Stop.”“No, we need this! We cannot stop evil if we do not win this end!”‘we know this trick’“No trick! This is not about the Captain we lost! This is about the Captain we have! This is about the end of it! We need to win this!”“Stop.”‘we will win’‘but we will not take this’///“You are wrong.”/////////Beating hearts drum in silence. The bloody room seeps and smolders into their moment, cementing their weakness, their wrongs and mistakes...their now floods now and all that brings with it. ‘you are right’‘we cannot run from this’///‘we will beat this’‘and we will take this’A dull, thudding of gears begins to rise from the crimson horror before them. From greasy, black cracks a faint cranking grows into a thick growl as rich reds saturate the gaze and obscure the details.

They arrive too soon, but not as soon as expected. A small moment of confusion they exploit to the fullest, they slip their quick and nimble ship through a crack of shadow and sail unnoticed and unknown deeper into the forever end of it. This is the all and thick of it, but they have lost everything to arrive, so they spoil no moment. Deft and silent and expert they sail, nimble and beyond quick they break through, through shadow and quick they land and creep, until room by hallway by room by hallway they creep and creep and creep forward until they have creeped to the end of it and IT stands before them, terrible......abominable...thick...and end of it.“That is the prize.”‘it looks no prize’A bloody, dripping room, full to the brim with horror beyond end... end proper, and them only armed with the hope of end of IT, end proper. 2 little girls and their crew bravely continue to creep forward as they frantically whisper to each other in shadow.‘we cant make sense of this senseless scene’“That is the point of IT.”‘than we must end IT’“That is not the plan!”‘but’‘we must end it’.........“Yes Captain.”

Weeks blow by in foggy depths, but eventually the sun shines high again and the 2 little girls stand clear eyed and determined on the deck of their ship. A briny, endless gust billows their sails taut, leading their way forward, pushing and stretching their pace and bent.“The weather has turned.”“And we make good time.”‘it leans us too far oblique’‘keep an eye on the sky and push of it’‘we need to approach with our own purpose’“Of course Captain.”Quickly orders are deftly shouted as muscles tense and ropes pull sharp and tight. The crew pushes and rages against destiny, led by 2 little, fearless girls as endless winds continue to gale, the crew little by little make their way purposefully and determinedly forward.

The Captain’s quarters are messy, disarrayed and sad. 2 little girls stand tired and spent listening to Genna and Jessie pummel them with questions.“What do we do next?”“Where do we go?”‘we need to rest’‘and process’“The crew is at their end.”“They need leadership.”‘we sail away from this place and towards the end of it’‘but, we need to rest and process’‘you lead the crew for now’‘set sail to the end’‘we will be ready soon’“Of course Captain.”“We will prepare for...the end.”A sardonic smile creeps upon Jessie’s face.‘thank you’2 little girls, now alone in the captain’s quarters collapse into their bed and cry until they quickly fall asleep. The night brings darkness and rest and time.

“Where is the Captain? Where is the thing we sought! What happened?! Have you seen the broken throne?? Is the old king gone!?!”The crew’s desperate questions flood and overrun the stifled, tense air.2 sad, little girls heave heavy sobs as they stand hand in hand on the deck of their familiar ship in front of their familiar crew.‘the old king is a powerless thing’‘he will continue to fray and wither to nothing’...‘we must continue forward’...“But how, we have not won what we need?”“We have lost so much.”‘we do not need what we could have won’‘we go forward’...“Yes...Captain.”2 sad, little girls stand up straight and walk purposefully to their cabin.‘Genna’ ‘Jessie’ ‘we will rework our plans tomorrow over breakfast’‘and sail away from this forgotten place’...“Yes Captain.”“Yes, Captain.”

...‘ok’...‘we see it now’‘we cant force you’.........“so you leave me?”...‘if that is what you want’‘if that is what you choose’‘but we love you’‘and we still see you’...‘come back with us’.........“i’ll stay...i will use this old king to win a new thing.”.........2 sad, little girls walk back through a broken archway, back to their crew, back to their ship, back...without their Captain.

The Captain continues to cry, a broken mess of hopelessness.‘we need to take her from here’‘away from it’2 strong gals confidently grab The Captain underneath her armpits and begin to drag the sobbing, struggling thing towards the broken window that brought them here. It is a heavy mess of effort and ugly, but with each step the 2 little girls grow more determined to win, to win back their Captain, to win back their crew, to beat that obsolete king back into oblivion and show that they never have to give in.“ please!” The poor Captain pleads, “...we need it, we need this, everything is about this, we can’t go on without this, there is no way to win without this...please help me solve this....keep this...help me find a way....forward ”The Captain continues to cry, a broken mess in need of help.‘we need to take you away from here’‘we need to save you’‘without this’2 strong gals strongly drag their Captain to safety, their steps in sync and as they draw near to the threshold a fiendish, quiet laugh quietly dribbles over The Captains cracked, bleeding lips.“So you do see. We do need this. This is the way. Brutal and true. Take the true however you need.”2 ashamed gals see themselves, determinedly dragging their Captain against her will towards safety.“See...that is how he won me little ones.”But now The Captain just smiles, lost to now, lost to forever, lost in that Lost King.

‘we need to tear this throne down, forever’“NO!”The Captain’s primal scream screeches through the dead air. Her once dulled eyes now mad and sharp. Saliva froths at the corners of her bared lips. Teeth gnashing she glares at the 2 little girls.‘we see you monster’‘we will tear down your throne’‘we will stop bad’“And will you lose me with it? Can you destroy even me now?”...‘and who are you’“I am your Captain!”‘and we still see you’‘and we still love you’‘and we will stop bad’A slim sliver of thought, an almost real beam of translucently pure moonlight slips into the room. A slight shift, a breath, a choice, a blink. Darkness shrouds all for a single beat. And The Throne lays Broken in a room now over stuffed with bleached bare bones endlessly crammed into folds of shadows pouring beyond the endless. The Captain lays broken beyond repair, beyond despair, a heap of tears and shame and regret.‘we see you’‘and we love you’

The 2 little, mad girls rush the Broken Throne, furiously ripping eye from socket, tooth from jaw, tatter from bone, king from throne until a heap of a thing lays piled before them, dusty, worthless and lifeless.“That is how he won me little ones.” ...‘Captain it is over’‘the king is gone’‘come back with us’...“Don’t you see little ones, it all ends, it always ends, just like now, everything stops...and he can stop that. He has stopped that. So we can stop that. He has remained. We can remain. We need to stop the tragedy of it all. We can stop the tragedy of it all. It looks drastic, but it always does, we need to be drastic, we need to be bold, we need to find the way. He is the way, bold, beyond, tied to none of it. He is the way and we can stop all of the bad. We have to stop all of the bad. Help me stop bad.”... ‘he is a monster’...“We need to be monsters. We need to be powerful and real and now. We need to stop bad.”

‘we are done with your spectacle’‘we are done with your old, musty godhood’...“Big words...from such tiny girls.”In a mad dash the 2 little mad girls run into the cramped and long forgotten room. They stand furiously heaving in front of a torn and rendered thing. Sad and pathetic their Captain knells before it....“You see, you have already lost....she is already wholly mine.”...‘you are a pathetic king’‘who leans too heavy on a shine past forgotten’...‘Captain......’‘Come back to us...’The Captain turns towards the 2 little girls, tears streaming from her eyes.“Save me from this monster.”A deep, lost rolling laughter rolls forth from the Broken Throne filling every dark crack and shadow.“She is ours.”...‘if you could take her’‘you would, faker’‘and so we end it’‘now’

Hair tangled thick with sweat clings to the 2 furious, little girls’ foreheads. Their chests heave with the effort, but they refuse to wilt to the heat of it’s power. As their freshly freed crew begins to stand to wobbly legs the 2 little girls determinedly climb over the freshly torn crimson curtains, now dull, muted and lifelessly piled high upon the floor. The room has become cramped and small, yet still dominated by that murky, milky mirror leaning against the far wall. The 2 little girls crawl over the heaps of fabric until they reach the other side, their 2 heavy sailor boots crash into the glass of that abominable, reflective surface, throwing tiny, newly worthless shards crashing down. A lost and old stone archway reveals itself from behind the crash, revealing a narrow and pinched hallway, coarse cold air blowing thickly towards them, everything leading to an ancient and astray place. They clearly see the Old King sitting upon it’s Broken Throne as their Captain continues to knell to it in complete adoration.“I have you now little ones.Yes, come closer.”The 2 little girls determinedly continue forward.